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Dynatrace Logs vs Grafana Loki

Dynatrace Logs logo

Dynatrace Logs

Software

Intelligent Log Analytics and Management

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Grafana Loki logo

Grafana Loki

Software

Log Aggregation for Grafana Stack

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Dynatrace Logs log ingest and processing is billed at $0.20 per GiB, separately from retention and from query; Grafana Loki grafana Cloud Logs Pro plan includes only 30-day retention; retention beyond 30 days requires Enterprise plan with minimum $25,000 annual commitment
  • They diverge on capability: Dynatrace Logs covers Log analysis, Grafana Loki covers Log aggregation.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Dynatrace Logs and Grafana Loki actually diverge.

Attributes where Dynatrace Logs and Grafana Loki differ
AttributeDynatrace LogsGrafana Loki
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
PlatformsWeb, ApiSelf-hosted (open source), Managed (Grafana Cloud Logs), Enterprise (self-managed with support)
Founded20052014

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 Dynatrace Logs

  • Log analysis
  • AI-powered insights
  • Metrics integration
  • Automated root cause

Only in Grafana Loki

  • Log aggregation
  • Label-based indexing
  • LogQL language
  • Cost-effective

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.

Dynatrace Logs

  • Ingesting and processing application and infrastructure logsnot Grafana Loki
  • Querying logs alongside traces and metrics in one platformnot Grafana Loki
  • Log driven alerting within an existing Dynatrace deploymentnot Grafana Loki

Grafana Loki

  • Cost-sensitive organisations deploying Kubernetes and Prometheus ecosystemsnot Dynatrace Logs
  • Teams needing index-free log aggregation for high-volume environmentsnot Dynatrace Logs

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Dynatrace Logs

  • Log ingest and processing is billed at $0.20 per GiB, separately from retention and from query
  • Querying logs is charged in addition to ingest, either pay per query or as bundled queries
  • Log analytics requires the same annual platform commitment as the rest of the Dynatrace platform

Grafana Loki

  • Grafana Cloud Logs Pro plan includes only 30-day retention; retention beyond 30 days requires Enterprise plan with minimum $25,000 annual commitment
  • Open-source version requires self-hosting all infrastructure including storage and scaling

Pricing, plan by plan

Dynatrace Logs

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Log analysis
    • AI-powered insights
    • Metrics integration

Grafana Loki

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Grafana Loki review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Dynatrace Logs if

  • You need log analysis.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Api.
  • You also want ai-powered insights.
Dynatrace Logs review

Choose Grafana Loki if

  • You need log aggregation.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Self-hosted (open source), Managed (Grafana Cloud Logs), Enterprise (self-managed with support).
  • You also want label-based indexing.
Grafana Loki review

Questions people ask

Is Dynatrace Logs or Grafana Loki better?
Neither clearly leads. Dynatrace Logs starts at Free and Grafana Loki at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Dynatrace Logs or Grafana Loki?
Dynatrace Logs starts at Free and Grafana Loki at Free.
Does Dynatrace Logs or Grafana Loki run on more platforms?
Dynatrace Logs runs on Web, Api. Grafana Loki runs on Self-hosted (open source), Managed (Grafana Cloud Logs), Enterprise (self-managed with support).
Can I use Dynatrace Logs for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Dynatrace Logs best used for?
Dynatrace Logs is most often used for ingesting and processing application and infrastructure logs, querying logs alongside traces and metrics in one platform, log driven alerting within an existing dynatrace deployment. Of those, ingesting and processing application and infrastructure logs and querying logs alongside traces and metrics in one platform are not what Grafana Loki is typically brought in for.
What can Dynatrace Logs do that Grafana Loki cannot?
Dynatrace Logs covers Log analysis, AI-powered insights, Metrics integration, Automated root cause. Grafana Loki covers Log aggregation, Label-based indexing, LogQL language, Cost-effective. Both handle API, Webhooks, REST, Web support.
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