Softwr

Logging · head to head

Airbrake vs Timber

Airbrake logo

Airbrake

Logging

Error Tracking and Performance Monitoring

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Timber logo

Timber

Logging

Structured Logging as a Service

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; Timber vector requires manual deployment and configuration for production use
  • They diverge on capability: Airbrake covers Error tracking, Timber covers Structured logging.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Airbrake and Timber actually diverge.

Attributes where Airbrake and Timber differ
AttributeAirbrakeTimber
Pricing modelsubscriptionusage-based
Founded20082016

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

Only in Timber

  • Structured logging
  • Context integration
  • Real-time tail
  • Archive storage

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

Timber

  • Building observability pipelines for log aggregationnot Airbrake
  • Real-time data processing and transformationnot Airbrake
  • Integrating multiple data sources into centralized systemsnot 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

Timber

  • Vector requires manual deployment and configuration for production use
  • No hosted SaaS version available
  • Limited GUI tools for pipeline management

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

Timber

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Structured logging
    • Context integration
    • Real-time tail

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 Timber if

  • You need structured logging.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Api.
  • You also want context integration.
Timber review

Questions people ask

Is Airbrake or Timber better?
Neither clearly leads. Airbrake starts at Free and Timber at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Airbrake or Timber?
Airbrake starts at Free and Timber at Free.
Does Airbrake or Timber 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 Timber is typically brought in for.
What can Airbrake do that Timber cannot?
Airbrake covers Error tracking, Performance monitoring, Deploy tracking, Custom notifications. Timber covers Structured logging, Context integration, Real-time tail, Archive storage. Both handle API, Webhooks, REST, Web support.

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
Timber: Is Timber/Vector free to use?

Yes, Vector is open-source software with no licensing costs. You deploy it yourself with no dependencies or runtime fees, though infrastructure hosting costs apply depending on your deployment.

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
Timber: Does Vector offer enterprise support?

The website focuses on self-hosted deployment without mentioning commercial support tiers, suggesting enterprise support may require community resources or custom arrangements.

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
Share

Related pages

More on Airbrake

More on Timber

Keep looking

Other head to heads