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instana

Python Distributed Tracing & Metrics Sensor for Instana.

With conditionsPyPI Python ModulesReleased Aug 2026129.1K downloads / moMITPure Python
Source repositoryDocsPyPI

Decision gist · record as of 2026-08-14

pure-Python wheel — instana-3.17.0-py3-none-any.whl
v3.17.0 · released 2026-08-14 · Python >=3.9 · 9 runtime deps: autowrapt, fysom, opentelemetry-api, opentelemetry-semantic-conventions, psutil, pyyaml, requests, typing-extensions

Yes, if you are already using Instana for infrastructure monitoring and need Python application instrumentation. The low install friction, active maintenance, permissive license, and automatic instrumentation capability make it a straightforward choice for that use case. No, if you need a general-purpose tracing library independent of the Instana platform—consider OpenTelemetry directly instead.AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying

Before you install

  • Requires Python 3.9 or later.
  • Instana host agent must be running to report metrics and traces.
  • Low install friction: pure Python wheel with 9 runtime dependencies including widely-used packages like requests, pyyaml, and opentelemetry-api.

License · maintenance · safety

MIT (permissive) — MIT license (permissive) means you can use, modify, and distribute this package freely in commercial and open-source projects with minimal restrictions.

last release 2026-08-14 (0 days) · last repo commit 2026-08-14 · 68 stars

0 known vulnerabilities (OSV.dev, 2026-08-14) · 129,122 downloads/mo, #11,681 on PyPI

Alternatives

opentelemetry-instrumentation-asyncioAdds distributed tracing and metrics to asyncio applications by instrumenting coroutines, futures.pure-Python wheel6.5M/mo opentelemetry-instrumentation-flaskAdds distributed tracing to Flask web applications by instrumenting HTTP requests and responses through OpenTelemetry's.pure-Python wheel46.4M/mo opentelemetry-instrumentation-wsgiProvides WSGI middleware for OpenTelemetry that automatically instruments request timing and tracing in any WSGI-based.pure-Python wheel48.6M/mo

Verify before relying

pip install instana

# Automatic activation via environment variable:
export AUTOWRAPT_BOOTSTRAP=instana

# Or manual activation in code:
import instana
  • Whether automatic instrumentation via AUTOWRAPT_BOOTSTRAP covers all common frameworks or requires additional configuration
  • Performance overhead of automatic instrumentation on typical application workloads
  • Compatibility with specific ASGI frameworks or async Python applications
Same gist for agents: .md · .json

What it is and what it does

Instana is a Python instrumentation library that integrates with the Instana monitoring platform to collect application metrics and distributed traces automatically. It works by instrumenting your Python application—either through environment variable activation without code changes or by importing the package directly—and then reporting performance data and trace information to a local Instana host agent. The package builds on OpenTelemetry standards and includes support for common frameworks like Django and Flask.

The library handles the complexity of tracing function calls, capturing request/response data, and measuring performance across your application stack. It's designed for developers who want visibility into their Python applications' behavior and performance without extensive manual instrumentation code. The package supports Python 3.9 through 3.14 and is actively maintained.

Use it for

  • Monitor distributed traces across microservices to diagnose latency and performance bottlenecks in production
  • Collect application metrics automatically without modifying application code by setting AUTOWRAPT_BOOTSTRAP
  • Instrument Django or Flask web applications to track request handling and downstream service calls
  • Integrate with existing Instana monitoring infrastructure to correlate application metrics with infrastructure data
  • Track end-user monitoring data alongside server-side traces for complete application visibility

Worth the install?

AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page. Verify before relying on it.

With conditions

Yes, if you are already using Instana for infrastructure monitoring and need Python application instrumentation.

The low install friction, active maintenance, permissive license, and automatic instrumentation capability make it a straightforward choice for that use case. No, if you need a general-purpose tracing library independent of the Instana platform—consider OpenTelemetry directly instead.

Install

instana on PyPI

Before you install

Low install friction: pure Python wheel with 9 runtime dependencies including widely-used packages like requests, pyyaml, and opentelemetry-api. Active maintenance with a release on 2026-08-14 and recent repository activity.

Requires Python 3.9 or later. Instana host agent must be running to report metrics and traces.

License in practice

MIT license (permissive) means you can use, modify, and distribute this package freely in commercial and open-source projects with minimal restrictions.

Quickstart

pip install instana

# Automatic activation via environment variable:
export AUTOWRAPT_BOOTSTRAP=instana

# Or manual activation in code:
import instana

Verify before relying

  • Whether automatic instrumentation via AUTOWRAPT_BOOTSTRAP covers all common frameworks or requires additional configuration
  • Performance overhead of automatic instrumentation on typical application workloads
  • Compatibility with specific ASGI frameworks or async Python applications

Package facts

LicenseMIT permissive
Python supportSupports the current Python release >=3.9
Install frictionLow. Pure-Python wheel
Runtime dependencies
9 packages
autowraptfysomopentelemetry-apiopentelemetry-semantic-conventionspsutilpyyamlrequeststyping-extensionsurllib3
MaintenanceActively maintained 0 days since the last release
Last repo commit
First released
Downloads129,122 / month, #11,681 on PyPI 30-day window, as of 2026-08-14
Known vulnerabilitiesNone known OSV.dev, checked 2026-08-14
Classifiers
Development Status :: 5 - Production/StableIntended Audience :: DevelopersIntended Audience :: Information TechnologyIntended Audience :: Science/ResearchIntended Audience :: System AdministratorsLicense :: OSI Approved :: MIT LicenseOperating System :: OS IndependentProgramming Language :: PythonProgramming Language :: Python :: 3.10Programming Language :: Python :: 3.11Programming Language :: Python :: 3.12Programming Language :: Python :: 3.13Programming Language :: Python :: 3.14Programming Language :: Python :: 3.9Programming Language :: Python :: Implementation :: CPythonTopic :: Internet :: WWW/HTTP :: WSGI :: MiddlewareTopic :: Software Development :: Libraries :: Python ModulesTopic :: System :: MonitoringTopic :: System :: Networking :: Monitoring

Evidence: instana-3.17.0-py3-none-any.whl

Tags

Capabilities
distributed tracing pythonapplication metrics collectionopentelemetry instrumentationpython performance monitoringautomatic application instrumentationwsgi middleware tracinginstana agent integration
Topics
observabilitydistributed-tracingopentelemetry
PyPI keywords
distributed-tracingmetricsmonitoringopentelemetryperformancetracing

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See also opentelemetry-instrumentation-asyncio · opentelemetry-instrumentation-flask · opentelemetry-instrumentation-wsgi · opentelemetry-instrumentation-agno · opentelemetry-instrumentation-falcon · opentelemetry-instrumentation-pyramid · opentelemetry-instrumentation · autodynatrace · opentelemetry-instrumentation-openai-agents · opentelemetry-instrumentation-asgi