Softwr

Software · head to head

Filebeat vs Sematext

Filebeat logo

Filebeat

Software

Lightweight Shipper for Logs

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Sematext logo

Sematext

Software

Full Stack Observability Platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Filebeat filebeat ships only as part of the Elastic Stack and has no standalone commercial license; using it in production requires deploying Elasticsearch and typically Kibana alongside it.; Sematext the $5 Basic plan caps ingestion at 500 MB a day and retains logs for 7 days
  • They diverge on capability: Filebeat covers File tailing, Sematext covers Log aggregation.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Filebeat and Sematext actually diverge.

Attributes where Filebeat and Sematext differ
AttributeFilebeatSematext
Pricing modelopen-sourceusage-based
Founded20112007

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), platforms (Web, Api), 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 Filebeat

  • File tailing
  • Log forwarding
  • Event parsing
  • Input harvesting

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.

Filebeat

  • Log monitoringnot Sematext
  • Application performancenot Sematext
  • Security analyticsnot Sematext
  • Troubleshootingnot Sematext

Sematext

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

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Filebeat

  • Filebeat ships only as part of the Elastic Stack and has no standalone commercial license; using it in production requires deploying Elasticsearch and typically Kibana alongside it.

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

Filebeat

Free
  • FreeFree
    • File tailing
    • Log forwarding
    • Event parsing

Sematext

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Log aggregation
    • APM
    • Metrics monitoring

Which should you pick?

Choose Filebeat if

  • You need file tailing.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Api.
  • You also want log forwarding.
Filebeat 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 Filebeat or Sematext better?
Neither clearly leads. Filebeat starts at Free and Sematext at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Filebeat or Sematext?
Filebeat starts at Free and Sematext at Free.
Does Filebeat or Sematext run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, Api, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Filebeat for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Filebeat best used for?
Filebeat is most often used for log monitoring, application performance, security analytics, troubleshooting. Of those, log monitoring and application performance are not what Sematext is typically brought in for.
What can Filebeat do that Sematext cannot?
Filebeat covers File tailing, Log forwarding, Event parsing, Input harvesting. Sematext covers Log aggregation, APM, Metrics monitoring, Anomaly detection. Both handle API, Webhooks, REST, Web support.
ShareXLinkedInRedditWhatsAppEmail

Related pages

More on Filebeat

More on Sematext

Keep looking

Other head to heads