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Logging · head to head

CloudWatch vs Honeycomb

CloudWatch logo

CloudWatch

Logging

AWS Monitoring and Observability

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Visit CloudWatchFull review
Honeycomb logo

Honeycomb

Logging

Observability that's actually useful

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Visit HoneycombFull review

The short version

  • CloudWatch is free; Honeycomb starts at $150/mo.
  • Where CloudWatch falls short: 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.
  • Where Honeycomb falls short: free tier caps at 20 million events per month and 100 million metrics data points.
  • Prices and features on this page were last checked on 13 November 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which CloudWatch and Honeycomb actually diverge.

Attributes where CloudWatch and Honeycomb differ
AttributeCloudWatchHoneycomb
Pricing modelUsage-basedFreemium
PlatformsWeb, APIWeb

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

Not yet recorded: founded for Honeycomb.

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
  • API
  • Webhooks
  • REST
  • Web support

Only in Honeycomb

Nothing recorded that CloudWatch does not also cover.

What people use each for

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

CloudWatch

  • Metrics and log collection for AWS workloadsnot Honeycomb
  • Alarming on thresholds across AWS servicesnot Honeycomb
  • Querying logs with Logs Insightsnot Honeycomb
  • Live tailing logs during an incidentnot Honeycomb
  • Distributed tracing alongside X-Raynot Honeycomb

Honeycomb

  • Tracing requests through distributed microservicesnot CloudWatch
  • Observing AI agent behavior in productionnot CloudWatch
  • Debugging cloud migrations in real-timenot CloudWatch
  • Monitoring Kubernetes across multiple cloudsnot 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

Honeycomb

  • Free tier caps at 20 million events per month and 100 million metrics data points
  • Pro tier starts at $150 per month for only 50 million events, with cost scaling per additional event block up to its 750 million event ceiling
  • Enterprise tier's event and data point volumes are variable and its price is custom, requiring direct sales contact
  • Telemetry Pipeline is billed separately at $0.10 per GB on top of the base plan price

Pricing, plan by plan

CloudWatch

Free
  • Pay-as-you-goFree
    • Logs ingestion: $0.50/GB (first 5GB free), down to $0.05/GB at scale
    • Logs storage: $0.03/GB/month
    • Live Tail: $0.01/minute after 1,800 free minutes
  • Free tierFree
    • 5GB logs ingestion per month
    • 10 custom metrics
    • 3 custom dashboards

Honeycomb

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 20M events per month
    • 100M metrics data points per month
    • 2 Triggers
  • Pro$150/mo
    • 750M events per month
    • 3.75B metrics data points per month
    • 100 Triggers

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.
CloudWatch review

Choose Honeycomb if

  • You want to start without paying.
Honeycomb review

Questions people ask

Is CloudWatch or Honeycomb better?
Neither clearly leads. CloudWatch starts at Free and Honeycomb at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, CloudWatch or Honeycomb?
CloudWatch starts at Free and Honeycomb at Free.
Does CloudWatch or Honeycomb run on more platforms?
CloudWatch runs on Web, API. Honeycomb runs on Web.
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 Honeycomb is typically brought in for.
What can CloudWatch do that Honeycomb cannot?
CloudWatch covers Metrics collection, Log aggregation, Dashboards, Alarms and notifications.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

CloudWatch: How much does Amazon CloudWatch cost?

CloudWatch uses pay-as-you-go pricing with no upfront commitment. Logs ingestion costs $0.50/GB (first 5GB free), logs storage is $0.03/GB/month, custom metrics cost $0.30/metric/month (first 10,000), custom dashboards are $3/month, and standard alarms are $0.10/metric/month.

Source
Honeycomb: Is Honeycomb free forever?

Honeycomb offers a free plan forever with up to 20M events per month and 100M metrics data points per month, best for testing and individual projects.

Source
CloudWatch: Does CloudWatch offer a free tier?

Yes, CloudWatch free tier includes 5GB logs ingestion, 10 custom metrics, 3 custom dashboards, and 10 alarm metrics per month at no charge. Usage beyond these limits incurs pay-as-you-go fees.

Source
Honeycomb: What is the cost of Honeycomb's Telemetry Pipeline?

Honeycomb's Telemetry Pipeline starts at $0.10 per GB, with monthly or annual billing options available.

Source
CloudWatch: What are CloudWatch's pricing tiers for high-volume usage?

CloudWatch offers tiered pricing with volume discounts: logs ingestion starts at $0.50/GB and decreases to $0.05/GB at higher volumes; custom metrics start at $0.30/metric/month and decline to $0.05 at higher volumes; Application Signals cost $1.50 per million traces initially, declining to $0.30.

Source
Honeycomb: Can I get custom Honeycomb pricing?

Yes, Honeycomb offers Enterprise plans with custom pricing and a base allowance starting at 10 billion events per year with dedicated support.

Source
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