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Software · head to head

Airbrake vs Raygun

Airbrake logo

Airbrake

Software

Error Tracking and Performance Monitoring

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Raygun logo

Raygun

Software

Real User Monitoring and Crash Reporting

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; Raygun crash Reporting error data is retained for 180 days and Real User Monitoring sessions for only 60 days; longer retention is Enterprise only
  • They diverge on capability: Airbrake covers Error tracking, Raygun covers Crash reporting.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Airbrake and Raygun actually diverge.

Attributes where Airbrake and Raygun differ
AttributeAirbrakeRaygun
Founded20082011

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (usage-based), free tier (Yes), platforms (Web, Api), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

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 Raygun

  • Crash reporting
  • Real user monitoring
  • Performance tracking
  • Source maps

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

Raygun

  • Crash and error reporting for web, mobile and backend applicationsnot Airbrake
  • Real user monitoring of front end page load and session performancenot Airbrake
  • Application performance monitoring with request level tracesnot 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

Raygun

  • Crash Reporting error data is retained for 180 days and Real User Monitoring sessions for only 60 days; longer retention is Enterprise only
  • Crash Reporting, Real User Monitoring and APM are billed as three separate products, each metered on its own unit of errors, sessions or traces
  • A Real User Monitoring session ends after 30 minutes of inactivity, so a single visit spanning breaks is billed as several sessions
  • Usage beyond the plan allowance is billed on demand at $0.001 per error and $0.002 per session or trace
  • Enterprise plan pricing is custom with no published rate

Pricing, plan by plan

Airbrake

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

Raygun

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Crash reporting
    • Real user monitoring
    • Performance tracking

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 Raygun if

  • You need crash reporting.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Api.
  • You also want real user monitoring.
Raygun review

Questions people ask

Is Airbrake or Raygun better?
Neither clearly leads. Airbrake starts at Free and Raygun at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Airbrake or Raygun?
Airbrake starts at Free and Raygun at Free.
Does Airbrake or Raygun 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 Raygun is typically brought in for.
What can Airbrake do that Raygun cannot?
Airbrake covers Error tracking, Performance monitoring, Deploy tracking, Custom notifications. Raygun covers Crash reporting, Real user monitoring, Performance tracking, Source maps. Both handle API, Webhooks, REST, Web support.
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