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Cloud & Infrastructure · head to head

AWS (Amazon Web Services) vs Splunk

AWS (Amazon Web Services) logo

AWS (Amazon Web Services)

Cloud & Infrastructure

The leading cloud computing platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Splunk logo

Splunk

Network & Connectivity

Turn Data Into Doing

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: AWS (Amazon Web Services) data transfer in is free and data transfer out is charged, which is the standard source of unexpected bills; Splunk no prices are published on any plan; every model requires contacting sales for an estimate
  • They diverge on capability: AWS (Amazon Web Services) covers EC2 - Virtual Servers, Splunk covers Log aggregation.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which AWS (Amazon Web Services) and Splunk actually diverge.

Attributes where AWS (Amazon Web Services) and Splunk differ
AttributeAWS (Amazon Web Services)Splunk
PlatformsWeb, Api, Cli, MobileWeb, Api
CategoryCloud & InfrastructureNetwork & Connectivity
Founded20062003

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (usage-based), 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 AWS (Amazon Web Services)

  • EC2 - Virtual Servers
  • S3 - Object Storage
  • RDS - Managed Database
  • Lambda - Serverless Computing
  • CloudFront - CDN
  • VPC - Virtual Network
  • IAM - Access Management
  • CloudWatch - Monitoring

Only in Splunk

  • Log aggregation
  • Real-time monitoring
  • Data visualization
  • Full-text search
  • Custom dashboards
  • Alert management
  • Anomaly detection
  • Log parsing

What people use each for

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

AWS (Amazon Web Services)

  • Web hostingnot Splunk
  • Data storagenot Splunk
  • Machine learningnot Splunk
  • Big data analyticsnot Splunk
  • Application developmentnot Splunk

Splunk

  • Log search and analysis across infrastructurenot AWS (Amazon Web Services)
  • SIEM, SOAR and UEBA for a security operations teamnot AWS (Amazon Web Services)
  • Application performance and infrastructure monitoringnot AWS (Amazon Web Services)
  • Cloud, private cloud or on-premises deploymentnot AWS (Amazon Web Services)

Where each one falls short

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

AWS (Amazon Web Services)

  • Data transfer in is free and data transfer out is charged, which is the standard source of unexpected bills
  • Discounts require one or three year Savings Plan commitments rather than being automatic
  • Every service is priced separately, so a working architecture has no single published cost
  • The free tier is a promotional allowance rather than an ongoing free plan

Splunk

  • No prices are published on any plan; every model requires contacting sales for an estimate
  • Three separate pricing models, workload, ingest and entity, so the same deployment costs different amounts depending on which was signed
  • Ingest pricing bills on data volume, so cost tracks how much you log rather than how much value you get from it
  • Security, observability and platform are priced separately

Pricing, plan by plan

AWS (Amazon Web Services)

Free
  • AWS Free TierFree
    • EC2 750 hours/month
    • 5GB S3 storage
    • 20GB data transfer
  • Pay-As-You-GoFree
    • No upfront payment
    • No long-term commitments
    • Pay only for what you use

Splunk

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Log aggregation
    • Real-time monitoring
    • Data visualization

Which should you pick?

Choose AWS (Amazon Web Services) if

  • You need ec2 - virtual servers.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Api, Cli, Mobile.
  • You also want s3 - object storage.
AWS (Amazon Web Services) review

Choose Splunk if

  • You need log aggregation.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Api.
  • You also want real-time monitoring.
Splunk review

Questions people ask

Is AWS (Amazon Web Services) or Splunk better?
Neither clearly leads. AWS (Amazon Web Services) starts at Free and Splunk at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, AWS (Amazon Web Services) or Splunk?
AWS (Amazon Web Services) starts at Free and Splunk at Free.
Does AWS (Amazon Web Services) or Splunk run on more platforms?
AWS (Amazon Web Services) runs on Web, Api, Cli, Mobile. Splunk runs on Web, Api.
Can I use AWS (Amazon Web Services) for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is AWS (Amazon Web Services) best used for?
AWS (Amazon Web Services) is most often used for web hosting, data storage, machine learning, big data analytics. Of those, web hosting and data storage are not what Splunk is typically brought in for.
What can AWS (Amazon Web Services) do that Splunk cannot?
AWS (Amazon Web Services) covers EC2 - Virtual Servers, S3 - Object Storage, RDS - Managed Database, Lambda - Serverless Computing. Splunk covers Log aggregation, Real-time monitoring, Data visualization, Full-text search.
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