AWS X-Ray

AWS X-Ray is a cloud service for tracing application requests across dependencies. It is best suited to teams building on AWS that need request-level detail and a service map. Its AWS integrations are a clear strength, but teams relying on its SDK or daemon should weigh the recommended move to OpenTelemetry.

Overview

X-Ray collects application request data for teams to inspect, filter, and analyze when investigating issues or looking for optimization opportunities. A trace can connect request and response details with calls to AWS resources, microservices, databases, and web APIs, helping teams follow a request across dependencies rather than examine each component in isolation.

The service map organizes trace data into a view of clients, front-end services, and backend services. It can help pinpoint bottlenecks and latency spikes, although it is only as useful as the trace data an application sends.

Key features

Instrumentation and AWS integration

Applications can send trace data through X-Ray SDKs or APIs, AWS Distro for OpenTelemetry, or CloudWatch Application Signals. AWS integrations can add tracing headers, transmit trace data, run the daemon, or instrument requests. For Lambda, the daemon can record invocation details; the X-Ray SDK can trace outgoing calls and attach annotations and metadata. This makes X-Ray a practical fit for AWS-centered workloads, while the range of instrumentation paths gives teams a route to use OpenTelemetry.

Sampling and data controls

The SDK's default sampling rule keeps the first request each second and five percent of additional requests; teams can configure sampling rules to change that balance. Sampling helps control the volume of traces, but means the default does not capture every request. Trace data is retained for 30 days.

X-Ray encrypts traces and related data at rest, with the option to use an AWS KMS key, including a customer-managed key. AWS Identity and Access Management governs API access, and identity-based and resource-based policies are supported. These controls suit teams already managing access and keys through AWS.

SDK and daemon direction

Beginning February 25, 2026, AWS limits X-Ray SDK and daemon releases to security fixes and recommends migration to OpenTelemetry. That makes the choice less attractive for teams planning new instrumentation around those components; the daemon is available for Linux, Windows, and macOS, but its platform availability does not change the release policy.

Pricing

AWS X-Ray pay-as-you-go: free. The allowance covers 100,000 traces recorded per month and the first 1,000,000 traces retrieved or scanned per month; additional usage is billed by usage. This gives smaller workloads room to start without charges within those caps, while higher-volume teams should account for usage-based costs. X-Ray's pricing basis is traces, and the service is paid beyond the free allowances.

Platforms

X-Ray is a cloud deployment with API, Linux, macOS, web, and Windows platform support. The daemon itself is available for Linux, Windows, and macOS.

Who it's for

X-Ray fits teams operating AWS workloads that need to connect request-level details with downstream services and want AWS-integrated instrumentation, sampling, and access controls. It is less compelling for teams seeking a long-term commitment to the X-Ray SDK or daemon, given AWS's recommendation to migrate those users toward OpenTelemetry.

Pros and cons

• Pros: Traces can link request and response details to downstream AWS resources, microservices, databases, and web APIs, giving teams a cross-service view of a request.
• Pros: The service map can help locate bottlenecks and latency spikes, and AWS integrations include Lambda support.
• Pros: Configurable sampling, 30-day retention, encryption at rest, and IAM policies provide useful controls for managing trace collection and access.
• Cons: The default sampling rule captures only the first request each second and five percent of additional requests, so it does not preserve a complete record of traffic by default.
• Cons: AWS is limiting SDK and daemon releases to security fixes and recommends OpenTelemetry migration, making continued investment in those components a less durable choice.
• Cons: Usage beyond the monthly free trace allowances is billed by usage.

Alternatives

For other options, see Distributed Tracing Tools.

• Grafana Cloud Application Observability is worth considering for a freemium option with a free allowance of 2,232 host hours and a Pro plan priced at $0.03 a month, billed at $0.025 per host hour plus a $19 monthly platform fee.
• Tracetest is an alternative for readers looking for a free, open-source project from Kubeshop.
• Uptrace offers a freemium cloud plan with 50 GB free per month, then $0.075/GB, and unlimited users, services, and hosts.
• Apache SkyWalking is a free, self-hosted open-source observability platform.
• Honeycomb may suit teams comparing freemium event and metrics allowances, with a free plan covering up to 20M events per month and 100M metrics data points per month.
• Hubble is a free open-source observability layer that requires Cilium.
• Jaeger is a free, 100% open-source option with self-hosted deployment.
• Oracle Log Analytics is another freemium option.

Verdict

Choose AWS X-Ray if your team runs AWS workloads and needs to trace requests across dependencies with AWS-integrated instrumentation and a service map. Its strongest reason to choose it is that connected view of request behavior; look elsewhere if you want to build around the X-Ray SDK or daemon for the long term, since AWS recommends moving those users to OpenTelemetry.