Softwr

Logging · head to head

Checkmk vs Loki

Checkmk logo

Checkmk

Logging

Comprehensive IT monitoring, open and flexible

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Visit CheckmkFull review
Loki logo

Loki

Logging

Like Prometheus but for Logs

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Visit LokiFull review

The short version

  • Loki is free; Checkmk starts at €190/mo.
  • Where Checkmk falls short: pricing calculated by service count, not hosts (approximately 30 services per host on average).
  • Where Loki falls short: the Grafana Cloud free tier caps log ingestion at 50 GB a month with 14 day retention.
  • Prices and features on this page were last checked on 13 November 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Checkmk and Loki actually diverge.

Attributes where Checkmk and Loki differ
AttributeCheckmkLoki
Pricing modelSubscriptionOpen-source
PlatformsWebWeb, API

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), category (Logging).

Not yet recorded: founded for Checkmk.

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 Checkmk

Nothing recorded that Loki does not also cover.

Only in Loki

  • Log aggregation
  • Label-based indexing
  • Real-time log streaming
  • LogQL query language
  • API
  • Webhooks
  • REST
  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Checkmk

  • Infrastructure monitoringnot Loki
  • System observabilitynot Loki
  • Enterprise compliance monitoringnot Loki

Loki

  • Aggregating application and infrastructure logs with label based indexingnot Checkmk
  • Querying logs alongside metrics in Grafananot Checkmk

Where each one falls short

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

Checkmk

  • Pricing calculated by service count, not hosts (approximately 30 services per host on average)
  • Professional support limited to 8-10 hours per week on base plans
  • Synthetic monitoring is separate add-on with per-test pricing

Loki

  • The Grafana Cloud free tier caps log ingestion at 50 GB a month with 14 day retention
  • Paid log pricing is split across three separate meters, at $0.050 per GB processed, $0.400 per GB written and $0.100 per GB retained
  • Retaining logs is billed separately from ingesting them, so keeping data costs on an ongoing basis rather than once
  • The Pro plan carries a $19 a month platform fee before any usage charges

Pricing, plan by plan

Checkmk

Free
  • Community (Self-Hosted)Free
    • No cost, forever
    • Up to ~100 hosts
    • Basic infrastructure monitoring
  • Pro (Self-Hosted)€190/mo
    • Advanced analytics
    • Reporting
    • Distributed monitoring
  • Ultimate (Self-Hosted)€275/mo
    • Full-stack observability
    • Advanced security compliance
    • 10 hours x 5 days professional support (upgradable to 24/7)
  • CloudAI (SaaS)€240/mo
    • Fully managed cloud hosting
    • 99.5% uptime SLA
    • Supports up to 50000 services

Loki

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Log aggregation
    • Label-based indexing
    • Real-time log streaming

Which should you pick?

Choose Checkmk if

  • You want to start without paying.
Checkmk review

Choose Loki if

  • You need log aggregation.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, API.
  • You also want label-based indexing.
Loki review

Questions people ask

Is Checkmk or Loki better?
Neither clearly leads. Checkmk starts at Free and Loki at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Checkmk or Loki?
Checkmk starts at Free and Loki at Free.
Does Checkmk or Loki run on more platforms?
Checkmk runs on Web. Loki runs on Web, API.
Can I use Checkmk for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Checkmk best used for?
Checkmk is most often used for infrastructure monitoring, system observability, enterprise compliance monitoring. Of those, infrastructure monitoring and system observability are not what Loki is typically brought in for.
What can Checkmk do that Loki cannot?
Loki covers Log aggregation, Label-based indexing, Real-time log streaming, LogQL query language.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Checkmk: Is there a free version of Checkmk?

Yes, Checkmk Community edition is free forever and supports up to approximately 100 hosts for basic infrastructure monitoring with no cost.

Source
Loki: What does it cost to use Grafana Loki?

Loki is open source and free under the AGPLv3 license for self-hosted deployments. Grafana's managed Cloud Logs service includes a free tier up to 50GB of logs at no cost.

Source
Checkmk: How does Checkmk calculate pricing by host count?

Checkmk uses service-based pricing where each monitored aspect (file system, hardware sensor, switch port, metric) counts as one service. On average, there are approximately 30 services per host.

Source
Loki: Are there paid options for Loki beyond the free tier?

Yes. Grafana Cloud Logs offers paid tiers for teams and enterprises, and Enterprise Logs provides self-managed options with expert support for organizations with data localization or privacy requirements.

Source
Checkmk: What is the difference between Checkmk Pro and Ultimate tiers?

Pro tier at 190 EUR/month includes advanced analytics and 8x5 support, while Ultimate at 275 EUR/month adds full-stack observability, advanced compliance features, and upgradable 24/7 support.

Source
Loki: What license does open source Loki use?

Loki is released under the AGPLv3 license, which requires you to share modifications and publish your source code if you deploy modifications publicly.

Source
Checkmk: Does Checkmk offer a managed SaaS option?

Yes, Checkmk CloudAI is a fully managed SaaS tier at 240 EUR/month with 99.5% uptime SLA and support for up to 50000 services.

Source
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