Layer 3 · self-hosting reality check
What it actually takes to self-host SigNoz
The docs say 4 GB. In practice you want 8 GB. Here is the honest version — real requirements, real monthly cost, what you will be maintaining, and the one thing that catches people out.
Usually reached from Datadog alternatives, where SigNoz is one of the picks.
| RAM — documented minimum | 4 GB |
|---|---|
| RAM — what it really needs | 8 GB |
| CPU | 4 vCPU |
| Disk | Telemetry volume × retention. ClickHouse compresses well but traces are voluminous. |
| Monthly cost | $50–90/mo for a mid-size estate, against Datadog APM pricing per host plus per-ingested-GB |
| Setup time | Half a day |
| How you install it | docker compose or Helm — it bundles ClickHouse, an OTel collector and the query service |
| Ongoing maintenance | Moderate. Retention policy and ClickHouse disk headroom are the recurring jobs. |
| Where it stops scaling | Substantial volume on ClickHouse. Ingestion throughput binds before storage does. |
The thing that catches people out
Trace sampling is the decision that determines whether this is affordable, and the default is to keep everything. At real traffic, 100% trace retention fills disks in days and the failure looks like ClickHouse errors rather than 'you are storing too much'. Decide a sampling rate — head-based to start — before you point production at it.
When not to self-host SigNoz
You need the breadth of Datadog's integrations catalogue. SigNoz covers traces, metrics and logs well; it does not cover the 700 turnkey integrations.
Every guide here carries this section. A site that only ever tells you to self-host is selling something — the useful answer is sometimes no.
Other Layer 3 self-hosting guides
Common questions
- How much RAM does SigNoz actually need?
- 8 GB in practice. The documented minimum is 4 GB, which is the figure at which the process starts rather than the figure at which it works under real use. 4 vCPU alongside it.
- What does self-hosting SigNoz cost per month?
- $50–90/mo for a mid-size estate, against Datadog APM pricing per host plus per-ingested-GB This is commodity VPS pricing and excludes your time, which is the larger cost for most people — budget for moderate. Retention policy and ClickHouse disk headroom are the recurring jobs.
- How long does it take to set up SigNoz?
- Half a day, via docker compose or Helm — it bundles ClickHouse, an OTel collector and the query service.
- When should I NOT self-host SigNoz?
- You need the breadth of Datadog's integrations catalogue. SigNoz covers traces, metrics and logs well; it does not cover the 700 turnkey integrations.
- What is the most common mistake when self-hosting SigNoz?
- Trace sampling is the decision that determines whether this is affordable, and the default is to keep everything. At real traffic, 100% trace retention fills disks in days and the failure looks like ClickHouse errors rather than 'you are storing too much'. Decide a sampling rate — head-based to start — before you point production at it.