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.
Wondering whether you need to at all? Is Datadog free? — what the free tier actually allows, and where the wall is.
| 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.