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Logging · head to head

Airbrake vs FireHydrant

Airbrake logo

Airbrake

Logging

Error Tracking and Performance Monitoring

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
FireHydrant logo

FireHydrant

Logging

All-in-one incident management for alerting, on-call, and response

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; FireHydrant free tier has limited functionality with only 2 runbooks
  • They diverge on capability: Airbrake covers Error tracking, FireHydrant covers Automated runbooks.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Airbrake and FireHydrant actually diverge.

Attributes where Airbrake and FireHydrant differ
AttributeAirbrakeFireHydrant
PlatformsWeb, ApiWeb, Slack, Microsoft Teams, Mobile
Founded20082018

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (subscription), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Logging).

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
  • Web support

Only in FireHydrant

  • Automated runbooks
  • On-call management
  • Service catalog
  • Incident response collaboration
  • AI incident insights
  • Status pages
  • AI retrospectives

What people use each for

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

Airbrake

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

FireHydrant

  • Manage incidents directly from Slack or Teamsnot Airbrake
  • Automate incident response with runbooksnot Airbrake
  • Triage incidents and track ownershipnot Airbrake
  • Run post-incident retrospectivesnot Airbrake
  • Communicate incidents to customers automaticallynot 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

FireHydrant

  • Free tier has limited functionality with only 2 runbooks
  • Pro plan billing is annual-only (no monthly option)
  • AI features concentrated in Enterprise tier
  • Pricing per responder can increase with team size

Pricing, plan by plan

Airbrake

Free
  • Tier 1 (Dev + errors)$19/month
    • 25,000 errors per month
    • 1 user
    • 1 team
  • Tier 2 (Basic + errors)$38/month
    • 100,000 errors per month
    • Unlimited users
    • 3 teams
  • Pro$76/month
    • Unlimited users
    • Unlimited teams
    • Unlimited projects
  • Tier 5 (Growth)$299/month
    • 1 million errors per month

FireHydrant

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Up to 10 responders
    • 2 runbooks
    • Slack and Teams chatbot
  • Pro$25/responder-month
    • 5 runbooks
    • Slack and Teams chatbot
    • 1 retrospective template
  • Enterprise$undefined/custom
    • Everything in Pro plus
    • Viewer licenses
    • Unlimited runbooks

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 FireHydrant if

  • You need automated runbooks.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Slack, Microsoft Teams, Mobile.
  • You also want on-call management.
FireHydrant review

Questions people ask

Is Airbrake or FireHydrant better?
Neither clearly leads. Airbrake starts at Free and FireHydrant at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Airbrake or FireHydrant?
Airbrake starts at Free and FireHydrant at Free.
Does Airbrake or FireHydrant run on more platforms?
Airbrake runs on Web, Api. FireHydrant runs on Web, Slack, Microsoft Teams, Mobile.
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 FireHydrant is typically brought in for.
What can Airbrake do that FireHydrant cannot?
Airbrake covers Error tracking, Performance monitoring, Deploy tracking, Custom notifications. FireHydrant covers Automated runbooks, On-call management, Service catalog, Incident response collaboration.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Airbrake: What is the lowest-cost Airbrake plan and what does it include?

Tier 1 costs $19 per month and includes 25,000 errors per month, 1 user seat, 1 team, and unlimited projects. This plan targets individual developers. A 10% discount applies when paying annually ($17.10 per month).

Source
FireHydrant: What is included in the free FireHydrant plan?

The free plan supports up to 10 responders, includes 2 runbooks, Slack and Teams chatbot, 1 public status page, and basic integrations (3).

Source
Airbrake: Which Airbrake plan is marked as the best value?

The Pro plan at $76 per month is marked as Best Value. It includes unlimited users, unlimited teams, unlimited projects, audit logs, and spike forgiveness. Annual billing provides a 10% discount ($68 per month).

Source
FireHydrant: How much does FireHydrant Pro cost?

FireHydrant Pro costs $25 per responder per month, billed annually. This includes 5 runbooks, unlimited status pages, and all core incident management features.

Source
Airbrake: How many errors per month does each Airbrake tier allow?

Tier 1 allows 25,000 errors per month at $19/month. Tier 2 allows 100,000 errors at $38/month. Tier 4 allows 300,000 errors at $129/month. Tier 5 allows 1 million errors at $299/month. Tier 6 allows 5 million errors at $799/month.

Source
FireHydrant: Can I pay monthly for FireHydrant Pro?

No, the Pro plan requires annual billing to get the $25/responder/month rate. Contact sales for enterprise monthly billing options.

Source
FireHydrant: What AI features does FireHydrant offer?

FireHydrant AI is available in Enterprise plan and includes automated incident summaries, status page updates, live video transcription from Zoom and Google Meet, and triage assistance.

Source
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