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Head-to-head · eBPF Observability Tools

groundcover vs Grafana Beyla

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 5 checks side by side
Higher score groundcover #3 in eBPF Observability Tools 9.0/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 0 of 4 features Visit groundcover
Grafana Beyla #8 in eBPF Observability Tools 8.5/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 3 of 4 features Visit Grafana Beyla

groundcover leads on 0 checks, Grafana Beyla on 0, and 5 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 5 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoregroundcover · 9.0/10
  • Free planboth
  • Most featuresGrafana Beyla · 3 of 4

groundcover scores higher on our rubric for ebpf observability tools: 9.0 against 8.5 out of 10; our editors rank them #3 and #8.

On deployment model, groundcover gives you Hybrid where Grafana Beyla offers Self-hosted.

groundcover is the better fit for teams needing traces, RUM, and correlations. Grafana Beyla is the better fit for free zero-code application telemetry.

  • groundcover fits best

    Teams needing traces, RUM, and correlations

  • Grafana Beyla fits best

    Free zero-code application telemetry

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.

Side by side

Feature groundcover 9.0/10 Visit ↗ Grafana Beyla 8.5/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 9.0 8.5
Ranking #3 in eBPF Observability Tools #8 in eBPF Observability Tools
Best for Teams needing traces, RUM, and correlations Free zero-code application telemetry
Pricing model Free plan + paid Free
Starting price $30/unit/mo Free plan
Free plan ✓ ✓
Free trial — —
Deployment Cloud, Self-hosted Self-hosted
Platforms Web Linux
Support Community Community, Docs
Integrations 8 integrations 5 integrations
Built for Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features groundcover 0/4 · Grafana Beyla 3/4
Kubernetes support Not checked yet ✓ (best)
Network visibility Not checked yet ✓ (best)
Application tracing Not checked yet ✓ (best)
Kernel profiling Not checked yet —
Specs
Deployment model Hybrid Self-hosted
Supported operating systems Not checked yet Linux
Our review
Pros
  • Collects application telemetry without code changes
  • Correlates traces with logs, metrics, and infrastructure events
  • Combines distributed tracing, dependency mapping, and RUM
  • Zero-code RED metrics and tracing for HTTP/S and gRPC services
  • OpenTelemetry and Prometheus exports fit common observability stacks
  • Kubernetes enrichment plus broad language support
Cons
  • Free plan includes only 12-hour data retention
  • RBAC support is available only on the Enterprise plan
  • Self-hosted deployment is priced at $50 per host monthly
  • Linux-only deployment limits operating-system coverage
  • Self-hosted operation requires teams to manage deployment and runtime
  • No kernel profiling or AI features
Our verdict

groundcover is a cloud-native observability platform for engineering teams operating Kubernetes and other cloud environments. Its eBPF sensor collects application metrics and traces without application code changes, covering API calls,…

Read the review →

Grafana Beyla is an open-source eBPF-based observability tool for teams that need application and network telemetry without changing application code or configuration. It captures RED metrics and basic or distributed trace spans from…

Read the review →
  1. groundcovereBPF Observability Tools 9.0Free plan
  2. Grafana BeylaeBPF Observability Tools 8.5Free plan

Strengths and trade-offs

  • groundcover — where it wins

    • Collects application telemetry without code changes
    • Correlates traces with logs, metrics, and infrastructure events
    • Combines distributed tracing, dependency mapping, and RUM

    Where it doesn't

    • Free plan includes only 12-hour data retention
    • RBAC support is available only on the Enterprise plan
    • Self-hosted deployment is priced at $50 per host monthly

  • Grafana Beyla — where it wins

    • Zero-code RED metrics and tracing for HTTP/S and gRPC services
    • OpenTelemetry and Prometheus exports fit common observability stacks
    • Kubernetes enrichment plus broad language support

    Where it doesn't

    • Linux-only deployment limits operating-system coverage
    • Self-hosted operation requires teams to manage deployment and runtime
    • No kernel profiling or AI features

More comparisons

All eBPF observability tools comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update