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Logging · head to head

Elastic Stack vs New Relic Logs

Elastic Stack logo

Elastic Stack

Logging

Search, Observability, and Security Solutions

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
New Relic Logs logo

New Relic Logs

Logging

Log Management and Analysis

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only New Relic Logs 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 Logs log data counts against the same 100 GB monthly free ingest allowance shared with every other telemetry type, so logs compete with metrics and traces for it
  • They diverge on capability: Elastic Stack covers Log analytics, New Relic Logs covers Log ingestion.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

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

  • Log analytics
  • Security monitoring
  • Alerting

Only in New Relic Logs

  • Log ingestion
  • Logs-in-context
  • Custom dashboards

Both cover

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

New Relic Logs

  • Centralised log management alongside metrics and tracesnot Elastic Stack
  • Searching and alerting on application logs in context with performance datanot 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 Logs

  • Log data counts against the same 100 GB monthly free ingest allowance shared with every other telemetry type, so logs compete with metrics and traces for it
  • Ingest beyond that is $0.40 per GB, rising to $0.60 per GB on the Data Plus option
  • Full platform users cost $349 each a month on Pro with an annual commitment, or $418.80 paying monthly
  • The Standard edition caps additional full platform users at 5
  • Core users are $49 a month each even though basic users are free

Pricing, plan by plan

Elastic Stack

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Elastic Stack review.

New Relic Logs

Free
  • Free TierFree
    • 100 GB per month data ingest
    • Unlimited basic users
    • 1 full platform user
  • Standard Edition$49/month
    • Up to 5 full platform users
    • Core users 49 dollars per user per month
    • Additional full platform users at 99 dollars each
  • Pro Edition$349/year
    • Unlimited full platform users
    • Core users at 49 dollars per user per month
    • Full platform users at 349 dollars per user annually or 418.80 dollars monthly
  • Enterprise Edition$null/mo
    • Unlimited full platform users
    • Custom pricing
    • FedRAMP and HIPAA support

Which should you pick?

Choose Elastic Stack if

  • You need log analytics.
  • You work on Cloud-hosted, Self-managed, Docker, Kubernetes (ECK).
  • You also want security monitoring.
Elastic Stack review

Choose New Relic Logs if

  • You need log ingestion.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Api.
  • You also want logs-in-context.
New Relic Logs review

Questions people ask

Is Elastic Stack or New Relic Logs better?
Neither clearly leads. Elastic Stack starts at On request and New Relic Logs 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 Logs?
New Relic Logs has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Elastic Stack and Free for New Relic Logs.
Does Elastic Stack or New Relic Logs run on more platforms?
Elastic Stack runs on Cloud-hosted, Self-managed, Docker, Kubernetes (ECK). New Relic Logs runs on Web, Api.
Can I use New Relic Logs for free?
Yes. New Relic Logs 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 Logs is typically brought in for.
What can Elastic Stack do that New Relic Logs cannot?
Elastic Stack covers Log analytics, Security monitoring, Alerting. New Relic Logs covers Log ingestion, Logs-in-context, Custom dashboards. Both handle Full-text search, API, Webhooks, REST.

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 Logs: Is New Relic free?

New Relic offers a free tier with 100 GB per month of data ingest, 1 full platform user, and unlimited basic users.

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 Logs: What does New Relic charge for data beyond the free tier?

New Relic charges 0.40 dollars per gigabyte for data beyond the 100 GB free monthly allowance. Data Plus tier costs 0.60 dollars per GB and includes up to 90-day extended retention.

Source
New Relic Logs: What is the Pro plan pricing?

The Pro Edition costs 349 dollars per user per year for full platform users, or 418.80 dollars per month. Unlimited full platform users are included.

Source
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