Best eBPF Observability Tools in 2026
Updated
In short: DeepFlow is ranked #1 of 29 as of 4 October 2026, ahead of Elastic Observability and Kubeshark. The best-ranked option with a free plan is Kubeshark. The lowest first paid tier on this page is Coroot at $1/mo.
When you need visibility into software running on Linux systems and Kubernetes, eBPF observability tools offer different ways to examine application, kernel, and network behavior. Compared on, this ranking covers application tracing, kernel profiling, and network visibility, alongside Kubernetes support, deployment model, and supported operating systems. Free-plan availability and paid-from pricing help frame cost. Coroot and DeepFlow lead the entries, followed by Metoro Kubernetes Profiling and Inspektor Gadget. Compare the signals each tool covers with the layers you need to observe, and check that its listed deployment and platform support match your environment.
29 eBPF observability tools ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
| # | Platform | Score | Why | From | Free plan | Paid from | Deployment model | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | DeepFlow | 7.4 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | — | — | hybrid | View |
| 2 | Elastic Observability | 7.4 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | No | 99 /mo | — | View |
| 3 |  Kubeshark | 7.4 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $30/mo | Yes | 30 /mo | self-hosted | View |
| 4 |  Coroot | 7.3 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $1/mo | Yes | 1 /mo | — | View |
| 5 |  Inspektor Gadget | 7.3 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | — | — | self-hosted | View |
| 6 |  Metoro Kubernetes Profiling | 7.3 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $20/mo | Yes | 20 /mo | — | View |
| 7 |  Anteon | 6.9 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $99/mo | — | 99 /mo | hybrid | View |
| 8 |  Grafana k6 | 6.0 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $19/mo | Yes | 19 /mo | self-hosted | View |
| 9 | groundcover | 6.0 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $30/mo | Yes | 30 /mo | hybrid | View |
| 10 | Odigos | 6.0 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | — | self-hosted | View |
| 11 | bpftrace | 5.9 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | — | self-hosted | View |
| 12 | Qpoint | 5.9 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | — | hybrid | View |
| 13 | Grafana Beyla | 5.7 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | self-hosted | View |
| 14 | Pyroscope | 5.7 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $19/mo | Yes | 19 /mo | — | View |
| 15 |  BCC | 5.6 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | self-hosted | View |
| 16 |  Caretta | 5.6 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | self-hosted | View |
| 17 |  orb8 | 5.6 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | self-hosted | View |
| 18 |  Tracee | 5.4 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | — | View |
| 19 |  Gyeeta | 5.3 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | self-hosted | View |
| 20 | ApexData | 5.2 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | — | — | hybrid | View |
| 21 |  Hubble | 5.2 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | — | — | self-hosted | View |
| 22 |  Kerno | 5.2 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | — | — | self-hosted | View |
| 23 |  Kindling | 5.2 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | — | View |
| 24 |  Mermin | 5.2 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | — | — | self-hosted | View |
| 25 | Tetragon | 5.2 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | — | View |
Is your platform on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored. They are labelled, and the editorial order and scores never change for payment.
Questions about this list
Which eBPF observability tool is ranked first on Inferse?
DeepFlow is ranked #1 of 29 with a score of 7.4. Elastic Observability is second and Kubeshark third.
How many of these have a free plan?
11 of the 25 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, Coroot has the lowest first paid tier we found: $1/mo.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked on what each maker publishes, open and connectable first: a public API, open-source code, the depth of its documentation and a free tier to try it on. Model lists are sorted by the figure in their title, exactly as each provider publishes it. Paid placements never change a rank.