Softwr

Logging · head to head

Elastic Stack vs New Relic

Elastic Stack logo

Elastic Stack

Logging

Search, Observability, and Security Solutions

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
New Relic logo

New Relic

Logging

Observability made simple

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only New Relic 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; New Relic data ingest costs can be high for large-scale deployments with high logging volume, making budgeting difficult
  • They diverge on capability: Elastic Stack covers Full-text search, New Relic covers APM.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Elastic Stack and New Relic actually diverge.

Attributes where Elastic Stack and New Relic differ
AttributeElastic StackNew Relic
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsCloud-hosted, Self-managed, Docker, Kubernetes (ECK)Web, Api, Mobile
Founded20112008

Identical on both: 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 Elastic Stack

  • Full-text search
  • Log analytics
  • Security monitoring
  • Alerting
  • API
  • Webhooks
  • REST
  • Web support

Only in New Relic

  • APM
  • Infrastructure Monitoring
  • Log Management
  • Browser Monitoring
  • Synthetic Monitoring
  • Mobile Monitoring
  • Kubernetes Monitoring
  • AI Ops

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 New Relic
  • Full-text search and vector search with approximate nearest neighbour supportnot New Relic
  • Security event tracking with field-level and document-level access controlnot New Relic
  • Machine learning capabilities including anomaly detection and forecastingnot New Relic

New Relic

  • Application monitoringnot Elastic Stack
  • Infrastructure monitoringnot Elastic Stack
  • Error trackingnot Elastic Stack
  • Performance optimizationnot 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

New Relic

  • Data ingest costs can be high for large-scale deployments with high logging volume, making budgeting difficult
  • Core user licensing model adds complexity to pricing with distinction between full platform users and basic users
  • Default logs obfuscation may miss some sensitive patterns requiring custom configuration
  • Retention limits even on paid tiers require additional storage for long-term compliance requirements

Pricing, plan by plan

Elastic Stack

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Elastic Stack review.

New Relic

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the New Relic 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.
Elastic Stack review

Choose New Relic if

  • You need apm.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Api, Mobile.
  • You also want infrastructure monitoring.
New Relic review

Questions people ask

Is Elastic Stack or New Relic better?
Neither clearly leads. Elastic Stack starts at On request and New Relic at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Elastic Stack or New Relic?
New Relic has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Elastic Stack and Free for New Relic.
Does Elastic Stack or New Relic run on more platforms?
Elastic Stack runs on Cloud-hosted, Self-managed, Docker, Kubernetes (ECK). New Relic runs on Web, Api, Mobile.
Can I use New Relic for free?
Yes. New Relic 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 New Relic is typically brought in for.
What can Elastic Stack do that New Relic cannot?
Elastic Stack covers Full-text search, Log analytics, Security monitoring, Alerting. New Relic covers APM, Infrastructure Monitoring, Log Management, Browser Monitoring.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Elastic Stack: How much does Elastic Stack cost?

Elastic does not publish specific pricing on the Elastic Stack product page. Users can start a 14-day free trial with no credit card required, but ongoing subscription pricing requires contacting their sales team.

Source
New Relic: Does New Relic offer a free tier?

Yes, New Relic's free tier is perpetual with no credit card required. It includes 100 GB of free data ingest monthly, one Full Platform User with access to all 50+ capabilities, and unlimited Basic Users for querying and dashboard creation.

Source
Elastic Stack: What deployment options are available for Elastic Stack?

Users can deploy Elastic Stack on Elastic Cloud (hosted on AWS, Google Cloud, or Azure) or download it for self-managed deployment. Pricing for managed cloud hosting must be obtained by starting a trial or contacting sales.

Source
New Relic: How much does New Relic cost for paid plans?

Paid plans start at $49 per month per core user. New Relic uses consumption-based pricing where you pay only for what you use. Annual commitment options are available with volume discounts for larger teams.

Source
New Relic: What data retention is included in New Relic's free tier?

The free tier includes a minimum of 8 days data retention for troubleshooting. Paid plans offer extended retention periods and customizable data retention policies.

Source
New Relic: How many integrations does New Relic support?

New Relic provides access to 780+ integrations and unlimited hosts at no additional cost. These include monitoring integrations for various cloud services, databases, and applications.

Source
New Relic: Can I use New Relic to monitor multiple cloud providers?

Yes, New Relic is cloud-agnostic and supports monitoring across AWS, Google Cloud, Azure, and on-premises infrastructure in a single platform.

Source
New Relic: What is New Relic's ownership structure today?

New Relic was acquired by TPG and Francisco Partners on July 31, 2023, for $6.5 billion and transitioned from a publicly traded company to a private company in November 2023.

Source
Share

Related pages

More on Elastic Stack

More on New Relic

Keep looking

Other head to heads