Using Lightstep? Need to migrate?

Lightstep (Cloud Observability) will no longer be supported as of your contract term end date or March 1, 2026.

Experience stress-free migration and try Better Stack

Why choose Better Stack vs. Lightstep

Instrument your clusters without code changes

Better Stack uses eBPF and OpenTelemetry to make observability effortless. Connect your Kubernetes or Docker clusters and instantly start gathering logs, metrics, traces, and network flows without adding a single line of code. This zero-code instrumentation delivers full visibility in minutes while keeping ingestion costs low.

The collector automatically recognizes databases like PostgreSQL, MySQL, Redis, Memcached, and MongoDB, instrumenting them out-of-the-box so you can monitor queries and internals without extra setup. Logs, metrics, and spans are shipped via remotely controlled collectors where you can adjust sampling, batching, compression, and throughput on demand. With VRL transformations, you can filter or redact data before it’s stored, helping control costs and stay compliant.

Ready to try eBPF-based tracing?

Platform that has your back

Beyond raw data capture, Better Stack makes investigation easier. Use bubble-up visual analysis to isolate slow requests, explore an eBPF-based service map to see network flows and service dependencies, and track RED metrics, Apdex, and request breakdowns from a single dashboard. Sophisticated anomaly detection and ready-made alerts keep you ahead of issues, while built-in incident management and on-call ensure quick resolution.

Because it’s built on OpenTelemetry, you stay in control of your data, avoid vendor lock-in, and keep the flexibility to optimize costs or switch vendors later. Better Stack gives you modern, code-free observability that works out of the box.

Expert engineering support

Better Stack’s support is built around engineers, not bots. When you reach out, you’re connected directly to people who understand the product at a technical level and can solve problems quickly. Whether you need help onboarding, integrating with your stack, fine-tuning performance, or troubleshooting a production irregularity, you’ll always speak with someone who can dive into the details and guide you.

Stress-free migration

Switching from legacy observability tools can feel overwhelming, but Better Stack makes the transition seamless. Our experts handle the complexity, walking you through every step so you can move your data, workflows, and alerts without disruption. The migration process is guided and hands-on, giving your team the confidence to retire old systems and go live quickly with a modern platform. The result is a smooth, reliable transition that minimizes downtime and accelerates your path to better observability.

Have questions? Let us know at hello@betterstack.com or book a demo

About Lightstep

Lightstep was founded by ex-Google engineers to bring Google-scale tracing to everyone. It became known for deep distributed tracing, change intelligence, and OpenTelemetry support. In 2021, it was acquired by ServiceNow and rebranded as ServiceNow Cloud Observability.

⚠️ End of Life: ServiceNow has announced that Cloud Observability (Lightstep) will be unsupported after March 1, 2026 (or your contract end date). No direct successor is planned, so migrations are required.

About Better Stack

Better Stack is a modern observability and reliability platform unifying logs, metrics, traces, incident management, and status pages in one tool. Its standout feature is eBPF-powered zero-code auto-instrumentation for Kubernetes and Docker clusters, capturing telemetry without code changes.

OpenTelemetry-native, built on ClickHouse for speed, and packed with built-in on-call and incident workflows, Better Stack is designed to replace fragmented legacy observability stacks with a simpler, faster, and more cost-effective alternative.