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Bugsnag vs Retrace

Bugsnag logo

Bugsnag

Software

Application Stability Monitoring

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Retrace logo

Retrace

Software

Application Performance Monitoring and Logs

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Bugsnag owned by SmartBear rather than being independent; Retrace end of Life scheduled for March 31, 2027; the product is being discontinued
  • They diverge on capability: Bugsnag covers Error tracking, Retrace covers Log management.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Bugsnag and Retrace actually diverge.

Attributes where Bugsnag and Retrace differ
AttributeBugsnagRetrace
Pricing modelusage-basedsubscription
PlatformsWeb, ApiWeb, .NET, Java, PHP, Node.js, Python

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown), founded (2012).

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 Retrace

  • Log management
  • Application performance tracking
  • Error detection
  • Code profiling
  • Performance baselines

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 Retrace
  • Stability scores per releasenot Retrace
  • Grouping errors by root cause across deploysnot Retrace
  • Alerting when a release regressesnot Retrace

Retrace

  • Log monitoringnot Bugsnag
  • Application performancenot Bugsnag
  • Security analyticsnot Bugsnag
  • Troubleshootingnot 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

Retrace

  • End of Life scheduled for March 31, 2027; the product is being discontinued
  • Costs escalate quickly with per-server billing model, expensive at scale
  • User interface and dashboard criticisms; UI is outdated and difficult to use
  • Logging latency; logs can take time to appear and are not instant
  • Less mature support for Node.js, Python, and newer ecosystems
  • Reporting issues where process restarts provide only timeline without root cause data
  • Reliability concerns; monitoring has stopped collecting traces with no warning

Pricing, plan by plan

Bugsnag

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

Retrace

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Log management
    • Application performance tracking
    • Error detection

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.
Bugsnag review

Choose Retrace if

  • You need log management.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, .NET, Java, PHP, Node.js, Python.
  • You also want application performance tracking.
Retrace review

Questions people ask

Is Bugsnag or Retrace better?
Neither clearly leads. Bugsnag starts at Free and Retrace at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Bugsnag or Retrace?
Bugsnag starts at Free and Retrace at Free.
Does Bugsnag or Retrace run on more platforms?
Bugsnag runs on Web, Api. Retrace runs on Web, .NET, Java, PHP, Node.js, Python.
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 Retrace is typically brought in for.
What can Bugsnag do that Retrace cannot?
Bugsnag covers Error tracking, Crash reporting, Release tracking, Trend analysis. Retrace covers Log management, Application performance tracking, Error detection, Code profiling. Both handle API, Webhooks, REST, Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Retrace: What does Retrace monitor?

Retrace provides application performance monitoring (APM), centralized log management, error tracking, code profiling, and real user monitoring (RUM). It aggregates logs from applications and servers in one place.

Source
Retrace: What programming languages does Retrace support?

Retrace supports .NET, .NET Core, PHP, Node.js, Ruby, Python, and Java applications. Support for Node.js, Python, and newer ecosystems is noted as less mature.

Source
Retrace: Is Retrace being discontinued?

Yes. Retrace will reach End of Life on March 31, 2027. Users should plan to migrate to alternative solutions.

Source
Retrace: What databases and services does Retrace integrate with?

Retrace supports SQL Server, Oracle, PostgreSQL, MySQL, Redis, MongoDB, Elasticsearch, and cloud platforms like AWS and Azure.

Source
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