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Logging · head to head

ELK Stack vs Raygun

ELK Stack logo

ELK Stack

Logging

Open Source Search and Log Analytics

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Raygun logo

Raygun

Logging

Real User Monitoring and Crash Reporting

From
$40/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only ELK Stack has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • 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; Raygun crash Reporting error data is retained for 180 days and Real User Monitoring sessions for only 60 days; longer retention is Enterprise only
  • They diverge on capability: ELK Stack covers Full-text search, Raygun covers Crash reporting.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which ELK Stack and Raygun actually diverge.

Attributes where ELK Stack and Raygun differ
AttributeELK StackRaygun
Starting priceFree$40/month
Pricing modelopen-sourceusage-based
Free tierYesNo

Identical on both: platforms (Web, Api), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Logging), founded (2011).

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
  • Log aggregation
  • Time-series analytics

Only in Raygun

  • Crash reporting
  • Real user monitoring
  • Performance tracking
  • Source maps

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.

ELK Stack

  • Centralised log search and analytics over Elasticsearchnot Raygun
  • Dashboards and visualisation of machine data in Kibananot Raygun
  • Self managing a search and observability cluster on your own hardwarenot Raygun

Raygun

  • Crash and error reporting for web, mobile and backend applicationsnot ELK Stack
  • Real user monitoring of front end page load and session performancenot ELK Stack
  • Application performance monitoring with request level tracesnot 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

Raygun

  • Crash Reporting error data is retained for 180 days and Real User Monitoring sessions for only 60 days; longer retention is Enterprise only
  • Crash Reporting, Real User Monitoring and APM are billed as three separate products, each metered on its own unit of errors, sessions or traces
  • A Real User Monitoring session ends after 30 minutes of inactivity, so a single visit spanning breaks is billed as several sessions
  • Usage beyond the plan allowance is billed on demand at $0.001 per error and $0.002 per session or trace
  • Enterprise plan pricing is custom with no published rate

Pricing, plan by plan

ELK Stack

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Full-text search
    • Data visualization
    • Log aggregation

Raygun

$40/month
  • Basic$40/month
    • Core monitoring, unlimited apps and members
    • Basic alerts, deployment tracking
    • Annual billing saves 33%
  • Team$80/month
    • Inbound filters and third-party integrations
    • Unlimited dashboards and user roles
    • Marked as MOST POPULAR plan
  • Business$400/month
    • SAML SSO and dedicated account manager
    • Priority support and quarterly reviews
    • Annual billing saves 33%
  • Enterprise$undefined/mo
    • Custom pricing and compliance requirements
    • Unlimited reports and SLA agreements
    • Private Slack support

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.
ELK Stack review

Choose Raygun if

  • You need crash reporting.
  • You work on Web, Api.
  • You also want real user monitoring.
Raygun review

Questions people ask

Is ELK Stack or Raygun better?
Neither clearly leads. ELK Stack starts at Free and Raygun at $40/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, ELK Stack or Raygun?
ELK Stack has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for ELK Stack and $40/month for Raygun.
Does ELK Stack or Raygun run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, Api, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use ELK Stack for free?
Yes. ELK Stack has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Raygun starts at $40/month.
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 Raygun is typically brought in for.
What can ELK Stack do that Raygun cannot?
ELK Stack covers Full-text search, Data visualization, Log aggregation, Time-series analytics. Raygun covers Crash reporting, Real user monitoring, Performance tracking, Source maps. Both handle API, Webhooks, REST, Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

ELK Stack: Does Elastic offer a free trial without requiring a credit card?

Yes, Elastic offers a 14-day free cloud trial with no credit card required that includes all solutions: Search, Observability, Security, and Agent Builder.

Source
Raygun: Does Raygun offer a free trial?

Yes. Raygun offers a free 14-day trial with no credit card required. The trial includes feature access across all products.

Source
ELK Stack: Can I deploy Elastic locally for evaluation?

Yes, Elastic provides a local deployment option for Elasticsearch and Kibana with a one-command setup requiring no account or credit card. This allows self-managed evaluation.

Source
Raygun: What is Raygun's pricing model?

Raygun uses a usage-based pricing model with tiered plans starting at $40/month for Basic tier, plus per-event charges ($0.001 to $0.002 per event). Annual billing saves 33% compared to monthly rates.

Source
ELK Stack: Does Elastic provide expert consultation for complex deployments?

Yes, Elastic offers expert consultation through their sales team for complex requirements and custom deployment scenarios.

Source
Raygun: What features are included in the Team plan?

Team plan at $80/month includes inbound filters, third-party integrations, unlimited dashboards, user roles, and is marked as the most popular option. It's positioned between Basic and Business tiers.

Source
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