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Software · head to head

Checkmk vs Sentry

Checkmk logo

Checkmk

Software

Comprehensive IT monitoring, open and flexible

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Sentry logo

Sentry

Software

Application monitoring platform built by developers for developers

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Sentry has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Checkmk pricing is metered per service (each individual metric or sensor monitored) rather than per host, so cost scales with monitoring depth, not just server count; Sentry spending caps stop event ingestion when reached, eliminating visibility during critical moments

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Checkmk and Sentry actually diverge.

Attributes where Checkmk and Sentry differ
AttributeCheckmkSentry
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWebWeb, iOS, Android, React Native, Desktop, 30+ frameworks and languages
FoundedUnknown2011

Identical on both: 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 Checkmk

Nothing recorded that Sentry does not also cover.

Only in Sentry

  • Error tracking
  • Performance monitoring
  • Release tracking
  • Real user monitoring
  • Alerting
  • Issue assignment
  • Breadcrumbs
  • Source maps

What people use each for

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

Checkmk

No use cases recorded yet. See the Checkmk review.

Sentry

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

Where each one falls short

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

Checkmk

  • Pricing is metered per service (each individual metric or sensor monitored) rather than per host, so cost scales with monitoring depth, not just server count
  • Pro edition starts at 190 euro per month billed annually, and Ultimate at 275 euro per month billed annually; prices are published in euros only
  • The CloudAI SaaS edition is capped at 50,000 services even though self-hosted Pro and Ultimate scale to over 100,000 hosts

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

Checkmk

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Checkmk review.

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 Checkmk if

Nothing in the data separates Checkmk from Sentry on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

Checkmk review

Choose Sentry if

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

Questions people ask

Is Checkmk or Sentry better?
Neither clearly leads. Checkmk starts at On request and Sentry at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Checkmk or Sentry?
Sentry has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Checkmk and Free for Sentry.
Does Checkmk or Sentry run on more platforms?
Checkmk runs on Web. Sentry runs on Web, iOS, Android, React Native, Desktop, 30+ frameworks and languages.
Can I use Sentry for free?
Yes. Sentry has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Checkmk starts at On request.
What can Checkmk do that Sentry cannot?
Sentry covers Error tracking, Performance monitoring, Release tracking, Real user monitoring.

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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Related pages

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