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Bugsnag vs Airbrake

Bugsnag logo

Bugsnag

Software

Application Stability Monitoring

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Airbrake logo

Airbrake

Software

Error Tracking and Performance Monitoring

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Bugsnag owned by SmartBear rather than being independent; Airbrake data retention is 30 days on every plan, including the $799 a month Business tier
  • They diverge on capability: Bugsnag covers Crash reporting, Airbrake covers Performance monitoring.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Bugsnag and Airbrake actually diverge.

Attributes where Bugsnag and Airbrake differ
AttributeBugsnagAirbrake
Founded20122008

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 Bugsnag

  • Crash reporting
  • Release tracking
  • Trend analysis

Only in Airbrake

  • Performance monitoring
  • Deploy tracking
  • Custom notifications

Both cover

  • Error tracking
  • API
  • Webhooks
  • REST
  • Web support
  • Api support

What people use each for

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

Bugsnag

  • Crash and error reporting for mobile and web applicationsnot Airbrake
  • Stability scores per releasenot Airbrake
  • Grouping errors by root cause across deploysnot Airbrake
  • Alerting when a release regressesnot Airbrake

Airbrake

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

Where each one falls short

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

Bugsnag

  • Owned by SmartBear rather than being independent
  • The free tier covers 7,500 events a month
  • Paid tiers are usage-priced by event volume rather than by seat, so a noisy release raises the bill
  • Enterprise pricing is quote-only

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

Pricing, plan by plan

Bugsnag

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Error tracking
    • Crash reporting
    • Release tracking

Airbrake

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

Which should you pick?

Choose Bugsnag if

  • You need crash reporting.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Api.
  • You also want release tracking.
Bugsnag review

Choose Airbrake if

  • You need performance monitoring.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Api.
  • You also want deploy tracking.
Airbrake review

Questions people ask

Is Bugsnag or Airbrake better?
Neither clearly leads. Bugsnag starts at Free and Airbrake at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Bugsnag or Airbrake?
Bugsnag starts at Free and Airbrake at Free.
Does Bugsnag or Airbrake run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, Api, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Bugsnag for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Bugsnag best used for?
Bugsnag is most often used for crash and error reporting for mobile and web applications, stability scores per release, grouping errors by root cause across deploys, alerting when a release regresses. Of those, crash and error reporting for mobile and web applications and stability scores per release are not what Airbrake is typically brought in for.
What can Bugsnag do that Airbrake cannot?
Bugsnag covers Crash reporting, Release tracking, Trend analysis. Airbrake covers Performance monitoring, Deploy tracking, Custom notifications. Both handle Error tracking, API, Webhooks, REST.
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