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Elastic Stack vs Sematext

Elastic Stack logo

Elastic Stack

Software

Search, Observability, and Security Solutions

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Sematext logo

Sematext

Software

Full Stack Observability Platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Sematext 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; Sematext the $5 Basic plan caps ingestion at 500 MB a day and retains logs for 7 days
  • They diverge on capability: Elastic Stack covers Full-text search, Sematext covers Log aggregation.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Elastic Stack and Sematext actually diverge.

Attributes where Elastic Stack and Sematext differ
AttributeElastic StackSematext
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionusage-based
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsCloud-hosted, Self-managed, Docker, Kubernetes (ECK)Web, Api
Founded20112007

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 Sematext

  • Log aggregation
  • APM
  • Metrics monitoring
  • Anomaly detection

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

Sematext

  • Centralised log management and search across servicesnot Elastic Stack
  • Infrastructure and application monitoring alongside logsnot 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

Sematext

  • The $5 Basic plan caps ingestion at 500 MB a day and retains logs for 7 days
  • Ingestion and storage are billed on separate meters, at $0.10 per GB received and $0.15 per GB stored
  • Retention is a plan property rather than a setting, so keeping logs longer means moving tier
  • The published pricing page renders Standard and Pro figures from unresolved template placeholders, so only the Basic numbers are actually readable

Pricing, plan by plan

Elastic Stack

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Elastic Stack review.

Sematext

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Log aggregation
    • APM
    • Metrics monitoring

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 Sematext if

  • You need log aggregation.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Api.
  • You also want apm.
Sematext review

Questions people ask

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