Software · head to head
Bugsnag vs Fluentd
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Bugsnag owned by SmartBear rather than being independent; Fluentd fluentd needs more than 60 MB of memory at runtime, against roughly 450 KB for Fluent Bit
- They diverge on capability: Bugsnag covers Error tracking, Fluentd covers Log collection.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Bugsnag and Fluentd actually diverge.
Identical on both: starting price (Free), 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
- Error tracking
- Crash reporting
- Release tracking
- Trend analysis
Only in Fluentd
- Log collection
- Data parsing
- Filtering and buffering
- Event routing
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.
Bugsnag
- Crash and error reporting for mobile and web applicationsnot Fluentd
- Stability scores per releasenot Fluentd
- Grouping errors by root cause across deploysnot Fluentd
- Alerting when a release regressesnot Fluentd
Fluentd
- Unified log collection and routing from many sources to many destinationsnot Bugsnag
- Parsing and transforming log records before forwardingnot Bugsnag
- Aggregating logs from containers into Elasticsearch, S3 or a SIEMnot 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
Fluentd
- Fluentd needs more than 60 MB of memory at runtime, against roughly 450 KB for Fluent Bit
- Fluentd is built as a Ruby gem and depends on other gems, so a Ruby runtime is required
- Its capability comes from over 1,000 external plugins rather than built in functionality, so each added input or output is a separate dependency
- The Fluent Bit documentation states that cloud providers have switched from Fluentd to Fluent Bit for performance and compatibility and calls Fluent Bit the next generation solution
Pricing, plan by plan
Bugsnag
Free- FreeFree
- Error tracking
- Crash reporting
- Release tracking
Fluentd
Free- FreeFree
- Log collection
- Data parsing
- Filtering and buffering
Which should you pick?
Choose Bugsnag if
- You need error tracking.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Api.
- You also want crash reporting.
Choose Fluentd if
- You need log collection.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Api.
- You also want data parsing.
Questions people ask
- Is Bugsnag or Fluentd better?
- Neither clearly leads. Bugsnag starts at Free and Fluentd at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Bugsnag or Fluentd?
- Bugsnag starts at Free and Fluentd at Free.
- Does Bugsnag or Fluentd 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 Fluentd is typically brought in for.
- What can Bugsnag do that Fluentd cannot?
- Bugsnag covers Error tracking, Crash reporting, Release tracking, Trend analysis. Fluentd covers Log collection, Data parsing, Filtering and buffering, Event routing. Both handle API, Webhooks, REST, Web support.