walkerOS vs. Jitsu
Jitsu is an open-source data collection platform often positioned as a Segment alternative. It focuses on streaming event data to data warehouses. Here's how it compares to walkerOS.
Quick comparison
| Feature | Jitsu | walkerOS |
|---|---|---|
| Open-source | Yes (MIT) | Yes (MIT) |
| Pricing | Free up to 200k events | Free (paid support available) |
| Self-hosted option | Yes | Yes |
| Warehouse focus | Primary destination | One of many destinations |
| Event transformations | Yes (JavaScript functions) | Yes (JavaScript mapping) |
| Identity resolution | Yes (automatic) | Basic (session/user stitching) |
| Composable tagging | No | Yes (tag once, use everywhere) |
| Custom domains | Yes | Yes (first-party setup) |
| Setup complexity | Low to medium | Low to medium |
Who should use what?
Choose Jitsu if
- Your primary goal is streaming data to warehouses
- You want automatic identity resolution built in
- You need a simple tracking tag similar to Google Analytics
- You want included ClickHouse storage on the free tier
Choose walkerOS if
- You want composable, component-level tagging for web
- You need flexibility beyond just warehouse destinations
- You prefer HTML attribute-based tracking over JavaScript SDK
- You want full control over event collection and consent handling
- You're building with modern component frameworks
Key differences
Tagging approach
Jitsu: JavaScript SDK similar to traditional analytics tools. Add a tracking script, then call tracking functions in your code.
walkerOS: HTML attribute-based tagging. Add data-elb attributes to your
components. Events are captured automatically based on user interactions without
writing tracking code for each event.
Primary focus
Jitsu: Warehouse-first. Built to stream data to Snowflake, BigQuery, Redshift, ClickHouse, etc. The warehouse is the core destination.
walkerOS: Destination-agnostic. Send events to warehouses, analytics tools, marketing platforms, or your own APIs. No single destination type is prioritized.
Cost
Jitsu: Free cloud tier up to 200k events/month with included ClickHouse. Paid plans start around $40/month. Self-hosted is free (MIT license).
walkerOS: The software is free and open-source with no event limits. You pay for your own infrastructure costs. Optional paid services include implementation support (setup fees) and SLAs for teams that want help getting started or need guaranteed support.
Transformations
Jitsu: Jitsu Functions: JavaScript-based processing that runs before data reaches your warehouse. Filter, modify, or enrich events.
walkerOS: Mapping configuration: JavaScript-based transformations that run in the collector. Transform event data before sending to destinations.
Can they work together?
Yes! You can use walkerOS for event collection and send data to Jitsu as a destination. This gives you walkerOS's composable tagging and consent handling on the frontend, with Jitsu's warehouse streaming on the backend.
Getting started
Ready to try walkerOS? Check out the quickstart guide to set up component-level tagging without traditional SDK tracking calls.