Jaeger vs Pinpoint
Jaeger
jaegertracing.ioPinpoint
pinpoint-apm.github.ioSide by side
| Figure | Jaeger | Pinpoint |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | — |
| Linux | Yes | — |
| API | Yes | — |
| Self-hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Spec score · Distributed Tracing Tools | 8.0 (#11) | 8.2 (#9) |
| Spec score · Runtime Monitoring Software | 8.1 (#24) | 8.2 (#21) |
| Deployment | Jaeger v2 is available as executable binaries and container images, and the all-in-one setup runs collector and query components in one process with transient in-memory storage. | The installation guide says a self-managed instance requires HBase, Pinpoint Collector, Pinpoint Web, and an Agent attached to a Java application. |
| Founded | 2016 | 2012 |
| Purpose | Jaeger is an open-source distributed tracing platform for monitoring and troubleshooting workflows in complex distributed systems. | Pinpoint is an APM tool for large-scale distributed systems that traces transactions across distributed applications. |
| Sampling | Jaeger supports head-based sampling with centralized remote configuration, including static or adaptive configuration, and tail-based sampling. | The agent can sample traces, and its sampling rate setting controls how often transactions are traced. |
Plans
In their own words
Jaeger
Jaeger is a free, open-source distributed tracing platform for monitoring complex systems and investigating performance problems. It helps teams locate bottlenecks, examine root causes, and map dependencies between services. Jaeger receives OpenTelemetry Protocol data and accepts Zipkin spans over HTTP in Thrift, JSON v1/v2, and Protobuf formats. Its UI includes System Architecture and Deep Dependency Graph views, while Service Performance Monitoring turns traces into aggregate metrics and time-series charts. Sampling supports head-based configurations, including centralized static or adaptive settings, and tail-based sampling. Cassandra, Elasticsearch, and OpenSearch are supported distributed storage backends; ClickHouse is experimental behind a feature gate. Jaeger v2 ships as binaries and container images, with an all-in-one mode using transient in-memory storage. It is self-hosted, so infrastructure determines capacity and scale. Jaeger v1 reached end of life on December 31, 2025.
Pinpoint
Pinpoint has no write-up on Specifiction yet; its figures are above.