Apache SkyWalking comparisons
Apache SkyWalking is compared head-to-head with Elastic APM, Middleware and Dynatrace Application Monitoring and more: 7 head-to-heads in Application Performance Monitoring, each with the specs and prices we checked.
Apache SkyWalking head-to-head
- Apache SkyWalking vs Elastic APM
- Apache SkyWalking vs Middleware
- Apache SkyWalking vs Dynatrace Application Monitoring
- Apache SkyWalking vs Splunk AppDynamics
- Apache SkyWalking vs Datadog APM
- Apache SkyWalking vs IBM Instana Observability
- Apache SkyWalking vs New Relic APM
Apache SkyWalking vs each of them
| # | Tool | Free plan | Paid from | Distributed tracing | Transaction tracing | Dependency mapping | Real user monitoring | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | Apache SkyWalking | Yes | Free | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 8.7 |
| 1 | Elastic APM | Yes | $99/mo | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 9.4 |
| 2 | Middleware | Yes | $0.30/GB usage-based | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 9.3 |
| 3 | Dynatrace Application Monitoring | No | $7/device/mo | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 9.2 |
| 4 | Splunk AppDynamics | No | $6/unit/mo | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 9.1 |
| 5 | Datadog APM | No | $31/unit/mo | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 9.0 |
| 6 | IBM Instana Observability | No | $21.20/unit/mo | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 8.9 |
| 7 | New Relic APM | Yes | $10/user/mo | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 8.8 |
Compare Apache SkyWalking with any application performance monitoring tool
These are the matchups our editors wrote up. The compare tool pairs Apache SkyWalking with any other product in Application Performance Monitoring — and up to four at once — from the same checked specs.
Compare Apache SkyWalking with any tool side by side →
Every application performance monitoring head-to-head →
Our full Apache SkyWalking verdict, pricing and fact sheet →
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Compared by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
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