Softwr

Log Management · head to head

Airbrake vs Cloudflare

Airbrake logo

Airbrake

Log Management

Error Tracking and Performance Monitoring

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Cloudflare logo

Cloudflare

Network & Connectivity

The web performance and security company

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Airbrake data retention is 30 days on every plan, including the $799 a month Business tier; Cloudflare free tier limited to basic features (no advanced analytics or premium features)
  • They diverge on capability: Airbrake covers Error tracking, Cloudflare covers Global CDN.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Airbrake and Cloudflare actually diverge.

Attributes where Airbrake and Cloudflare differ
AttributeAirbrakeCloudflare
Pricing modelusage-basedUnknown
PlatformsWeb, ApiWeb
CategoryLog ManagementNetwork & Connectivity
Founded20082009

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Airbrake

  • Error tracking
  • Performance monitoring
  • Deploy tracking
  • Custom notifications
  • API
  • Webhooks
  • REST

Only in Cloudflare

  • Global CDN
  • DDoS Protection
  • WAF
  • DNS
  • SSL/TLS
  • Load Balancing
  • Bot Management
  • Workers (Serverless)

Both cover

  • Web support
  • Api support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Airbrake

  • Error and exception monitoring for web applicationsnot Cloudflare
  • Performance monitoring alongside error trackingnot Cloudflare
  • Alerting a team when a deploy introduces a spike in errorsnot Cloudflare
  • Tracking errors across multiple projects in one accountnot Cloudflare

Cloudflare

  • Global content delivery network (CDN) with 330+ data centres worldwidenot Airbrake
  • DDoS protection and bot blockingnot Airbrake
  • Web application security and rate limitingnot Airbrake
  • DNS management and domain protectionnot Airbrake
  • Static and dynamic content cachingnot Airbrake
  • Serverless computing via Cloudflare Workersnot Airbrake
  • Database and storage services (D1, R2)not Airbrake
  • Performance optimisation for Core Web Vitalsnot Airbrake

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Airbrake

  • Data retention is 30 days on every plan, including the $799 a month Business tier
  • The entry plan at $19 a month covers 25,000 errors and 7,500 events
  • Errors beyond the plan quota are billed on demand
  • Audit logs and spike forgiveness require the Pro tier
  • The lowest tier is limited to 1 user and 1 team

Cloudflare

  • Free tier limited to basic features (no advanced analytics or premium features)
  • Pro tier ($20-25/month) caps at professional websites (higher tiers needed for enterprise scale)
  • Caches only anonymous API GET responses (authenticated requests and non-GET methods not cached)
  • Geographic coverage limited to announced 330+ cities (may not cover all regions globally)

Pricing, plan by plan

Airbrake

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Error tracking
    • Performance monitoring
    • Deploy tracking

Cloudflare

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Cloudflare review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Airbrake if

  • You need error tracking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Api.
  • You also want performance monitoring.
Airbrake review

Choose Cloudflare if

  • You need global cdn.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want ddos protection.
Cloudflare review

Questions people ask

Is Airbrake or Cloudflare better?
Neither clearly leads. Airbrake starts at Free and Cloudflare at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Airbrake or Cloudflare?
Airbrake starts at Free and Cloudflare at Free.
Does Airbrake or Cloudflare run on more platforms?
Airbrake runs on Web, Api. Cloudflare runs on Web.
Can I use Airbrake for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Airbrake best used for?
Airbrake is most often used for error and exception monitoring for web applications, performance monitoring alongside error tracking, alerting a team when a deploy introduces a spike in errors, tracking errors across multiple projects in one account. Of those, error and exception monitoring for web applications and performance monitoring alongside error tracking are not what Cloudflare is typically brought in for.
What can Airbrake do that Cloudflare cannot?
Airbrake covers Error tracking, Performance monitoring, Deploy tracking, Custom notifications. Cloudflare covers Global CDN, DDoS Protection, WAF, DNS. Both handle Web support, Api support.
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