Softwr

Log Management · head to head

Airbrake vs Grafana

Airbrake logo

Airbrake

Log Management

Error Tracking and Performance Monitoring

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Grafana logo

Grafana

Network & Connectivity

Observability and Data Visualization

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; Grafana the free tier retains metrics, logs and traces for 14 days only
  • They diverge on capability: Airbrake covers Error tracking, Grafana covers Dashboard creation.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Airbrake and Grafana actually diverge.

Attributes where Airbrake and Grafana differ
AttributeAirbrakeGrafana
Pricing modelusage-basedopen-source
CategoryLog ManagementNetwork & Connectivity
Founded20082014

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), platforms (Web, Api), 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

Only in Grafana

  • Dashboard creation
  • Alerting
  • Data source integration
  • Visualization plugins

Both cover

  • API
  • Webhooks
  • REST
  • 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 Grafana
  • Performance monitoring alongside error trackingnot Grafana
  • Alerting a team when a deploy introduces a spike in errorsnot Grafana
  • Tracking errors across multiple projects in one accountnot Grafana

Grafana

  • Dashboards and visualisation over metrics, logs and tracesnot Airbrake
  • Running observability across infrastructure and applicationsnot 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

Grafana

  • The free tier retains metrics, logs and traces for 14 days only
  • Free is capped at 10,000 active metric series and 50 GB each of logs and traces a month
  • The Pro plan carries a $19 a month platform fee before any usage charges
  • Logs and traces are billed on three separate meters, at $0.050 per GB processed, $0.400 per GB written and $0.100 per GB retained
  • Retaining data is an ongoing charge rather than a one off, so historical data costs every month it exists

Pricing, plan by plan

Airbrake

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

Grafana

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Dashboard creation
    • Alerting
    • Data source integration

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 Grafana if

  • You need dashboard creation.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Api.
  • You also want alerting.
Grafana review

Questions people ask

Is Airbrake or Grafana better?
Neither clearly leads. Airbrake starts at Free and Grafana at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Airbrake or Grafana?
Airbrake starts at Free and Grafana at Free.
Does Airbrake or Grafana run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, Api, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
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 Grafana is typically brought in for.
What can Airbrake do that Grafana cannot?
Airbrake covers Error tracking, Performance monitoring, Deploy tracking, Custom notifications. Grafana covers Dashboard creation, Alerting, Data source integration, Visualization plugins. Both handle API, Webhooks, REST, Web support.
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