--- title: "langtrace vs tracecat" type: "comparison" canonical_url: "https://www.graphcanon.com/compare/scale3-labs-langtrace-vs-tracecathq-tracecat" tools: ["scale3-labs-langtrace", "tracecathq-tracecat"] --- # langtrace vs tracecat *GraphCanon updated Sep 20, 2026* ## Verdict Pick langtrace if langtrace stands out as an open-source observability solution for large language models, offering real-time tracing and evaluation capabilities through the Open Telemetry framework; 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. [langtrace](https://langtrace.ai) reports 1.2k GitHub stars, 127 forks, and 2 open issues, last pushed Nov 17, 2025. [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 [langtrace's repository](https://github.com/Scale3-Labs/langtrace) and [tracecat's repository](https://github.com/TracecatHQ/tracecat). | | [langtrace](/tools/scale3-labs-langtrace.md) | [tracecat](/tools/tracecathq-tracecat.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Tagline | Open Telemetry based observability tool for LLM applications | Open-source security automation platform for teams and AI agents | | Stars | 1,232 | 3,805 | | Forks | 127 | 416 | | Open issues | 2 | 155 | | Language | TypeScript | Python | | Adopt for | Langtrace stands out as an open-source observability solution for large language models, offering real-time tracing and evaluation capabilities through the Open Telemetry framework. | 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 | AGPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 | | Categories | Evaluation & Observability | AI Agents, Evaluation & Observability | ## Trust and health _Sourced signals - not a safety guarantee. No winner column._ | | [langtrace](/tools/scale3-labs-langtrace.md) | [tracecat](/tools/tracecathq-tracecat.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Maintenance | Slowing (36%) | Very active (96%) | | Days since push | 306d | 0d | | Open issues (now) | 2 | 155 | | Stars delta | +4 (30d) | +44 (30d) | | Open issues delta | +1 (30d) | +13 (30d) | | Full report | [trust report](/tools/scale3-labs-langtrace/trust.md) | [trust report](/tools/tracecathq-tracecat/trust.md) | ## Decision facts: langtrace - **Adopt for:** Langtrace stands out as an open-source observability solution for large language models, offering real-time tracing and evaluation capabilities through the Open Telemetry framework. ## 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 langtrace if… - langtrace is primarily TypeScript; tracecat is Python. - Tags unique to langtrace: ai, datasets, evaluations, gpt. - When developing or using LLMs and frameworks where end-to-end visibility into every aspect of model performance is crucial. ### Choose tracecat if… - tracecat is primarily Python; langtrace is TypeScript. - 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. - When you need an all-in-one solution for automating workflows that includes agents, case management, and event-driven systems. ## When NOT to use langtrace - For teams that do not require real-time tracing and evaluations, as implementing Langtrace might introduce unnecessary overhead. - When working with non-LLM AI applications or other machine learning models, Langtrace’s specialized features for large language models may not provide much value. ## 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 langtrace and tracecat? langtrace: Open Telemetry based observability tool for LLM 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 langtrace over tracecat? Choose langtrace over tracecat when langtrace is primarily TypeScript; tracecat is Python; Tags unique to langtrace: ai, datasets, evaluations, gpt; When developing or using LLMs and frameworks where end-to-end visibility into every aspect of model performance is crucial. ### When should I choose tracecat over langtrace? Choose tracecat over langtrace when tracecat is primarily Python; langtrace is TypeScript; 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; When you need an all-in-one solution for automating workflows that includes agents, case management, and event-driven systems. ### When should I avoid langtrace? For teams that do not require real-time tracing and evaluations, as implementing Langtrace might introduce unnecessary overhead. When working with non-LLM AI applications or other machine learning models, Langtrace’s specialized features for large language models may not provide much value. ### 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 langtrace or tracecat more popular on GitHub? tracecat has more GitHub stars (3,805 vs 1,232). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints. ### Are langtrace and tracecat open source? Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (langtrace: AGPL-3.0, tracecat: AGPL-3.0). ### Where can I find alternatives to langtrace or tracecat? GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at [langtrace alternatives](/tools/scale3-labs-langtrace/alternatives) and [tracecat alternatives](/tools/tracecathq-tracecat/alternatives) ([langtrace markdown twin](/tools/scale3-labs-langtrace/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/scale3-labs-langtrace-vs-tracecathq-tracecat.md) mirrors this page for agents and LLM crawlers, with the same stats table and FAQ answers. ### Which is better maintained, langtrace or tracecat? langtrace: Slowing. 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 langtrace and tracecat? GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: [langtrace trust report](/tools/scale3-labs-langtrace/trust); [tracecat trust report](/tools/tracecathq-tracecat/trust). --- **Machine-readable endpoints** - JSON: [`/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=scale3-labs-langtrace`](/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=scale3-labs-langtrace) - 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/_