Elastic Universal Profiling
Elastic Universal Profiling: A focused Elastic option for continuous, eBPF-based CPU profiling across production systems. Ranked #5 of 29 in Continuous Profiling Tools by our editors (8.8/10); pricing: 14-day trial; best for organizations needing whole-system Elastic profiling.
At a glance
- Editor score8.8 / 10
- Pricing14-day trial
- Best forOrganizations needing whole-system Elastic profiling
- Free planNo
- Paid from$99/mo
- DeploymentHybrid
- Founded2012 · Amsterdam, Netherlands and Mountain View, California, United States
- Facts checked20 Sep 2026
Where it wins
- eBPF profiles application, kernel, library, and container activity
- Flame graphs, symbolized stacks, and differential views aid analysis
- Supports Kubernetes, OpenTelemetry, and mixed-language environments
Where it doesn't
- No free plan; paid pricing starts at $99 per month
- Its profiling scope centers on CPU stack sampling
- Higher tiers are needed for advanced reporting and support
Our verdict on Elastic Universal Profiling
Elastic Universal Profiling is a continuous CPU profiling product for organizations that need visibility across production systems. It uses eBPF and OpenTelemetry to capture stack samples without application instrumentation or code changes, covering application code, kernels, libraries, containers, and supported language runtimes. Teams can inspect stack traces, flame graphs, and top functions in Kibana, apply Kibana Query Language filters, and compare time ranges to investigate performance regressions. It supports web, Linux, and self-managed deployments, with Elastic Cloud Hosted also available.
Pricing is paid and starts at $99 per month for Standard, which includes Universal Profiling and web-based support. Gold costs $114 per month and adds reporting, third-party alerting actions, Watcher, multi-stack monitoring, and phone- and web-based support. Platinum is $131 per month with advanced security features, machine learning, cross-cluster replication, and 24/7/365 support. Enterprise is $184 per month and adds searchable snapshots, Elastic Maps Server, Elastic Workflows, and 24/7/365 premium support. A 14-day free trial is available, while Elastic Cloud pricing is usage-based despite the displayed monthly figures.
The standout capability is whole-system profiling rather than application-only inspection. Mixed-language support spans PHP, Python, Java/JVM, Go, Rust, C/C++, Node.js/V8, Ruby, Perl, and Zig, while integrations include Elastic Agent, Docker, Kubernetes, GKE, AKS, and EKS. That breadth fits teams already operating an Elastic environment and needing continuous CPU analysis across cloud-native systems. Smaller teams or buyers seeking profiling beyond CPU stack sampling should assess whether the product’s scope and paid entry point match their needs.
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Elastic Universal Profiling pricing
All 4 Elastic Universal Profiling plans and prices →
Elastic Universal Profiling fact sheet
| Free plan | No |
|---|---|
| Paid from | $99/mo |
| Deployment | Hybrid |
| Language support | PHP, Python, Java/JVM, Go, Rust, C/C++, Node.js/V8, Ruby, Perl, Zig |
| Profiling types | CPU profiling through stack sampling |
| Data retention | Not verified |
| Source map support | Not verified |
| Continuous alerts | Not verified |
| Free trial | 14 days · no card needed |
| Deployment | Cloud, Self-hosted |
| Platforms | Web, Linux |
| Compliance & security | SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA, PCI DSS |
| Support | Phone, Tickets, Community, Docs |
| Built for | Mid-market, Enterprise (editorial estimate) |
| Integrations | 7 integrations: OpenTelemetry, Elastic Agent, Docker, Kubernetes, GKE, AKS … |
| Pricing | 14-day trial (source) |
| Website | elastic.co |
| Facts checked | 20 Sep 2026 |
Elastic Universal Profiling integrations
Elastic Universal Profiling lists 7 integrations on its own site.
- OpenTelemetry
- Elastic Agent
- Docker
- Kubernetes
- GKE
- AKS
- EKS
Alternatives to Elastic Universal Profiling
- PyroscopeA versatile profiler with open-source flexibility, hosted plans, and Grafana integration.9.3
- Datadog Continuous ProfilerBroad production profiling with Datadog integrations, starting at $19 per host monthly.9.2
- Google Cloud ProfilerFree production profiling with strong analysis tools for four supported languages.9.1
See all Elastic Universal Profiling alternatives →
Elastic Universal Profiling vs the competition
- Elastic Universal Profiling vs Pyroscope
- Elastic Universal Profiling vs Datadog Continuous Profiler
- Elastic Universal Profiling vs Google Cloud Profiler
- Elastic Universal Profiling vs Amazon CodeGuru Profiler
- Elastic Universal Profiling vs Sentry Continuous Profiling
- Elastic Universal Profiling vs Dynatrace Continuous CPU Profiling
Compare Elastic Universal Profiling with any tool side by side →
Also Ranked In
Elastic Universal Profiling is ranked in 2 of our directories.
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Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
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