Software · head to head
CloudWatch vs Rollbar
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; Rollbar the free plan allows 5,000 occurrences a month with 30 day retention
- They diverge on capability: CloudWatch covers Metrics collection, Rollbar covers Error tracking.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which CloudWatch and Rollbar actually diverge.
| Attribute | CloudWatch | Rollbar |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 2006 | 2012 |
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 Rollbar
- Error tracking
- Real-time alerts
- Error grouping
- Source maps
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 Rollbar
- Alarming on thresholds across AWS servicesnot Rollbar
- Querying logs with Logs Insightsnot Rollbar
- Live tailing logs during an incidentnot Rollbar
- Distributed tracing alongside X-Raynot Rollbar
Rollbar
- Tracking application errors and exceptions across deploymentsnot CloudWatch
- Grouping and alerting on production error occurrencesnot 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
Rollbar
- The free plan allows 5,000 occurrences a month with 30 day retention
- Retention is a paid ladder rather than a setting, at up to 90 days on Essentials and up to 180 on Advanced
- Advanced alerting, the RQL analytics query language and SCIM provisioning are excluded from the free plan
- Enterprise requires a $4M annual plan minimum
- No price is published for Essentials or Advanced, so only the free tier has a visible cost
Pricing, plan by plan
CloudWatch
Free- FreeFree
- Metrics collection
- Log aggregation
- Dashboards
Rollbar
Free- FreeFree
- Error tracking
- Real-time alerts
- Error grouping
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 Rollbar if
- You need error tracking.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Api.
- You also want real-time alerts.
Questions people ask
- Is CloudWatch or Rollbar better?
- Neither clearly leads. CloudWatch starts at Free and Rollbar at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, CloudWatch or Rollbar?
- CloudWatch starts at Free and Rollbar at Free.
- Does CloudWatch or Rollbar 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 Rollbar is typically brought in for.
- What can CloudWatch do that Rollbar cannot?
- CloudWatch covers Metrics collection, Log aggregation, Dashboards, Alarms and notifications. Rollbar covers Error tracking, Real-time alerts, Error grouping, Source maps. Both handle API, Webhooks, REST, Web support.