odigos
Odigos is an open-source distributed tracing platform that automatically instruments applications for observability without requiring code changes. It uses eBPF technology to monitor Java, Python, .NET, Node.js, and Go applications in Kubernetes and VM environments, outputting data in OpenTelemetry format for vendor-agnostic integration.
Key facts
Objective fields from the source. Values we can't verify are shown as “Unknown” rather than guessed.
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Repository | odigos-io/odigos |
| Owner | odigos-io |
| Primary language | Go |
| License | Apache-2.0 — OSI-approved |
| Stars | 3.7k |
| Forks | 254 |
| Open issues | 141 |
| Latest release | v1.31.1 (2026-07-06) |
| Last updated | 2026-07-08 |
| Source | https://github.com/odigos-io/odigos |
What odigos is
Odigos provides code-free instrumentation via eBPF-based agents that generate OTLP-formatted traces, metrics, and logs across multi-language runtimes. It includes automatic OpenTelemetry collector scaling, a web UI for configuration, and integrates with any OTLP-compatible observability backend.
Get the odigos source
Clone the repository and explore it locally.
git clone https://github.com/odigos-io/odigos.gitcd odigos# 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 a functional Kubernetes cluster or VM runtime with eBPF kernel support (Linux 5.0+); eBPF availability varies by cloud provider and kernel version.
- Installation via CLI is advertised as sub-5-minute, but production readiness assessment (collector tuning, sampling policies, data volume forecasting) requires operational planning.
- Multi-language support is broad but coverage depth per language is unknown; verify that your specific runtime versions and frameworks are documented and tested.
- Automatic collector scaling requires resource headroom in the cluster; monitor control plane CPU/memory to avoid cascade failures under high observability data volume.
- OTLP output is standard, but backend-specific features (sampling strategies, trace storage, retention policies) are delegated to your downstream observability platform.
When to avoid it — and what to weigh
- Require Pre-Built Instrumentation Plugins — If your observability stack depends on proprietary agent plugins or non-OTLP protocols, Odigos' standard OpenTelemetry output may require additional translation layers.
- Non-Kubernetes Environments Only — Odigos is optimized for Kubernetes; while it supports VMs, the primary design and UX focus is cloud-native deployments. VM support is not clearly detailed in available documentation.
- Very High-Frequency, Real-Time Alerting — Odigos separates data recording from processing to reduce overhead; this architecture may introduce latency unsuitable for sub-second alerting requirements.
- Custom or Proprietary Protocol Requirements — If you require ingestion into proprietary or non-OTLP systems without OTLP translation, integration complexity is high and may require custom work.
License & commercial use
Licensed under Apache License 2.0 (Apache-2.0), a permissive OSI-approved license that allows commercial use, modification, and distribution with attribution and no warranty.
Apache-2.0 permits commercial use without restriction or royalty obligation. Confirm that any commercial support, SLA, or indemnification requirements are negotiated separately with the maintainers; the license itself does not include these. Review the project's support model (community vs. sponsored) to establish support expectations.
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 |
eBPF agents run at kernel level with elevated privileges; ensure your security and compliance policies permit kernel-level instrumentation in your environment. No explicit mention of audit logging, data encryption in transit, or compliance certifications (HIPAA, PCI-DSS, SOC 2) in available data. Agent updates and patch management strategy is unknown. Requires review of security documentation and any external audit reports.
Alternatives to consider
Grafana Agent + Prometheus + Loki
Lightweight, widely adopted agent-based stack for metrics and logs; does not provide distributed tracing without additional instrumentation (Tempo) and requires more manual integration.
Datadog APM (proprietary)
Turnkey managed service with code-free instrumentation for many languages; vendor lock-in and licensing cost trade-offs; no eBPF leverage for compiled languages like Go.
Jaeger (open-source)
Mature distributed tracing backend; requires separate instrumentation layer (OpenTelemetry SDKs or agents) and does not provide automatic code-free collection like Odigos.
Build on odigos with DEV.co software developers
Odigos simplifies observability for Kubernetes and multi-language environments. Review the documentation, validate eBPF support in your infrastructure, and run `odigos install` to get started in minutes.
Talk to DEV.coRelated open-source tools
Surfaced by semantic similarity across the DEV.co open-source index.
Related on DEV.co
Explore the category and the services that help you build with it.
odigos FAQ
Does Odigos require code changes?
Which programming languages are supported?
What observability backends does Odigos support?
What are the kernel/platform requirements?
Custom software development services
DEV.co is a software development agency delivering custom software development services to companies building on open source. Our software developers and web developers design, integrate, and ship production systems — spanning web development, APIs, AI, data, and cloud. If odigos is part of your open-source observability roadmap, our team can implement, customize, migrate, and maintain it.
Ready to Enable Tracing Without Code Changes?
Odigos simplifies observability for Kubernetes and multi-language environments. Review the documentation, validate eBPF support in your infrastructure, and run `odigos install` to get started in minutes.