jaeger-ui
Jaeger UI is a web-based visualization tool for distributed tracing built with React and TypeScript. It provides trace search, detailed trace inspection, and integration with the Jaeger distributed tracing platform to help teams debug and monitor microservices.
Key facts
Objective fields from the source. Values we can't verify are shown as “Unknown” rather than guessed.
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Repository | jaegertracing/jaeger-ui |
| Owner | jaegertracing |
| Primary language | TypeScript |
| License | Apache-2.0 — OSI-approved |
| Stars | 1.5k |
| Forks | 779 |
| Open issues | 238 |
| Latest release | v2.19.0 (2026-06-03) |
| Last updated | 2026-07-07 |
| Source | https://github.com/jaegertracing/jaeger-ui |
What jaeger-ui is
TypeScript/React frontend for the Jaeger distributed tracing backend, offering real-time trace visualization, search filtering, and performance analysis across service dependencies. Exposes configuration via environment variables and integrates with Jaeger's backend APIs.
Get the jaeger-ui source
Clone the repository and explore it locally.
git clone https://github.com/jaegertracing/jaeger-ui.gitcd jaeger-ui# follow the project's README for install & configurationNeed it deployed, integrated, or customized instead? DEV.co ships production installs.
Best use cases
Implementation considerations
- Requires Jaeger backend service running with compatible API version; verify network connectivity and CORS configuration.
- TypeScript/React stack; build and deploy as standard Node.js/SPA application or use containerized images.
- Configuration via environment variables and JSON config files; review UI configuration guide for Google Analytics, menu customization, and auth integration.
- No built-in authentication layer; implement reverse proxy (e.g., OAuth2 sidecar) or API gateway for access control in production.
- Database backend for Jaeger (Elasticsearch, Cassandra, or Badger) must be provisioned and maintained separately.
When to avoid it — and what to weigh
- Standalone APM Solution Needed — This is UI-only; it requires a running Jaeger backend. Cannot function as a complete monitoring platform on its own.
- Limited Instrumentation Budget — Jaeger requires explicit instrumentation (SDKs, agents) across services; not suitable for teams unable to add instrumentation to their codebase.
- No Custom Frontend Requirements — If you need vendor-managed SaaS tracing (e.g., Datadog, New Relic) without infrastructure overhead, self-hosting Jaeger UI may be overengineering.
- Large Scale Without Dedicated Ops — High-volume tracing requires careful Jaeger backend tuning, storage layer management (Elasticsearch, Cassandra), and retention policies. Self-hosting demands operational expertise.
License & commercial use
Apache License 2.0 (Apache-2.0): permissive, OSI-approved open-source license.
Apache-2.0 permits commercial use, modification, and distribution without royalty. Requires preservation of license and copyright notices. No warranty or liability indemnification provided. Suitable for commercial deployment; consult legal for specific compliance requirements.
DEV.co evaluation signals
Editorial assessment — not user reviews. Directional, with an explicit confidence level.
| Signal | Assessment |
|---|---|
| Maintenance | Active |
| Documentation | Adequate |
| License clarity | Clear |
| Deployment complexity | Moderate |
| DEV.co fit | Good |
| Assessment confidence | High |
No authentication/authorization baked into UI; production deployment must implement access controls via reverse proxy or sidecar. OpenSSF Scorecard badge indicates security review. Trace data may contain sensitive information (PII, credentials); implement data masking and retention policies at Jaeger backend level. Standard web app security practices apply (XSS, CSRF mitigation).
Alternatives to consider
Zipkin UI
Similar open-source distributed tracing UI; lighter-weight, simpler setup, but less feature-rich and smaller ecosystem than Jaeger.
Datadog APM
Fully managed SaaS with native UI, no infrastructure overhead, but higher cost and vendor lock-in; suitable if operational burden is unacceptable.
Grafana Tempo + UI
Cloud-native tracing backend with Grafana integration; good fit for Kubernetes-first organizations but requires Grafana stack familiarity.
Build on jaeger-ui with DEV.co software developers
Jaeger UI requires careful backend and infrastructure planning. Get expert guidance on Jaeger deployment, storage tuning, and instrumentation strategy.
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jaeger-ui FAQ
Does Jaeger UI include authentication?
What Jaeger backend versions are supported?
Can I deploy Jaeger UI without Jaeger backend?
Is Jaeger UI suitable for SaaS multi-tenancy?
Custom software development services
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Jaeger UI requires careful backend and infrastructure planning. Get expert guidance on Jaeger deployment, storage tuning, and instrumentation strategy.