--- title: "dunetrace vs heron" type: "comparison" canonical_url: "https://www.graphcanon.com/compare/dunetrace-dunetrace-vs-netis-heron" tools: ["dunetrace-dunetrace", "netis-heron"] --- # dunetrace vs heron *GraphCanon updated Sep 20, 2026* ## Verdict Pick dunetrace if dunetrace is a real-time monitoring tool for AI agents in production that provides insights into observability and reliability, primarily targeting Python and Node.js ecosystems; pick heron if an open-source network traffic analysis tool for monitoring the performance of LLMs and AI agents without requiring SDK changes. [dunetrace](https://dunetrace.com/) reports 64 GitHub stars, 18 forks, and 20 open issues, last pushed Aug 31, 2026. [heron](https://heron-ai.pages.dev) has 101 stars, 10 forks, and 3 open issues, last pushed Aug 18, 2026. Figures are from public GitHub metadata via [dunetrace's repository](https://github.com/dunetrace/dunetrace) and [heron's repository](https://github.com/Netis/heron). | | [dunetrace](/tools/dunetrace-dunetrace.md) | [heron](/tools/netis-heron.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Tagline | Real-time monitoring of production AI agents | Performance monitoring tool for LLM APIs and AI agents | | Stars | 64 | 101 | | Forks | 18 | 10 | | Open issues | 20 | 3 | | Language | Python | Rust | | Adopt for | dunetrace is a real-time monitoring tool for AI agents in production that provides insights into observability and reliability, primarily targeting Python and Node.js ecosystems. | An open-source network traffic analysis tool for monitoring the performance of LLMs and AI agents without requiring SDK changes. | | Persona | - | - | | Runtime | - | - | | License | Other | Apache-2.0 | | Categories | Evaluation & Observability | Evaluation & Observability | ## Trust and health _Sourced signals - not a safety guarantee. No winner column._ | | [dunetrace](/tools/dunetrace-dunetrace.md) | [heron](/tools/netis-heron.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Days since push | 10d | 23d | | Open issues (now) | 20 | 3 | | Stars delta | +5 (30d) | +27 (30d) | | Open issues delta | -1 (30d) | 0 (30d) | | Owner type | User | Organization | | Full report | [trust report](/tools/dunetrace-dunetrace/trust.md) | [trust report](/tools/netis-heron/trust.md) | ## Decision facts: dunetrace - **Pricing:** unknown - The repository does not specify any pricing information; it only mentions a license which is categorized as 'other'. - **Requirements:** Requires Docker - **Adopt for:** dunetrace is a real-time monitoring tool for AI agents in production that provides insights into observability and reliability, primarily targeting Python and Node.js ecosystems. ## Decision facts: heron - **Adopt for:** An open-source network traffic analysis tool for monitoring the performance of LLMs and AI agents without requiring SDK changes. - **License detail:** Apache-2.0 ## Choose when ### Choose dunetrace if… - dunetrace is primarily Python; heron is Rust. - License: dunetrace is Other, heron is Apache-2.0. - Pricing: The repository does not specify any pricing information; it only mentions a license which is categorized as 'other'.. - Requirements: Requires Docker. - Tags unique to dunetrace: agent-monitoring, agent-observability, ai-agents, real-time-monitoring. - dunetrace ships Docker support for self-hosted deployment. - When you need to monitor the performance of AI agents in real-time, as dunetrace offers insights specific to observability and reliability. ### Choose heron if… - heron is primarily Rust; dunetrace is Python. - License: heron is Apache-2.0, dunetrace is Other. - Tags unique to heron: agentic-ai, ai-agent-development, libpcap, llm-monitoring. - When you need a provider-side solution that does not require altering existing codebases or SDKs to monitor performance metrics. ## When NOT to use dunetrace - When focusing solely on non-code aspects like UI/UX without any need for backend AI agent observation. - If you are looking for a platform that supports extensive integrations beyond Python and Node.js, as dunetrace's focus is limited to these environments. - For organizations that prefer proprietary solutions over tools under other licenses. ## When NOT to use heron - When the need is for an in-agent monitoring tool rather than a network packet-based solution, as Heron operates on traffic. - In environments where live capture requires administrative privileges that are not available to the user performing the installation. - For real-time performance insights without prior deployment because Heron involves a setup phase and typically uses pre-collected `.pcap` files. ## Common questions ### What is the difference between dunetrace and heron? dunetrace: Real-time monitoring of production AI agents. heron: Performance monitoring tool for LLM APIs and AI agents. See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories. ### When should I choose dunetrace over heron? Choose dunetrace over heron when dunetrace is primarily Python; heron is Rust; License: dunetrace is Other, heron is Apache-2.0; Pricing: The repository does not specify any pricing information; it only mentions a license which is categorized as 'other'.; Requirements: Requires Docker; Tags unique to dunetrace: agent-monitoring, agent-observability, ai-agents, real-time-monitoring; dunetrace ships Docker support for self-hosted deployment; When you need to monitor the performance of AI agents in real-time, as dunetrace offers insights specific to observability and reliability. ### When should I choose heron over dunetrace? Choose heron over dunetrace when heron is primarily Rust; dunetrace is Python; License: heron is Apache-2.0, dunetrace is Other; Tags unique to heron: agentic-ai, ai-agent-development, libpcap, llm-monitoring; When you need a provider-side solution that does not require altering existing codebases or SDKs to monitor performance metrics. ### When should I avoid dunetrace? When focusing solely on non-code aspects like UI/UX without any need for backend AI agent observation. If you are looking for a platform that supports extensive integrations beyond Python and Node.js, as dunetrace's focus is limited to these environments. For organizations that prefer proprietary solutions over tools under other licenses. ### When should I avoid heron? When the need is for an in-agent monitoring tool rather than a network packet-based solution, as Heron operates on traffic. In environments where live capture requires administrative privileges that are not available to the user performing the installation. For real-time performance insights without prior deployment because Heron involves a setup phase and typically uses pre-collected `.pcap` files. ### Is dunetrace or heron more popular on GitHub? heron has more GitHub stars (101 vs 64). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints. ### Are dunetrace and heron open source? Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (dunetrace: Other, heron: Apache-2.0). ### Where can I find alternatives to dunetrace or heron? GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at [dunetrace alternatives](/tools/dunetrace-dunetrace/alternatives) and [heron alternatives](/tools/netis-heron/alternatives) ([dunetrace markdown twin](/tools/dunetrace-dunetrace/alternatives.md), [heron markdown twin](/tools/netis-heron/alternatives.md)), ranked by typed relationship edges rather than popularity votes. ### Is there a machine-readable version of this comparison? Yes. The markdown twin at [this comparison](/compare/dunetrace-dunetrace-vs-netis-heron.md) mirrors this page for agents and LLM crawlers, with the same stats table and FAQ answers. ### Which is better maintained, dunetrace or heron? dunetrace: Active. heron: Active. Compare maintenance labels, days since push, and release cadence in the trust section below - stars alone do not measure maintenance. ### Where are the full trust reports for dunetrace and heron? GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: [dunetrace trust report](/tools/dunetrace-dunetrace/trust); [heron trust report](/tools/netis-heron/trust). --- **Machine-readable endpoints** - JSON: [`/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=dunetrace-dunetrace`](/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=dunetrace-dunetrace) - LLM index: [/llms.txt](/llms.txt) - Full corpus: [/llms-full.txt](/llms-full.txt) _GraphCanon - The knowledge graph for AI development. https://www.graphcanon.com/_