Tracetest is a trace-based testing platform written in Go that enables developers to build integration and end-to-end tests for microservices and distributed systems using OpenTelemetry traces. The core value proposition centers on dramatically accelerating test development by leveraging distributed trace data rather than traditional mocking and stubbing approaches. According to the project documentation, tests can be built 98% faster by asserting against both response and trace data at every point of a request transaction.
The platform supports multiple assertion capabilities that distinguish it from conventional testing frameworks. Users can assert on response data and trace span timing, such as verifying that a database span executes within 100 milliseconds. Wildcard assertions enable broad pattern matching across common activity types, for example ensuring all gRPC return codes equal zero or that all database calls complete within specified time windows. The system also supports assertions against side effects in distributed systems, including message queues, asynchronous API calls, and external API interactions. This approach eliminates the need for plumbing, mocks, and fakes by testing against real data flowing through actual system components.
Tracetest integrates with existing distributed tracing solutions and supports multiple test trigger types including HTTP requests, gRPC requests, and trace IDs. Tests can be created both visually through a web UI and programmatically using YAML configuration. The platform enables users to save and run tests manually or through CI build job integration. Beyond testing, Tracetest provides capabilities for verifying and analyzing OpenTelemetry instrumentation quality, allowing teams to enforce instrumentation rules and standards across their systems. The platform also supports testing long-running processes, addressing scenarios that traditional testing approaches struggle with.
The project offers three deployment options. Cloud-based managed Tracetest is available at app.tracetest.io with a free tier for getting started. Enterprise self-hosted Tracetest provides the same cloud experience deployed within customer infrastructure with a one-month free trial available. Tracetest Core is available as an open-source hobby self-hosted option deployable as a Docker container, though it is not suitable for production use.
Community engagement around Tracetest shows active development with issue and pull request activity tracked across the repository. The project is released under the MIT License and welcomes pull request contributions.
