Side by side
Kerno vs Tracee
Both stand on ebpf observability tools. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.
Paid LinuxSelf-hosted
Kerno concentrates on kernel-level diagnosis using eBPF and deterministic rules. Its self-hosted deployment options, monitoring commands, and opt-in integrations make it suited to teams investigating Linux production incidents.
Visit Kerno Free plan LinuxSelf-hosted
Tracee provides Linux runtime monitoring with multiple deployment options and event context. Confirm kernel compatibility and elevated permission requirements before deploying it.
Visit TraceeThe facts
| Kerno | Tracee | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Not published | Yes |
| Open source | Not published | Not published |
| Runs on | Linux, Self-hosted | Linux, Self-hosted |
| Lowest paid plan | Not published | Free or on request |
| Plans published | None | 1 |
| Maker | Not published | Not published |
| Website | github.com | aquasecurity.github.io |
| On ebpf observability tools | #26 of 29 | #22 of 29 |
Kerno: what it does well
- Free and licensed under Apache License 2.0
- Ranked incident findings with evidence and suggested fixes
- Deterministic rules for common kernel-level issues
- Kubernetes DaemonSet and binary deployment options
- No outbound network calls by default
What to know first
- Requires Linux kernel 5.8 or later with BTF
- Kubernetes deployment requires elevated capabilities
- Standard NetworkPolicy generally does not restrict host networking
Tracee: what it does well
- Monitors system activity in real time using eBPF.
- Provides event context including process lineage and network connections.
- Supports container-aware policies and Kubernetes installation.
- Prometheus metrics are available by default.
- Free and deployable as binary, container image, or Helm chart.
What to know first
- Linux only; it does not run on macOS itself.
- Requires a compatible kernel and elevated capabilities.
- Privileged or root execution is the easiest setup.