--- title: "traceAI vs tracecat" type: "comparison" canonical_url: "https://www.graphcanon.com/compare/future-agi-traceai-vs-tracecathq-tracecat" tools: ["future-agi-traceai", "tracecathq-tracecat"] --- # traceAI vs tracecat *GraphCanon updated Sep 20, 2026* ## Verdict Pick traceAI if traceAI is an open-source observability framework for AI applications, built on OpenTelemetry, that provides structured tracing for LLM calls, prompts, token counts, retrieval steps, and agent decisions; pick tracecat if an open-source security automation platform with features encompassing custom agent building, sandboxed execution of untrusted code, and integration with enterprise tools. [traceAI](https://app.futureagi.com) reports 221 GitHub stars, 44 forks, and 15 open issues, last pushed Aug 27, 2026. [tracecat](https://tracecat.com) has 3.8k stars, 416 forks, and 155 open issues, last pushed Sep 18, 2026. Figures are from public GitHub metadata via [traceAI's repository](https://github.com/future-agi/traceAI) and [tracecat's repository](https://github.com/TracecatHQ/tracecat). | | [traceAI](/tools/future-agi-traceai.md) | [tracecat](/tools/tracecathq-tracecat.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Tagline | Open-source observability for AI applications | Open-source security automation platform for teams and AI agents | | Stars | 221 | 3,805 | | Forks | 44 | 416 | | Open issues | 15 | 155 | | Language | Python | Python | | Adopt for | traceAI is an open-source observability framework for AI applications, built on OpenTelemetry, that provides structured tracing for LLM calls, prompts, token counts, retrieval steps, and agent decisions. | An open-source security automation platform with features encompassing custom agent building, sandboxed execution of untrusted code, and integration with enterprise tools. | | Persona | - | - | | Runtime | - | - | | License | traceAI is available under the Apache-2.0 license, allowing for free use, modification, and distribution. | AGPL-3.0 | | Categories | Evaluation & Observability | AI Agents, Evaluation & Observability | ## Trust and health _Sourced signals - not a safety guarantee. No winner column._ | | [traceAI](/tools/future-agi-traceai.md) | [tracecat](/tools/tracecathq-tracecat.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Maintenance | Active (82%) | Very active (96%) | | Days since push | 21d | 0d | | Open issues (now) | 15 | 155 | | Stars delta | +9 (30d) | +44 (30d) | | Open issues delta | +4 (30d) | +13 (30d) | | Full report | [trust report](/tools/future-agi-traceai/trust.md) | [trust report](/tools/tracecathq-tracecat/trust.md) | ## Shared compatibility - **Node.js**: [traceAI](/tools/future-agi-traceai.md) - Node.js runtime; [tracecat](/tools/tracecathq-tracecat.md) - Node.js runtime - **Python**: [traceAI](/tools/future-agi-traceai.md) - Python runtime; [tracecat](/tools/tracecathq-tracecat.md) - Python runtime ## Decision facts: traceAI - **Pricing:** freemium - traceAI is free and open-source, but users may incur costs based on the backend services they choose to integrate with. - **Requirements:** Min 2 GB RAM; Python, TypeScript, Java, and C# are supported.; Requires OpenTelemetry-compatible backend for trace storage and visualization. - **Adopt for:** traceAI is an open-source observability framework for AI applications, built on OpenTelemetry, that provides structured tracing for LLM calls, prompts, token counts, retrieval steps, and agent decisions. - **License detail:** traceAI is available under the Apache-2.0 license, allowing for free use, modification, and distribution. ## Decision facts: tracecat - **Pricing:** freemium - `tracecat` is available under the AGPL-3.0 license with options to access enterprise features through managed Cloud or self-hosted deployments with dedicated support. - **Requirements:** Requires Docker - **Adopt for:** An open-source security automation platform with features encompassing custom agent building, sandboxed execution of untrusted code, and integration with enterprise tools. ## Choose when ### Choose traceAI if… - License: traceAI is Apache-2.0, tracecat is AGPL-3.0. - Pricing: traceAI is free and open-source, but users may incur costs based on the backend services they choose to integrate with.. - Requirements: Min 2 GB RAM; Python, TypeScript, Java, and C# are supported.; Requires OpenTelemetry-compatible backend for trace storage and visualization.. - Tags unique to traceAI: ai, ai-agents, langchain, large-language-models. - When you need to trace every LLM call, prompt, token count, retrieval step, and agent decision in your AI application. ### Choose tracecat if… - License: tracecat is AGPL-3.0, traceAI is Apache-2.0. - Pricing: `tracecat` is available under the AGPL-3.0 license