Software · head to head
ELK Stack vs Grafana Loki
The short version
- Each has a real cost: ELK Stack the free Basic self managed subscription excludes machine learning, alerting, single sign on via SAML or OpenID Connect, LDAP and Active Directory authentication, field and document level security, searchable snapshots and cross cluster replication; 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: ELK Stack covers Full-text search, Grafana Loki covers Label-based indexing.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which ELK Stack and Grafana Loki actually diverge.
| Attribute | ELK Stack | Grafana Loki |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | open-source | freemium |
| Platforms | Web, Api | Self-hosted (open source), Managed (Grafana Cloud Logs), Enterprise (self-managed with support) |
| Founded | 2011 | 2014 |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 ELK Stack
- Full-text search
- Data visualization
- Time-series analytics
Only in Grafana Loki
- Label-based indexing
- LogQL language
- Cost-effective
Both cover
- Log aggregation
- API
- Webhooks
- REST
- Web support
- Api support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
ELK Stack
- Centralised log search and analytics over Elasticsearchnot Grafana Loki
- Dashboards and visualisation of machine data in Kibananot Grafana Loki
- Self managing a search and observability cluster on your own hardwarenot Grafana Loki
Grafana Loki
- Cost-sensitive organisations deploying Kubernetes and Prometheus ecosystemsnot ELK Stack
- Teams needing index-free log aggregation for high-volume environmentsnot ELK Stack
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
ELK Stack
- The free Basic self managed subscription excludes machine learning, alerting, single sign on via SAML or OpenID Connect, LDAP and Active Directory authentication, field and document level security, searchable snapshots and cross cluster replication
- Cross cluster operations require the same subscription tier on every cluster involved
- The 99.95 percent monthly uptime SLA applies only to the Platinum and Enterprise subscription tiers
- Three deployment models are priced on three different bases: resource based for Cloud Hosted, usage based for Serverless and licence based on nodes and RAM for self managed
- Elastic Cloud Serverless does not yet support traffic filtering, cross project search or bring your own key
- The pricing page publishes no rate for any tier
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
ELK Stack
Free- FreeFree
- Full-text search
- Data visualization
- Log aggregation
Grafana Loki
FreeNo published plan breakdown. See the Grafana Loki review.
Which should you pick?
Choose ELK Stack if
- You need full-text search.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Api.
- You also want data visualization.
Choose Grafana Loki if
- You need label-based indexing.
- 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 logql language.
Questions people ask
- Is ELK Stack or Grafana Loki better?
- Neither clearly leads. ELK Stack starts at Free and Grafana Loki at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, ELK Stack or Grafana Loki?
- ELK Stack starts at Free and Grafana Loki at Free.
- Does ELK Stack or Grafana Loki run on more platforms?
- ELK Stack runs on Web, Api. Grafana Loki runs on Self-hosted (open source), Managed (Grafana Cloud Logs), Enterprise (self-managed with support).
- Can I use ELK Stack for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is ELK Stack best used for?
- ELK Stack is most often used for centralised log search and analytics over elasticsearch, dashboards and visualisation of machine data in kibana, self managing a search and observability cluster on your own hardware. Of those, centralised log search and analytics over elasticsearch and dashboards and visualisation of machine data in kibana are not what Grafana Loki is typically brought in for.
- What can ELK Stack do that Grafana Loki cannot?
- ELK Stack covers Full-text search, Data visualization, Time-series analytics. Grafana Loki covers Label-based indexing, LogQL language, Cost-effective. Both handle Log aggregation, API, Webhooks, REST.