compare
Jaeger vs Zipkin
The same facts for both, read from GitHub every night, and the relation a person reviewed.
| Fact | Jaeger | Zipkin |
|---|---|---|
| Language | Go | Java |
| Licence | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Stars | 23k | 17k |
| Latest | v2.22.0 | 3.6.1 |
| Last push | 2026-10-06 | 2026-08-06 |
| Release cadence | about 34 days between releases | about 43 days between releases |
| Active contributors | 45 commit authors on the default branch in the last 90 days | 0 commit authors on the default branch in the last 90 days |
| Flags | none | none |
How they relate
Jaeger replaces Zipkin. Alternatives to Zipkin →
Full replacementAccepts Zipkin-format spans alongside OpenTelemetry.
Jaeger
Zipkin
- 3.6.12026-04-08Switch to recently released docker images
- 3.6.02026-03-23Zipkin 3.6.0 docker images are now based on JRE 25. Library bytecode are the same versions as before.
- 3.5.12025-04-27Update Spring Boot to 3.4.3
- 3.5.02025-02-16Zipkin now supports Apache Pulsar as a span transport, enabled by PULSAR_SERVICE_URL and documented here. Kudos to @Cod…
- 3.4.42025-02-16Update Spring Boot to 3.4.1 and other dependency updates
Jaeger
✓ signed The latest release, v2.22.0, carries a signature GitHub verified.
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Zipkin
unsigned The latest release, 3.6.1, carries no signature GitHub could verify.
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