01
Apache 2.0, not a shield
Bugsink is free to self-host under Polyform Shield if you are not competing with it. Epure is OSI Apache 2.0. Fork, host, and run without that clause.
Epure vs Bugsink
Same Sentry SDKs. Different license and storage bet.
Bugsink is a single Django container built to self-host. Epure is Apache 2.0, PostgreSQL 16 by default, keyboard triage, and flat Cloud when it ships.
Both keep Sentry SDKs · Apache 2.0 vs Polyform Shield
Bottom line
Epure vs Bugsink, in one answer.
Pick Epure when you want an OSI license, Postgres with RLS as the default store, keyboard-first triage, and a $24 Cloud path. Pick Bugsink when one container and SQLite (or optional Postgres) already fit, Polyform Shield is acceptable, and you want their hosted EU plans today.
- Best for Epure
- Apache 2.0, Rust + Postgres 16, keyboard triage, spike valve, Pro $24 flat (coming).
- Best for Bugsink
- One Django container, SQLite-first, Shield license, hosted EU already live.
Last reviewed
License
OSI
Apache 2.0 vs Polyform Shield (source-available)
Default DB
Postgres
PostgreSQL 16 + RLS vs SQLite-first (PG optional)
Compose
2
App + Postgres. Bugsink can be one container.
Cloud Pro
$24
200k events · zero overages (coming)
Verdict
Two lite Sentry-wire trackers. Different ops contract.
Bugsink wins moving parts. Epure wins OSI, Postgres-default, and the Cloud shape.
Pick Epure if
You want OSI, Postgres, and a Linear-grade issue list.
- Counsel wants Apache 2.0, not a source-available shield.
- You already run Postgres and want RLS tenancy in the tracker.
- Keyboard triage and a spike valve are how you work.
- You want managed Cloud at $24 flat when it ships.
Pick Bugsink if
You want the smallest install and their hosted EU option now.
- One container with SQLite is the ops model you want.
- Polyform Shield is fine as long as you are not competing with it.
- You need a managed EU host this week (their hosted plans).
- You already trust their throughput story on a small VPS.
Scoreboard
Where each product actually wins.
Bugsink is lighter on containers. Epure is lighter on license friction and default Postgres.
| Dimension | Bugsink | Epure |
|---|---|---|
| Compose footprint | 1 container (SQLite default) | 2 containers (app + Postgres) |
| Stack | Django · SQLite or PG/MySQL | Rust · PostgreSQL 16 + RLS |
| License | Polyform Shield | Apache 2.0 |
| SDK path | Sentry wire · swap DSN | Sentry wire · swap DSN |
| Scope | Exceptions only | Exceptions only |
| Triage | Focused crash UI | Keyboard-first issue list |
| Cloud / hosted | EU hosted · from $16 / 75k | Pro $24 · 200k · flat (coming) |
| Self-host price | $0 if non-competing | $0 Apache 2.0 |
Bugsink figures from public docs and pricing (2026-09). We do not claim 100% Sentry protocol parity. One container is a real Bugsink win.
Why switch
OSI, Postgres, and a Cloud path that is not a meter.
The DSN swap is table stakes. License, store, and triage are the split.
02
Postgres is the product store
Bugsink defaults to SQLite and can attach Postgres or MySQL. Epure ships PostgreSQL 16 with RLS in the two-container compose. Use that if you already operate Postgres.
03
Triage plus a spike valve
Keyboard issue list (j/k, resolve, ignore). When a fingerprint floods, Epure increments counts and drops duplicate bodies so the box and the invoice stay calm.
Self-host + hosted
Both can be $0 to run. Hosted shape differs.
Self-host is free on both if the license fits. Hosted is where the invoice shows up.
Bugsink
Shield OSS-shaped + EU hosted- Self-host (non-competing)$0
- Hosted 75k events$16/mo
- Hosted 3M events$158/mo
- LicensePolyform Shield
Hosted entry$16
Public Bugsink hosted prices as of 2026-09. Self-host stays $0 under Shield.
Epure
Apache 2.0 + Cloud (soon)- Self-host licenseApache 2.0 · $0
- Cloud Pro$24 · 200k flat
- Overages$0
- StackRust + Postgres
Cloud invoice$24
Hardware-bound volume on self-host. Soft-sample on Cloud spikes. Cloud is not live yet.
Switch
From Bugsink: same SDK, new DSN.
If Sentry SDKs already point at Bugsink, pointing them at Epure is the same move.
migrate-dsn.sh
Stay on Bugsink if
One container still counts.
Bugsink is a serious lite tracker. Name when it is the right call.
- 01
You want SQLite in one process
No second database container. Back up a file. That ops model is the product. Epure always brings Postgres in the default compose.
- 02
Shield is acceptable
If you will never offer a competing error tracker as a service, Shield may be enough. Pick Apache 2.0 when that clause is a problem.
- 03
You need hosted EU this week
Bugsink already sells EU hosted plans. Epure Cloud is not live. Buy theirs if you cannot wait.
FAQ
Why not Bugsink?
Aren’t you the same thing?
We share the Sentry SDK wire and an exception-only scope. Bugsink is Django in one container with SQLite by default under Polyform Shield. Epure is a Rust binary plus PostgreSQL 16, Apache 2.0, keyboard triage, and a spike valve.
Isn’t one container better than two?
For a laptop or a tiny VM, yes. Bugsink wins that row. Epure splits the app from Postgres so the store is a real database with RLS. If you already run Postgres, two containers is familiar. If you want a single file, stay on Bugsink.
Can I migrate without rewriting instrumentation?
Yes. Keep official Sentry SDKs. Change the DSN. We publish a compatibility matrix and do not claim 100% protocol parity.
How do the licenses compare?
Bugsink uses Polyform Shield: free to self-host if you are not competing with it. Epure is Apache 2.0. Read both texts with counsel if procurement cares.
Does Epure need Redis?
No. The ingest queue lives in the Rust process. Postgres holds issues and events. Redis is not in the OSS compose.
What about hosted pricing?
Bugsink publishes hosted plans from $16/mo for 75k events (2026-09). Epure Cloud will be Pro $24 for 200k events, flat, zero overages. Self-host is $0 on both if the license fits. Epure Cloud is not live yet.
Where do I compare GlitchTip or Sentry?
See Epure vs GlitchTip for the MIT Django plus Redis stack, Epure vs Sentry for the full platform, and Epure vs Telebugs for the $299 pay-once Rails container.
Try the Apache 2.0 path.
Star Epure, compose up, point a DSN. Keep Bugsink if one container wins.
Apache 2.0 · Rust + Postgres · Pro $24 flat