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Bugsnag vs Sentry

Bugsnag logo

Bugsnag

Software

Application Stability Monitoring

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Sentry logo

Sentry

Software

Application monitoring platform built by developers for developers

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Bugsnag owned by SmartBear rather than being independent; Sentry spending caps stop event ingestion when reached, eliminating visibility during critical moments
  • They diverge on capability: Bugsnag covers Crash reporting, Sentry covers Performance monitoring.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Bugsnag and Sentry actually diverge.

Attributes where Bugsnag and Sentry differ
AttributeBugsnagSentry
Pricing modelusage-basedUnknown
PlatformsWeb, ApiWeb, iOS, Android, React Native, Desktop, 30+ frameworks and languages
Founded20122011

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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
  • Trend analysis
  • API
  • Webhooks
  • REST
  • Web support
  • Api support

Only in Sentry

  • Performance monitoring
  • Real user monitoring
  • Alerting
  • Issue assignment
  • Breadcrumbs
  • Source maps
  • GitHub
  • GitLab

Both cover

  • Error tracking
  • Release tracking

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

Sentry

  • Error monitoringnot Bugsnag
  • Performance trackingnot Bugsnag
  • Debug production issuesnot Bugsnag
  • Release managementnot Bugsnag
  • User monitoringnot 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

Sentry

  • Spending caps stop event ingestion when reached, eliminating visibility during critical moments
  • Complex configuration required for filters, sampling rules, issue grouping, and alert policies
  • Difficult to configure custom alerts and alert content without creating email inbox bloat
  • Error grouping is imperfect with noise and filtering issues causing incorrect error prioritization
  • Weak for distributed tracing across microservices compared to dedicated APM tools
  • UI dashboard is less customizable than alternatives like Datadog APM for complex monitoring needs

Pricing, plan by plan

Bugsnag

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

Sentry

Free
  • Developer (Free)Free
    • 5K errors per month
    • 1 user seat
    • 30-day data retention
  • Team$26/month
    • 50K errors per month
    • 5M transaction spans
    • 90-day data retention
  • Business$80/month
    • Higher quotas
    • Extended retention
    • Advanced filtering
  • Organization$199/month
    • SSO integration
    • Audit logs
    • Advanced security

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 trend analysis.
Bugsnag review

Choose Sentry if

  • You need performance monitoring.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, React Native, Desktop, 30+ frameworks and languages.
  • You also want real user monitoring.
Sentry review

Questions people ask

Is Bugsnag or Sentry better?
Neither clearly leads. Bugsnag starts at Free and Sentry at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Bugsnag or Sentry?
Bugsnag starts at Free and Sentry at Free.
Does Bugsnag or Sentry run on more platforms?
Bugsnag runs on Web, Api. Sentry runs on Web, iOS, Android, React Native, Desktop, 30+ frameworks and languages.
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 Sentry is typically brought in for.
What can Bugsnag do that Sentry cannot?
Bugsnag covers Crash reporting, Trend analysis, API, Webhooks. Sentry covers Performance monitoring, Real user monitoring, Alerting, Issue assignment. Both handle Error tracking, Release tracking.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Sentry: Does Sentry have a free tier?

Yes. The free Developer tier includes 5,000 errors per month, one user seat, 30-day retention, and 50 session replays per month.

Source
Sentry: How much do Sentry's paid plans cost?

Team plan starts at $26/month (annual) or $29/month (monthly) with 50K errors and 5M spans included. Business plan is $80-89/month. Organization plans start at $199/month with SSO and advanced compliance features.

Source
Sentry: What programming languages does Sentry support?

Sentry supports over 30 languages and frameworks including JavaScript, Python, Go, Ruby, Java, .NET, PHP, Node.js, and mobile platforms including iOS, Android, and React Native.

Source
Sentry: Does Sentry support self-hosting?

Yes. Sentry can be self-hosted, and the open-source version is available for deployment in on-premises environments.

Source
Sentry: How does Sentry billing work if I exceed my quota?

Sentry offers spending caps that stop ingestion when reached, meaning you lose visibility exactly when you need it most. You can pre-purchase reserved capacity at 20% discount or pay per event on-demand when exceeding included allotment.

Source
Sentry: What integrations does Sentry support?

Sentry integrates with GitHub, GitLab, Jira, Slack, PagerDuty, most CI/CD pipelines, and many other developer tools.

Source
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