Jaeger vs OpenTracing: What are the differences?

## Introduction
This Markdown document discusses the key differences between Jaeger and OpenTracing.

## 1. **Data Model**:
In Jaeger, the trace data model consists of spans where each span represents a unit of work, while in OpenTracing, the data model is defined in terms of spans, traces, and traces with a single root span.

## 2. **Implementation**:
Jaeger is an open-source distributed tracing system developed by Uber Technologies, focusing on high performance and ease of use, whereas OpenTracing is a vendor-neutral API specification for distributed tracing.

## 3. **Compatibility**:
Jaeger API is fully compatible with the OpenTracing API, meaning that Jaeger can be used as a backend for applications instrumented with OpenTracing-compatible libraries.

## 4. **Visualization**:
Jaeger provides a user interface for visualization and querying of traces, allowing users to interact with trace data effectively, whereas OpenTracing does not provide such visualization capabilities natively.

## 5. **Community Support**:
Jaeger has a vibrant community actively contributing to its development and providing support, while OpenTracing benefits from a broader ecosystem support but lacks a specific community dedicated solely to its advancement.

## 6. **Storage Options**:
Jaeger supports storage backends like Cassandra, Elasticsearch, and Kafka for storing trace data, whereas OpenTracing is focused on defining a common API and does not provide specific recommendations for storage solutions.

Summary, Jaeger and OpenTracing differ in their data models, implementations, compatibility, visualization capabilities, community support, and storage options.