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AWS Distro for OpenTelemetry

aws-otel.github.io

Free plan WindowsLinuxAndroidAPISelf-hosted
Visit aws-otel.github.io
Spec score 8.1 #11 of 28 in Telemetry Pipeline Software

What it is

AWS Distro for OpenTelemetry (ADOT) collects logs, metrics, and traces, with options to send correlated telemetry to one or more observability backends. Applications can be instrumented once, and auto-instrumentation can generate traces without changes to application code. ADOT also gathers metadata from AWS resources and managed services to connect application performance data with infrastructure information. Documented destinations include Amazon Managed Service for Prometheus, Amazon CloudWatch, AWS X-Ray, Amazon OpenSearch, OTLP-compliant backends, and Amazon MSK. It supports workloads on AWS App Runner, Lambda, EC2, ECS, EKS on EC2, Fargate, and on-premises datacenters. Getting-started guides cover Go, Java, JavaScript, Python, Ruby, .NET, PHP, and Android. The project describes ADOT as backed by AWS Support, testing, and certification, and says it contributes changes and fixes to the OpenTelemetry community. ADOT is free and supports cloud and self-hosted deployment. The download page lists Collector version 0.50.0, released August 25, 2026, under the Apache-2.0 license.

Spec sheet

Purpose
ADOT is an AWS-supported distribution of OpenTelemetry for collecting logs, metrics, and traces.Read 5 Oct 2026 · aws-otel.github.io
Android
The documentation includes an Android getting-started guide.Read 5 Oct 2026 · aws-otel.github.io
Auto-instrumentation
Auto-instrumentation can generate traces without changing application code.Read 5 Oct 2026 · aws-otel.github.io
AWS metadata
ADOT collects metadata from AWS resources and managed services to correlate application performance data with infrastructure data.Read 5 Oct 2026 · aws-otel.github.io
Backends
Documented backends include Amazon Managed Service for Prometheus, Amazon CloudWatch, AWS X-Ray, Amazon OpenSearch, OTLP-compliant backends, and Amazon MSK.Read 5 Oct 2026 · aws-otel.github.io
Deployment environments
ADOT supports applications on AWS App Runner, Lambda, EC2, ECS, EKS on EC2, Fargate, and on-premises datacenters.Read 5 Oct 2026 · aws-otel.github.io
Instrumentation
Applications can be instrumented once to send correlated telemetry to one or more observability backends.Read 5 Oct 2026 · aws-otel.github.io
License and release
The download page lists Collector version 0.50.0, released August 25, 2026, under the Apache-2.0 license.Read 5 Oct 2026 · aws-otel.github.io
Open source
The project says it follows an upstream-first approach and contributes enhancements, changes, and bug fixes to the OpenTelemetry community.Read 5 Oct 2026 · aws-otel.github.io
SDK languages
The documentation has getting-started guides for Go, Java, JavaScript, Python, Ruby, .NET, and PHP.Read 5 Oct 2026 · aws-otel.github.io
Security and support
The project describes ADOT as secure and production-ready and says it is backed by AWS Support, testing, and certification.Read 5 Oct 2026 · aws-otel.github.io

Plans and prices

AWS Distro for OpenTelemetry Free Apache-2.0 licensed distribution · collector version 0.50.0 listed Read 5 Oct 2026 · aws-otel.github.io

Every AWS Distro for OpenTelemetry plan and price →

Strong points and limits

Strong points

  • Collects logs, metrics, and traces
  • Supports multiple telemetry destinations
  • Auto-instrumentation can trace without code changes
  • Offers cloud and self-hosted deployment

Limits

  • Documented destinations are a specified list
  • Listed Collector version is 0.50.0

Who it suits

ADOT suits teams collecting logs, metrics, and traces across AWS or on-premises deployments. It is relevant to developers using the documented languages or Android and choosing among its listed telemetry backends.

Verdict

ADOT provides a free route to collect and route telemetry across supported AWS and on-premises environments. Review its documented destinations and deployment coverage against your setup.

Where Specifiction places it

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