Software · head to head
CloudWatch vs Airbrake
The short version
- Each has a real cost: CloudWatch the free tier covers 5 GB of log ingestion and 10 custom metrics a month, after which log ingestion is $0.50 per GB from 5 to 30 GB; Airbrake data retention is 30 days on every plan, including the $799 a month Business tier
- They diverge on capability: CloudWatch covers Metrics collection, Airbrake covers Error tracking.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which CloudWatch and Airbrake actually diverge.
| Attribute | CloudWatch | Airbrake |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 2006 | 2008 |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (usage-based), 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 CloudWatch
- Metrics collection
- Log aggregation
- Dashboards
- Alarms and notifications
Only in Airbrake
- Error tracking
- Performance monitoring
- Deploy tracking
- Custom notifications
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.
CloudWatch
- Metrics and log collection for AWS workloadsnot Airbrake
- Alarming on thresholds across AWS servicesnot Airbrake
- Querying logs with Logs Insightsnot Airbrake
- Live tailing logs during an incidentnot Airbrake
- Distributed tracing alongside X-Raynot Airbrake
Airbrake
- Error and exception monitoring for web applicationsnot CloudWatch
- Performance monitoring alongside error trackingnot CloudWatch
- Alerting a team when a deploy introduces a spike in errorsnot CloudWatch
- Tracking errors across multiple projects in one accountnot CloudWatch
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
CloudWatch
- The free tier covers 5 GB of log ingestion and 10 custom metrics a month, after which log ingestion is $0.50 per GB from 5 to 30 GB
- Custom metrics are $0.30 each for the first 10,000, so instrumenting broadly gets expensive before volume discounts apply
- Each custom dashboard beyond the free three is $3 a month
- Alarms are billed at $0.10 per alarm metric a month, with high-resolution alarms costing more
- Log storage beyond the free 5 GB is $0.03 per GB per month on top of the ingestion charge
Airbrake
- Data retention is 30 days on every plan, including the $799 a month Business tier
- The entry plan at $19 a month covers 25,000 errors and 7,500 events
- Errors beyond the plan quota are billed on demand
- Audit logs and spike forgiveness require the Pro tier
- The lowest tier is limited to 1 user and 1 team
Pricing, plan by plan
CloudWatch
Free- FreeFree
- Metrics collection
- Log aggregation
- Dashboards
Airbrake
Free- FreeFree
- Error tracking
- Performance monitoring
- Deploy tracking
Which should you pick?
Choose CloudWatch if
- You need metrics collection.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Api.
- You also want log aggregation.
Choose Airbrake if
- You need error tracking.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Api.
- You also want performance monitoring.
Questions people ask
- Is CloudWatch or Airbrake better?
- Neither clearly leads. CloudWatch starts at Free and Airbrake at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, CloudWatch or Airbrake?
- CloudWatch starts at Free and Airbrake at Free.
- Does CloudWatch or Airbrake run on more platforms?
- Both run on Web, Api, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
- Can I use CloudWatch for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is CloudWatch best used for?
- CloudWatch is most often used for metrics and log collection for aws workloads, alarming on thresholds across aws services, querying logs with logs insights, live tailing logs during an incident. Of those, metrics and log collection for aws workloads and alarming on thresholds across aws services are not what Airbrake is typically brought in for.
- What can CloudWatch do that Airbrake cannot?
- CloudWatch covers Metrics collection, Log aggregation, Dashboards, Alarms and notifications. Airbrake covers Error tracking, Performance monitoring, Deploy tracking, Custom notifications. Both handle API, Webhooks, REST, Web support.