Caretta vs Mermin
Caretta
github.comMermin
github.comSide by side
| Figure | Caretta | Mermin |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | — |
| Free plan | Yes | — |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 0 |
| Spec score · eBPF Observability Tools | 8.3 (#7) | 7.1 (#22) |
| License | The repository provides Caretta under the Apache License, Version 2.0. | Mermin is Apache 2.0 licensed except for its eBPF code, which is GPL-2.0 licensed. |
| Maker | The Caretta repository identifies groundcover as its maker; groundcover says it is headquartered in Tel Aviv and California. | ElastiFlow says its project was created by Rob Cowart, who started it on GitHub in May 2017. |
| Purpose | Caretta creates a visual network map of services running in a Kubernetes cluster. | Mermin captures network traffic with eBPF and exports network flows as OpenTelemetry Flow Traces. |
| Requirements | Caretta requires Linux kernel version 4.16 or later and CO-RE support; the README says Docker for Mac uses a distribution that is not supported. | Mermin requires Linux kernel 5.14 or newer with eBPF and BTF support, and Kubernetes 1.20 or newer for Kubernetes deployments. |
| Support | The project directs users to its Slack channel or to create a GitHub issue for help. | The project directs users to GitHub Issues, GitHub Discussions, Slack, and documentation, and points to ElastiFlow for commercial support. |
Plans
In their own words
Caretta
Caretta is a free, self-hosted Kubernetes tool from groundcover that creates a visual map of services and their network interactions. It uses eBPF for collection and is designed for Linux systems with kernel 4.16 or later and CO-RE support. The project describes a minimal footprint and says no cluster modifications are required. Installation is documented through a Helm chart, with a recommendation to use a new, unique namespace. The chart includes Grafana with a predefined Caretta dashboard and VictoriaMetrics for collecting and publishing metrics that Prometheus-compatible dashboards can consume. Both bundled services are enabled by default, as is a five-second metrics polling interval, while Helm values can disable either component. Persistent storage for VictoriaMetrics starts disabled but can be enabled. Grafana’s default setup enables anonymous mode and includes administrator credentials in the README. Caretta is self-hosted, Apache-2.0 licensed, and support is directed through Slack or repository issues.