Softwr

Logging · head to head

CloudWatch vs Logz.io

CloudWatch logo

CloudWatch

Logging

AWS Monitoring and Observability

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Logz.io logo

Logz.io

Logging

AI-Powered Log Analytics and Monitoring Platform

From
$99/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only CloudWatch has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • 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; Logz.io saaS-only with no self-hosting option
  • They diverge on capability: CloudWatch covers Metrics collection, Logz.io covers AI-powered insights.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 2 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which CloudWatch and Logz.io actually diverge.

Attributes where CloudWatch and Logz.io differ
AttributeCloudWatchLogz.io
Starting priceFree$99/month
Pricing modelusage-basedUnknown
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, ApiCloud (SaaS), Web
Founded20062014

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Logging).

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
  • Dashboards
  • Alarms and notifications

Only in Logz.io

  • AI-powered insights
  • Elasticsearch integration
  • Alert management
  • Security analytics

Both cover

  • Log aggregation
  • 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 Logz.io
  • Alarming on thresholds across AWS servicesnot Logz.io
  • Querying logs with Logs Insightsnot Logz.io
  • Live tailing logs during an incidentnot Logz.io
  • Distributed tracing alongside X-Raynot Logz.io

Logz.io

  • Log monitoringnot CloudWatch
  • Application performancenot CloudWatch
  • Security analyticsnot CloudWatch
  • Troubleshootingnot 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

Logz.io

  • SaaS-only with no self-hosting option
  • High pricing for long data retention periods, with steep cost increases for larger data volumes
  • UI can take up to 10 seconds to load
  • Geo-location data is old and inaccurate
  • Expensive for smaller companies with limited log volumes
  • Data retention limitations at 14 days may not meet compliance requirements

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

Logz.io

$99/month
  • Pro$99/month
    • Log management
    • Real-time search
    • Basic alerts
  • Enterprise$undefined/mo
    • All Pro features
    • Advanced security
    • Dedicated support

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 dashboards.
CloudWatch review

Choose Logz.io if

  • You need ai-powered insights.
  • You work on Cloud (SaaS), Web.
  • You also want elasticsearch integration.
Logz.io review

Questions people ask

Is CloudWatch or Logz.io better?
Neither clearly leads. CloudWatch starts at Free and Logz.io at $99/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, CloudWatch or Logz.io?
CloudWatch has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for CloudWatch and $99/month for Logz.io.
Does CloudWatch or Logz.io run on more platforms?
CloudWatch runs on Web, Api. Logz.io runs on Cloud (SaaS), Web.
Can I use CloudWatch for free?
Yes. CloudWatch has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Logz.io starts at $99/month.
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 Logz.io is typically brought in for.
What can CloudWatch do that Logz.io cannot?
CloudWatch covers Metrics collection, Dashboards, Alarms and notifications. Logz.io covers AI-powered insights, Elasticsearch integration, Alert management, Security analytics. Both handle Log aggregation, API, Webhooks, REST.

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
Logz.io: Does Logz.io support self-hosting?

No. Logz.io is a fully SaaS platform with no self-hosting option, limiting flexibility for organizations with on-premises requirements or specific data residency needs.

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
Logz.io: Is Logz.io based on open-source ELK Stack?

Logz.io is built on the ELK Stack (Elasticsearch, Logstash, Kibana) but uses managed hosting. Note that Elasticsearch and Kibana switched to non-open-source licenses (SSPL) in February 2021, which may have legal implications.

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
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