with options to access enterprise features through managed Cloud or self-hosted deployments with dedicated support.. - Requirements: Requires Docker. - Tags unique to tracecat: agents, automation, event-driven, fastapi. - Also covers AI Agents. - tracecat ships Docker support for self-hosted deployment. - When you need an all-in-one solution for automating workflows that includes agents, case management, and event-driven systems. ## When NOT to use traceAI - If your project does not require detailed tracing of LLM calls, prompts, token counts, retrieval steps, and agent decisions. - When you are working exclusively with a single AI framework that does not require cross-language consistency. - If you are looking for a solution that is not open-source or does not support OpenTelemetry. - When you prefer a vendor-specific solution over a vendor-agnostic approach. ## When NOT to use tracecat - For teams strictly looking to use closed-source proprietary solutions for security automation platforms. - When you prefer a tool that does not require manual setup and maintenance for sandboxed execution environments like nsjail. ## Common questions ### What is the difference between traceAI and tracecat? traceAI: Open-source observability for AI applications. tracecat: Open-source security automation platform for teams and AI agents. See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories. ### When should I choose traceAI over tracecat? Choose traceAI over tracecat when License: traceAI is Apache-2.0, tracecat is AGPL-3.0; Pricing: traceAI is free and open-source, but users may incur costs based on the backend services they choose to integrate with.; Requirements: Min 2 GB RAM; Python, TypeScript, Java, and C# are supported.; Requires OpenTelemetry-compatible backend for trace storage and visualization.; Tags unique to traceAI: ai, ai-agents, langchain, large-language-models; When you need to trace every LLM call, prompt, token count, retrieval step, and agent decision in your AI application. ### When should I choose tracecat over traceAI? Choose tracecat over traceAI when License: tracecat is AGPL-3.0, traceAI is Apache-2.0; Pricing: `tracecat` is available under the AGPL-3.0 license with options to access enterprise features through managed Cloud or self-hosted deployments with dedicated support.; Requirements: Requires Docker; Tags unique to tracecat: agents, automation, event-driven, fastapi; Also covers AI Agents; tracecat ships Docker support for self-hosted deployment; When you need an all-in-one solution for automating workflows that includes agents, case management, and event-driven systems. ### When should I avoid traceAI? If your project does not require detailed tracing of LLM calls, prompts, token counts, retrieval steps, and agent decisions. When you are working exclusively with a single AI framework that does not require cross-language consistency. If you are looking for a solution that is not open-source or does not support OpenTelemetry. When you prefer a vendor-specific solution over a vendor-agnostic approach. ### When should I avoid tracecat? For teams strictly looking to use closed-source proprietary solutions for security automation platforms. When you prefer a tool that does not require manual setup and maintenance for sandboxed execution environments like nsjail. ### Is traceAI or tracecat more popular on GitHub? tracecat has more GitHub stars (3,805 vs 221). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints. ### Are traceAI and tracecat open source? Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (traceAI: Apache-2.0, tracecat: AGPL-3.0). ### Where can I find alternatives to traceAI or tracecat? GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at [traceAI alternatives](/tools/future-agi-traceai/alternatives) and [tracecat alternatives](/tools/tracecathq-tracecat/alternatives) ([traceAI markdown twin](/tools/future-agi-traceai/alternatives.md), [tracecat markdown twin](/tools/tracecathq-tracecat/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/future-agi-traceai-vs-tracecathq-tracecat.md) mirrors this page for agents and LLM crawlers, with the same stats table and FAQ answers. ### Which is better maintained, traceAI or tracecat? traceAI: Active. tracecat: Very 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 traceAI and tracecat? GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: [traceAI trust report](/tools/future-agi-traceai/trust); [tracecat trust report](/tools/tracecathq-tracecat/trust). --- **Machine-readable endpoints** - JSON: [`/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=future-agi-traceai`](/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=future-agi-traceai) - 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/_