Crates / Compare / env_logger vs tracing
Rust crates side by side · data Oct 24, 2026
env_logger vs tracing
Short answerBy steady daily use, tracing is bigger: 2,611,879 real downloads a day against 1,046,756 for env_logger (2.5x). 12,204 crates depend on env_logger and 46,220 on tracing. env_logger last shipped 4 months ago, tracing 10 months ago.
env_logger
FoundationalFoundational and steady.
12,204 crates depend on it; no release in the last 90 days, so its count is all steady use.
A logging implementation for `log` which is configured via an environment variable.
tracing
FoundationalFoundational and steady.
46,220 crates depend on it; no release in the last 90 days, so its count is all steady use.
Application-level tracing for Rust.
env_loggertracing · 100% = that crate's normal quiet day, so a spike to 300% is triple its usual traffic
Every number, side by side
| Same window, same method | env_logger | tracing |
|---|---|---|
| Real downloads a day | 1,046,756 | 2,611,879 |
| Crates that depend on it | 12,204 | 46,220 |
| Last release | 0.11.11, 4 months ago | 0.1.44, 10 months ago |
| Trend vs the field | -8% | +2% |
| Release-window share | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Downloads in the window | 90,894,479 | 235,971,565 |
| All-time downloads | 600,559,954 | 965,769,957 |
| Versions published | 59 | 46 |
| License | MIT OR Apache-2.0 | MIT |
| MSRV | 1.71 | 1.65.0 |
| First published | Jan 27, 2015 | Nov 27, 2017 |
Which to pick
- Downloads tell you what is common, not what fits. Each crate's own description above says what it is for; when the jobs differ, pick by the job.
- When both fit, prefer the one more crates depend on (tracing, 46,220 dependents): more eyes, more answered questions, and you may already have it in your tree.
- Check the release dates against your own pace: env_logger 4 months ago, tracing 10 months ago.
Also in this space
Method
Real downloads = the median day with no release that day or the day before, from the crates.io API (Jul 27, 2026 to Oct 23, 2026). Raw crates.io counts include CI and bots and run high (why); the method is from our 90-day study. People search for this pair: Google suggests "env_logger vs tracing".