Software · head to head
Elastic Stack vs Grafana Loki
Elastic Stack
Software
Search, Observability, and Security Solutions
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Grafana Loki has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Elastic Stack self-managed deployment requires licensing based on node count and RAM usage; 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: Elastic Stack covers Full-text search, Grafana Loki covers Log aggregation.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Elastic Stack and Grafana Loki actually diverge.
| Attribute | Elastic Stack | Grafana Loki |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | On request | Free |
| Pricing model | subscription | freemium |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Platforms | Cloud-hosted, Self-managed, Docker, Kubernetes (ECK) | Self-hosted (open source), Managed (Grafana Cloud Logs), Enterprise (self-managed with support) |
| Founded | 2011 | 2014 |
Identical on both: 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 Elastic Stack
- Full-text search
- Log analytics
- Security monitoring
- Alerting
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.
Elastic Stack
- Distributed search and analytics engine for production-scale workloadsnot Grafana Loki
- Full-text search and vector search with approximate nearest neighbour supportnot Grafana Loki
- Security event tracking with field-level and document-level access controlnot Grafana Loki
- Machine learning capabilities including anomaly detection and forecastingnot Grafana Loki
Grafana Loki
- Cost-sensitive organisations deploying Kubernetes and Prometheus ecosystemsnot Elastic Stack
- Teams needing index-free log aggregation for high-volume environmentsnot Elastic Stack
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Elastic Stack
- Self-managed deployment requires licensing based on node count and RAM usage
- Serverless option has pending features including traffic filtering and bring-your-own-key encryption
- Hosted deployment requires custom resource configuration for cluster management
- Pricing models differ significantly across Hosted, Serverless, and Self-managed options
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
Elastic Stack
On requestNo published plan breakdown. See the Elastic Stack review.
Grafana Loki
FreeNo published plan breakdown. See the Grafana Loki review.
Which should you pick?
Choose Elastic Stack if
- You need full-text search.
- You work on Cloud-hosted, Self-managed, Docker, Kubernetes (ECK).
- You also want log analytics.
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.
Questions people ask
- Is Elastic Stack or Grafana Loki better?
- Neither clearly leads. Elastic Stack starts at On request and Grafana Loki at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Elastic Stack or Grafana Loki?
- Grafana Loki has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Elastic Stack and Free for Grafana Loki.
- Does Elastic Stack or Grafana Loki run on more platforms?
- Elastic Stack runs on Cloud-hosted, Self-managed, Docker, Kubernetes (ECK). Grafana Loki runs on Self-hosted (open source), Managed (Grafana Cloud Logs), Enterprise (self-managed with support).
- Can I use Grafana Loki for free?
- Yes. Grafana Loki has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Elastic Stack starts at On request.
- What is Elastic Stack best used for?
- Elastic Stack is most often used for distributed search and analytics engine for production-scale workloads, full-text search and vector search with approximate nearest neighbour support, security event tracking with field-level and document-level access control, machine learning capabilities including anomaly detection and forecasting. Of those, distributed search and analytics engine for production-scale workloads and full-text search and vector search with approximate nearest neighbour support are not what Grafana Loki is typically brought in for.
- What can Elastic Stack do that Grafana Loki cannot?
- Elastic Stack covers Full-text search, Log analytics, Security monitoring, Alerting. Grafana Loki covers Log aggregation, Label-based indexing, LogQL language, Cost-effective. Both handle API, Webhooks, REST, Web support.