jaeger
Jaeger is a CNCF-graduated distributed tracing platform originating from Uber that helps teams observe and debug microservices by tracking requests across services. It collects, stores, and visualizes traces in real time with a web UI and supports OpenTelemetry standards.
Key facts
Objective fields from the source. Values we can't verify are shown as “Unknown” rather than guessed.
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Repository | jaegertracing/jaeger |
| Owner | jaegertracing |
| Primary language | Go |
| License | Apache-2.0 — OSI-approved |
| Stars | 23k |
| Forks | 3k |
| Open issues | 458 |
| Latest release | v2.19.0 (2026-06-03) |
| Last updated | 2026-07-08 |
| Source | https://github.com/jaegertracing/jaeger |
What jaeger is
Written in Go, Jaeger comprises a collector (ingests traces via OTLP HTTP/gRPC), query service, storage backends (pluggable), and UI. It integrates with OpenTelemetry SDKs and supports sampling, storage plugins, and multi-backend deployments.
Get the jaeger source
Clone the repository and explore it locally.
git clone https://github.com/jaegertracing/jaeger.gitcd jaeger# follow the project's README for install & configurationNeed it deployed, integrated, or customized instead? DEV.co ships production installs.
Best use cases
Implementation considerations
- Choose storage backend early (in-memory for dev/test, Elasticsearch/Cassandra/Badger for prod); storage design affects retention, query performance, and cost.
- Plan sampling strategy before deployment to manage trace volume and storage cost; SDKs support probabilistic, rate-limiting, and remote sampling.
- Instrument applications using OpenTelemetry SDKs (Go, Java, Python, etc.) and export traces to Jaeger collector on ports 4317 (gRPC) or 4318 (HTTP).
- Allocate resources for collector, query service, and storage independently; use Kubernetes Helm charts or Docker Compose templates as reference.
- Set up TLS/auth at Jaeger endpoints and storage layer if deploying to untrusted networks; see GitHub security audit issue #1718 for context.
When to avoid it — and what to weigh
- Minimal Trace Volume with Zero Operational Budget — Even the all-in-one Docker image requires resource allocation for storage and query services; not suitable for fire-and-forget setups.
- Proprietary / Managed-Only Requirements — Jaeger is self-hosted by design. If your team mandates SaaS-only observability, you will need a commercial provider wrapping Jaeger or alternative.
- No Storage Flexibility Needed — If your team is committed to a specific commercial APM vendor (DataDog, New Relic, etc.), integrating Jaeger alongside it may complicate operations.
- Unfamiliar with CNCF & OpenTelemetry Ecosystems — Steep learning curve if your org has no prior exposure to distributed tracing concepts, OTEL standards, or Kubernetes/container orchestration.
License & commercial use
Apache License 2.0 (Apache-2.0). Permissive OSI-approved license allowing use, modification, and redistribution in commercial and proprietary contexts.
Apache-2.0 is a permissive license allowing commercial use without royalties or vendor approval. No official commercial support, training, or SaaS offering from the Jaeger project itself. Commercial Jaeger deployments are self-supported or via third-party vendors. Always review your legal/compliance requirements for production deployments.
DEV.co evaluation signals
Editorial assessment — not user reviews. Directional, with an explicit confidence level.
| Signal | Assessment |
|---|---|
| Maintenance | Active |
| Documentation | Strong |
| License clarity | Clear |
| Deployment complexity | Moderate |
| DEV.co fit | Strong |
| Assessment confidence | High |
Apache-2.0 code audited by third parties; security audit reports available at github.com/jaegertracing/security-audits. No claims made here about vulnerabilities or exploits. TLS, authentication, and authorization mechanisms exist (see issue #1718); deployment should include network segmentation, secrets management, and access controls for collector and query endpoints. Storage backend security (e.g., Elasticsearch credentials) is operator responsibility.
Alternatives to consider
Zipkin
Older OSS tracing platform; simpler UI, smaller ecosystem, less active development. Suitable for smaller teams or legacy integrations.
Datadog APM / New Relic APM
Commercial, fully managed SaaS with 24/7 support, advanced analytics, and integration with logs/metrics. Higher cost but lower operational overhead.
Grafana Tempo
Cloud-native, CNCF incubating project; integrates tightly with Prometheus/Grafana stack. Simpler storage model but smaller community than Jaeger.
Build on jaeger with DEV.co software developers
Start with a local Docker all-in-one deployment, instrument your services using OpenTelemetry SDKs, and visualize traces in the Jaeger UI in minutes.
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jaeger FAQ
Does Jaeger require Kubernetes?
What is the learning curve for a new team?
How much storage does Jaeger need for production?
Can Jaeger work alongside other APM tools?
Work with a software development agency
DEV.co helps companies turn open-source tools like jaeger into production software. Our software development services cover the full lifecycle — architecture, web development, integration, and maintenance — delivered by software developers and web developers who ship. Engage our software development agency to implement or customize it for your open-source observability stack.
Ready to Trace Your Microservices?
Start with a local Docker all-in-one deployment, instrument your services using OpenTelemetry SDKs, and visualize traces in the Jaeger UI in minutes.