OpenObserve vs SigNoz
Self-host pick — both replace New Relic (APM / observability platform).
Both OpenObserve and SigNoz self-host as a replacement for New Relic (APM / observability platform). Pick OpenObserve if you want the lighter footprint — 15min single-binary or docker run, $15-40/mo vps; storage backed by s3-compatible object storage keeps cost predictable. Pick SigNoz if you need teams running OpenTelemetry-instrumented apps that want a single product (not Grafana + Tempo + Loki + Mimir glued together) — 30min docker-compose (SigNoz + ClickHouse + Zookeeper + OTel collector) and $30-60/mo vps for production traffic — clickhouse + collector are the compute load.
| OpenObserveopen-source | SigNozopen-source | |
|---|---|---|
| License | AGPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Setup time | 15min single-binary or docker run | 30min docker-compose (SigNoz + ClickHouse + Zookeeper + OTel collector) |
| Monthly cost | $15-40/mo VPS; storage backed by S3-compatible object storage keeps cost predictable. | $30-60/mo VPS for production traffic — ClickHouse + collector are the compute load. |
| GitHub | openobserve/openobserve | SigNoz/signoz |
| Replaces | New Relic + 1 other | New Relic + 2 other |
Good fit for
OpenObserve
Log-heavy stacks moving off Datadog/New Relic that want predictable S3-backed storage costs.
Weak at:APM/services view is less polished than SigNoz's; better at logs than at deep distributed-trace exploration.
SigNoz
Teams running OpenTelemetry-instrumented apps that want a single product (not Grafana + Tempo + Loki + Mimir glued together).
Weak at:Synthetic monitoring and browser RUM are thinner than New Relic's; bring Uptime Kuma + a separate RUM tool.
In a terminal? npx -y github:SolvoHQ/os-alt-cli new-relic prints New Relic's self-host options including both —
how the CLI works →
FAQ
Which is easier to self-host, OpenObserve or SigNoz?
OpenObserve: 15min single-binary or docker run. SigNoz: 30min docker-compose (SigNoz + ClickHouse + Zookeeper + OTel collector).
What does each cost to run?
OpenObserve: $15-40/mo VPS; storage backed by S3-compatible object storage keeps cost predictable.. SigNoz: $30-60/mo VPS for production traffic — ClickHouse + collector are the compute load.. Both projects are free and open source.
Do OpenObserve and SigNoz replace the same SaaS?
Yes — both are open-source alternatives to New Relic.