Logging · head to head
Elastic APM vs Raygun
The short version
- Only Elastic APM has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Elastic APM pricing is not published on the product page; cost follows the underlying Elastic deployment rather than being quoted per host or per service; Raygun crash Reporting error data is retained for 180 days and Real User Monitoring sessions for only 60 days; longer retention is Enterprise only
- They diverge on capability: Elastic APM covers Performance monitoring, Raygun covers Crash reporting.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Elastic APM and Raygun actually diverge.
| Attribute | Elastic APM | Raygun |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free | $40/month |
| Pricing model | open-source | usage-based |
| Free tier | Yes | No |
Identical on both: platforms (Web, Api), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Logging), founded (2011).
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 Elastic APM
- Performance monitoring
- Error tracking
- Transaction tracing
- Custom metrics
Only in Raygun
- Crash reporting
- Real user monitoring
- Performance tracking
- 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.
Elastic APM
- Distributed tracing across microservicesnot Raygun
- Auto-instrumenting Java, .NET, Python, Go, Node.js, Ruby, PHP and C++ servicesnot Raygun
- OpenTelemetry-native collection through the Elastic distributionsnot Raygun
- Correlating latency and errors with machine learningnot Raygun
- Monitoring LLM calls alongside application tracesnot Raygun
Raygun
- Crash and error reporting for web, mobile and backend applicationsnot Elastic APM
- Real user monitoring of front end page load and session performancenot Elastic APM
- Application performance monitoring with request level tracesnot Elastic APM
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Elastic APM
- Pricing is not published on the product page; cost follows the underlying Elastic deployment rather than being quoted per host or per service
- Self-managed deployment means running and scaling Elasticsearch yourself
- Serverless does not carry every capability the hosted option does
Raygun
- Crash Reporting error data is retained for 180 days and Real User Monitoring sessions for only 60 days; longer retention is Enterprise only
- Crash Reporting, Real User Monitoring and APM are billed as three separate products, each metered on its own unit of errors, sessions or traces
- A Real User Monitoring session ends after 30 minutes of inactivity, so a single visit spanning breaks is billed as several sessions
- Usage beyond the plan allowance is billed on demand at $0.001 per error and $0.002 per session or trace
- Enterprise plan pricing is custom with no published rate
Pricing, plan by plan
Elastic APM
Free- FreeFree
- Performance monitoring
- Error tracking
- Transaction tracing
Raygun
$40/month- Basic$40/month
- Core monitoring, unlimited apps and members
- Basic alerts, deployment tracking
- Annual billing saves 33%
- Team$80/month
- Inbound filters and third-party integrations
- Unlimited dashboards and user roles
- Marked as MOST POPULAR plan
- Business$400/month
- SAML SSO and dedicated account manager
- Priority support and quarterly reviews
- Annual billing saves 33%
- Enterprise$undefined/mo
- Custom pricing and compliance requirements
- Unlimited reports and SLA agreements
- Private Slack support
Which should you pick?
Choose Elastic APM if
- You need performance monitoring.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Api.
- You also want error tracking.
Choose Raygun if
- You need crash reporting.
- You work on Web, Api.
- You also want real user monitoring.
Questions people ask
- Is Elastic APM or Raygun better?
- Neither clearly leads. Elastic APM starts at Free and Raygun at $40/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Elastic APM or Raygun?
- Elastic APM has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Elastic APM and $40/month for Raygun.
- Does Elastic APM or Raygun run on more platforms?
- Both run on Web, Api, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
- Can I use Elastic APM for free?
- Yes. Elastic APM has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Raygun starts at $40/month.
- What is Elastic APM best used for?
- Elastic APM is most often used for distributed tracing across microservices, auto-instrumenting java, .net, python, go, node.js, ruby, php and c++ services, opentelemetry-native collection through the elastic distributions, correlating latency and errors with machine learning. Of those, distributed tracing across microservices and auto-instrumenting java, .net, python, go, node.js, ruby, php and c++ services are not what Raygun is typically brought in for.
- What can Elastic APM do that Raygun cannot?
- Elastic APM covers Performance monitoring, Error tracking, Transaction tracing, Custom metrics. Raygun covers Crash reporting, Real user monitoring, Performance tracking, Source maps. Both handle API, Webhooks, REST, Web support.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Elastic APM: Is Elastic APM pricing published?
Elastic APM pricing is not published on the product page. Pricing is available through the main Elastic pricing page or by contacting Elastic sales directly.
SourceRaygun: Does Raygun offer a free trial?
Yes. Raygun offers a free 14-day trial with no credit card required. The trial includes feature access across all products.
SourceElastic APM: Does Elastic APM offer a free trial?
Yes. Elastic APM offers a free trial through Elastic Cloud Serverless registration. A guided demo is also available in the Elastic demo gallery.
SourceRaygun: What is Raygun's pricing model?
Raygun uses a usage-based pricing model with tiered plans starting at $40/month for Basic tier, plus per-event charges ($0.001 to $0.002 per event). Annual billing saves 33% compared to monthly rates.
SourceElastic APM: What deployment options are available for Elastic APM?
Elastic APM can be deployed on Elastic Cloud Serverless (zero operational overhead), Elastic Cloud Hosted (deploy on any cloud), or self-managed Elasticsearch.
SourceRaygun: What features are included in the Team plan?
Team plan at $80/month includes inbound filters, third-party integrations, unlimited dashboards, user roles, and is marked as the most popular option. It's positioned between Basic and Business tiers.
SourceRelated pages
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