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Logging · head to head

CloudWatch vs Sumo Logic

CloudWatch logo

CloudWatch

Logging

AWS Monitoring and Observability

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Sumo Logic logo

Sumo Logic

Logging

Cloud Monitoring, Logging, and Security Analytics

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

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; Sumo Logic neither the Essentials nor the Enterprise Suite package lists a price on the pricing page; both link to Contact Sales
  • They diverge on capability: CloudWatch covers Dashboards, Sumo Logic covers Real-time analytics.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which CloudWatch and Sumo Logic actually diverge.

Attributes where CloudWatch and Sumo Logic differ
AttributeCloudWatchSumo Logic
Founded20062010

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (usage-based), free tier (Yes), platforms (Web, Api), 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

  • Dashboards
  • Alarms and notifications

Only in Sumo Logic

  • Real-time analytics
  • Custom dashboards

Both cover

  • Metrics collection
  • 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 Sumo Logic
  • Alarming on thresholds across AWS servicesnot Sumo Logic
  • Querying logs with Logs Insightsnot Sumo Logic
  • Live tailing logs during an incidentnot Sumo Logic
  • Distributed tracing alongside X-Raynot Sumo Logic

Sumo Logic

  • Cloud-native log analytics across applications and infrastructurenot CloudWatch
  • Running a SIEM with MITRE ATT&CK mapped detections and UEBAnot CloudWatch
  • Compliance and audit readiness reporting from log datanot 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

Sumo Logic

  • Neither the Essentials nor the Enterprise Suite package lists a price on the pricing page; both link to Contact Sales
  • Quoted per GB figures assume an annual commitment, an average of 1 GB of log ingest per day and a US deployment region
  • Pricing varies by the AWS deployment region chosen, so the same volume costs differently in Dublin, Frankfurt, Sydney or Tokyo
  • Flex pricing bills per TB scanned rather than per GB ingested, so query activity drives the bill
  • Feature activation is subject to minimum volume, minimum user counts and service requirements confirmed at the time of the transaction
  • The API is limited to four calls per section, ten concurrent in-flight requests, and query processing times out after two minutes
  • Self-serve credit card purchase is capped at $25,000; larger purchases must go through sales or a reseller

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

Sumo Logic

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Log aggregation
    • Metrics collection
    • Real-time analytics

Which should you pick?

Choose CloudWatch if

  • You need dashboards.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Api.
  • You also want alarms and notifications.
CloudWatch review

Choose Sumo Logic if

  • You need real-time analytics.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Api.
  • You also want custom dashboards.
Sumo Logic review

Questions people ask

Is CloudWatch or Sumo Logic better?
Neither clearly leads. CloudWatch starts at Free and Sumo Logic at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, CloudWatch or Sumo Logic?
CloudWatch starts at Free and Sumo Logic at Free.
Does CloudWatch or Sumo Logic 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 Sumo Logic is typically brought in for.
What can CloudWatch do that Sumo Logic cannot?
CloudWatch covers Dashboards, Alarms and notifications. Sumo Logic covers Real-time analytics, Custom dashboards. Both handle Metrics collection, Log aggregation, API, Webhooks.

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
Sumo Logic: How much does Sumo Logic cost?

Sumo Logic does not publish specific pricing on its pricing page. Essentials plan is available via self-serve credit card for up to $25,000, with Enterprise Suite requiring sales contact for quotes.

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
Sumo Logic: How is Sumo Logic priced?

Sumo Logic uses a credit-based pricing model. Logs are measured by GB scanned during queries, metrics by Data Points per Minute, and traces up to 5GB per day on Essentials.

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
Sumo Logic: Is there a free trial?

Yes, Sumo Logic offers a 30-day free trial for the Essentials plan, which is available via self-serve credit card signup.

Source
Sumo Logic: What are the data retention limits?

The Essentials plan supports up to 365 days of log retention, 300 log monitors, 500 metric monitors, and 5GB per day trace storage.

Source
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