Compare software

OpenTelemetry CollectorMetricbeat
Free

Free and open source. Hosting, hardware and any external services are separate.

 Free

Free to download; Elastic Cloud hosting is a paid option.

Linux, Windows, macOS, Command line Windows, Linux, Command line
  • Connects supported receivers and exporters
  • Processes traces, metrics and logs
  • Ready-made modules for common services like Apache, Redis and NGINX
  • Packages for apt, yum, Docker and Kubernetes
  • It forwards and processes telemetry rather than providing a complete storage dashboard.
  • Most useful alongside Elasticsearch and Kibana
  • Default build is under the source-available Elastic License
Downloadable app Downloadable app
Open source Open source
License: Apache-2.0 License: Apache-2.0 (OSS build); Elastic License (default build)
Not stated if an account is needed No account needed
Not stated if it works offline Not stated if it works offline

Checked September 22, 2026

Checked October 1, 2026

Catalog facts only. Anything “not stated” is unconfirmed. Check full listings for details.