Telebugs

What it does

Telebugs is a self-hosted error tracking system built with Ruby on Rails. It collects, groups, and notifies you about errors in your applications. It is designed as a lightweight alternative to Sentry, with a focus on simplicity and data privacy. Telebugs supports integration via Sentry SDKs (drop-in compatible) and offers an MCP server for AI coding tools to inspect production error context. It runs in a Docker container and can be installed with a single command.

Who it is for

Telebugs is for developers and teams who want to keep error data on their own infrastructure. It is suitable for bootstrapped companies, agencies, regulated industries (healthcare, finance, government), and low-resource environments. It can serve as a primary error tracker, a backup for Sentry, or for development/staging environments. The product is also positioned as a learning tool for those who want to own and customize the code.

Why it matters

Telebugs addresses the high recurring costs and complexity of hosted error tracking services like Sentry, Bugsnag, and Rollbar. It offers a one-time payment of $299.99 with no event quotas, no subscriptions, and no hidden fees. It also avoids the operational overhead of self-hosting Sentry, which requires 58+ services. Telebugs is designed to run on modest hardware (e.g., 2 vCPU / 4 GB RAM can process ~4.3 million reports per day). Data stays on-premise, supporting compliance with GDPR, CCPA, and PECR.

Launch signal

Telebugs was launched on Hacker News as "Show HN: I built a self-hosted error tracker in Rails." The website features testimonials from users who praise its ease of installation, reliability, and cost savings. The product is actively maintained, with version 1.18.0 released on June 29, 2026, introducing guardrails for error storms.

Brand and naming

The name "Telebugs" combines "telemetry" and "bugs," clearly communicating its purpose: remote error tracking. The brand emphasizes simplicity, self-hosting, and data ownership. Its tagline "Self-Hosted Sentry Alternative" positions it directly against the market leader, highlighting cost and complexity advantages. The visual identity uses a bug icon and clean design, reinforcing the focus on error tracking without bloat.