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PetalTrace

Free#30 of 31 in AI Agent Observability Tools

PetalTrace: An open-source trace, replay, and cost-analysis tool for self-hosted agent teams. Ranked #30 of 31 in AI Agent Observability Tools by our editors (6.3/10); pricing: Open source; best for self-hosting developers needing trace replay.

6.3/10Editor score

Visit PetalTrace

PetalTrace6.3 Visit PetalTrace

At a glance

Editor score
6.3 / 10
Pricing
Open source
Best for
Self-hosting developers needing trace replay
Paid from
Free
Session replay
Yes
Facts checked
21 Sep 2026

Where it wins
- Captures prompts, completions, tool calls, tokens, and estimated model costs
- Compares runs by structural, content, and cost differences
- Replays executions in live, mocked, or hybrid modes
Where it doesn't
- Deployment is self-hosted, requiring operational ownership
- Cost figures are estimates based on token usage and model data
- Trace collection centers on OpenTelemetry instrumentation

Our verdict on PetalTrace

PetalTrace is an open-source observability platform for AI agent workflows, aimed at developers who need detailed traces and replay without moving run data to a hosted service. It collects OTLP over HTTP or gRPC, classifies LLM, tool, node, edge, and custom spans, and stores run data in SQLite. Its web UI, HTTP API, CLI, and MCP server provide several ways to inspect workflows, while integrations with OpenTelemetry, PetalFlow, MCP, and Claude Code support an open-standard workflow.

Its strongest area is trace depth. PetalTrace captures full prompts and completions, tracks tool-call inputs and outputs, calculates token usage and estimated model costs, and supports full-text search across prompts and completions. Run comparison goes beyond basic logs by showing structural, content, and cost differences. Replay is available in live, mocked, or hybrid modes, making the product suited to teams investigating agent behavior, reviewing regressions, or comparing workflow runs.

The main trade-off is operational ownership: deployment is self-hosted, so the target audience is comfortable running the system and managing its environment. The product also centers on OpenTelemetry-based collection, which makes instrumentation an important part of adoption. PetalTrace fits developers who want open-source control, trace replay, MCP inspection, and cost visibility across agent workflows. Teams seeking a managed observability service or a deployment model that avoids self-hosting should choose an alternative.

Your product? Our editors can test PetalTrace in depth and publish a review, labelled as paid · from $149/mo →

PetalTrace pricing

Plans Open sourceFree Free to use — no paid tier required for the core job.

See plans on docs.petallabs.io

PetalTrace fact sheet

Free plan	Not verified
Paid from	Free
Trace retention	Not verified
Session replay	Yes
Prompt and tool tracing	Yes
Deployment options	Self_hosted
Agent framework support	Open_standard
Cost tracking	Yes
Deployment	Cloud, Self-hosted, Desktop, Browser extension
Platforms	Web, Linux, macOS, Windows
Support	Docs
Built for	Solo, Small business (editorial estimate)
Integrations	4 integrations: OpenTelemetry, PetalFlow, MCP, Claude Code
Pricing	Open source
Website	docs.petallabs.io
Facts checked	21 Sep 2026

PetalTrace integrations

PetalTrace lists 4 integrations on its own site.

OpenTelemetry
PetalFlow
MCP
Claude Code

Alternatives to PetalTrace

See all PetalTrace alternatives →

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Featured on iTechGuides

PetalTrace is listed in our AI Agent Observability Tools directory. Add the badge to your site — it links back to this page.

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Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

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Last updated 7 Oct 2026 · How we research and update