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Trench
San Francisco
What it is
Trench is free, open-source infrastructure for real-time event tracking and analytics. Built on Apache Kafka and ClickHouse, it collects, processes, queries, and routes event data. The project says a single node can process thousands of events per second using Kafka. Users query data in real time with SQL or REST, and throttled webhooks can forward it to other destinations. Trench supports the Segment specification, including Track, Identify, and Group calls. Deployment is self-hosted through one production-ready Docker image containing Kafka, ClickHouse, and the application. The software is available under the MIT License, and the site describes it as GDPR compliant. The Open Source plan costs nothing, supports any cloud provider, has no usage limits, and includes community support through Slack. Enterprise uses volume-based pricing and adds dedicated infrastructure, support, phone and email coverage, on-premises deployment, SAML 2.0 SSO, and third-party integrations.
For and against
For
- Open source under the MIT License
- Real-time SQL and REST queries
- Segment Track, Identify, and Group support
- Single Docker image bundles components
- No usage limits on Open Source
Against
- Deployment is self-hosted
- Enterprise pricing is volume-based
- Community support applies to Open Source
The verdict
Trench provides a focused, self-hosted foundation for real-time event pipelines. Its free plan removes usage limits, while Enterprise adds infrastructure, support, and identity features for organizations that need them.
Who it suits
Trench suits teams needing self-hosted event collection, analytics, and routing. It is also relevant to organizations seeking Segment-compatible infrastructure or an enterprise support option.
Plans and prices
Open Source
Self-host on any cloud provider · No usage limits · Community support
Read 8 Oct 2026 · trench.dev
Enterprise
Dedicated infrastructure · Dedicated support engineer · 24/7 phone and email support · On-premises deployment option
Read 8 Oct 2026 · trench.dev
On the record
- Community support
- The Open Source plan includes community support, and the site directs users to its Slack community for assistance.trench.dev · read 8 Oct 2026
- Company location
- The site says Trench is built in San Francisco by the team behind Frigade.trench.dev · read 8 Oct 2026
- Data destinations
- Trench can send data to other destinations through throttled webhooks.trench.dev · read 8 Oct 2026
- Deployment
- Trench provides a single production-ready Docker image that includes Kafka, ClickHouse, and the application.trench.dev · read 8 Oct 2026
- Enterprise support
- The Enterprise offering includes a dedicated support engineer and 24/7 phone and email support.trench.dev · read 8 Oct 2026
- Event processing
- Trench says it can process thousands of events per second on a single node using Kafka.trench.dev · read 8 Oct 2026
- License
- Trench is open source under the MIT License.trench.dev · read 8 Oct 2026
- Product
- Trench is open-source infrastructure for real-time event tracking and analytics.trench.dev · read 8 Oct 2026
- Querying
- Users can query data in real time with SQL or REST.trench.dev · read 8 Oct 2026
- Security
- The site describes Trench as GDPR compliant.trench.dev · read 8 Oct 2026
- Segment compatibility
- Trench supports the Segment specification, including Track, Identify, and Group.trench.dev · read 8 Oct 2026
- Technology
- Trench is built on Apache Kafka and ClickHouse.docs.trench.dev · read 8 Oct 2026
- Use case
- The team created Trench after its Postgres event-tracking table became expensive and a performance bottleneck while serving millions of end users.trench.dev · read 8 Oct 2026
