Sloth

At a glance

• Editor score
  7.3 / 10
• Pricing
  Open source
• Best for
  Kubernetes teams managing SLOs declaratively
• Paid from
  None
• SLO management
  Yes
• Facts checked
  28 Sep 2026

• Where it wins

  • Generates recording rules, error-budget metrics, and multi-burn-rate alerts
  • Validates SLO specifications for GitOps and CI workflows
  • Supports Kubernetes CRDs, OpenSLO, Grafana, and plugins

• Where it doesn't

  • Requires teams to operate it in a self-hosted environment
  • Focused on Prometheus-based monitoring rather than hosted observability
  • Support is through documentation and community

Our verdict on Sloth

Sloth is an open-source tool that generates Prometheus recording and alerting rules from declarative service-level objective specifications. It is aimed at teams that already operate Prometheus-based monitoring and want SLO definitions to fit into their workflows, particularly Kubernetes teams managing SLOs declaratively. Distributed as a CLI and container images, it is self-hosted rather than a vendor-hosted service, so teams own the runtime and operational setup.

The main appeal is its SLO workflow: Sloth can generate SLI recording rules, SLO metadata, error-budget metrics, and multi-window, multi-burn-rate alerts for paging and tickets. It also validates specifications for GitOps and CI, which can help teams check SLO changes as part of their delivery process. A Grafana dashboard displays SLO state. Kubernetes CRDs and controller/operator mode support declarative management, while OpenSLO input, a plugin system for SLIs and SLOs, and a Go library offer additional ways to integrate Sloth into existing practices.

Sloth fits best where Prometheus, Grafana, and Kubernetes are already central to monitoring. Its open-source distribution avoids a vendor-hosted subscription model, but self-hosting means the team must handle deployment and ongoing operation; support channels are documentation and community. The tool is a focused generator and workflow aid, not a general hosted reliability platform. Teams seeking managed service delivery or broader observability capabilities should consider alternatives. For Kubernetes operators who want SLO configuration checked in and translated into Prometheus rules, Sloth's scope is a close match.

Sloth pricing

Sloth fact sheet

Sloth integrations

Sloth lists 4 integrations on its own site.

• Prometheus
• Grafana
• Kubernetes
• OpenSLO

Alternatives to Sloth

• SSServiceNow Service Reliability ManagementSRE controls for SLOs, error budgets, on-call response, and deployment decisions.9.1
• HSHarness Service Reliability ManagementConnects SLOs and error budgets to delivery policies, change analysis, and rollback.8.8
• NNobl9Deep SLO management with cloud and self-hosted options, starting at $14,950 per year.8.6

See all Sloth alternatives →

Sloth vs the competition

• SSSSloth vs ServiceNow Service Reliability Management
• SHSSloth vs Harness Service Reliability Management
• SNSloth vs Nobl9
• SCSSloth vs Coralogix SLO Management
• SGASloth vs Grafana Cloud Application Observability
• SSloth vs OneUptime

Compare Sloth with any tool side by side →

Featured on iTechGuides

Sloth is listed in our Site Reliability Engineering Platforms 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 9 Oct 2026 · How we research and update