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Fluent Bit vs Graylog Plus

Fluent Bit logo

Fluent Bit

Software

Fast and Lightweight Log Processor

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Graylog Plus logo

Graylog Plus

Software

Enterprise Log Aggregation and SIEM

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Fluent Bit has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Fluent Bit fluent Bit ships over 100 built in plugins against more than 1,000 external plugins available for Fluentd, so fewer integrations exist out of the box; Graylog Plus pricing is not published on the product pages
  • They diverge on capability: Fluent Bit covers Log collection, Graylog Plus covers Log aggregation.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Fluent Bit and Graylog Plus actually diverge.

Attributes where Fluent Bit and Graylog Plus differ
AttributeFluent BitGraylog Plus
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelopen-sourcesubscription
Free tierYesNo
Founded20152011

Identical on both: 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 Fluent Bit

  • Log collection
  • Lightweight processing
  • Data parsing
  • Event filtering

Only in Graylog Plus

  • Log aggregation
  • SIEM capabilities
  • Advanced parsing
  • Compliance

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.

Fluent Bit

  • Lightweight log and metric forwarding from containers and edge devicesnot Graylog Plus
  • Kubernetes node level log collection with a small memory footprintnot Graylog Plus
  • Filtering and enriching telemetry before shipping it to a backendnot Graylog Plus

Graylog Plus

  • Centralised log collection, search and analysisnot Fluent Bit
  • SIEM and threat detection through Graylog Securitynot Fluent Bit
  • Self-hosting log management on your own infrastructurenot Fluent Bit
  • API security monitoringnot Fluent Bit
  • Compliance reporting from retained log datanot Fluent Bit

Where each one falls short

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

Fluent Bit

  • Fluent Bit ships over 100 built in plugins against more than 1,000 external plugins available for Fluentd, so fewer integrations exist out of the box
  • It is written in C, so extending it beyond the built in plugins means writing C rather than Ruby
  • Dependencies are zero only until a plugin requires one

Graylog Plus

  • Pricing is not published on the product pages
  • Split across several editions, Graylog Open, Enterprise, Security and API Security, so log management and SIEM are separate purchases
  • The open edition is source-available rather than fully open source, and the guided setup, prebuilt content and AI assistance are Enterprise features

Pricing, plan by plan

Fluent Bit

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Log collection
    • Lightweight processing
    • Data parsing

Graylog Plus

On request
  • Starter$undefined/month
    • Log aggregation
    • SIEM capabilities
    • Advanced parsing

Which should you pick?

Choose Fluent Bit if

  • You need log collection.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Api.
  • You also want lightweight processing.
Fluent Bit review

Choose Graylog Plus if

  • You need log aggregation.
  • You work on Web, Api.
  • You also want siem capabilities.
Graylog Plus review

Questions people ask

Is Fluent Bit or Graylog Plus better?
Neither clearly leads. Fluent Bit starts at Free and Graylog Plus at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Fluent Bit or Graylog Plus?
Fluent Bit has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Fluent Bit and On request for Graylog Plus.
Does Fluent Bit or Graylog Plus run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, Api, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Fluent Bit for free?
Yes. Fluent Bit has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Graylog Plus starts at On request.
What is Fluent Bit best used for?
Fluent Bit is most often used for lightweight log and metric forwarding from containers and edge devices, kubernetes node level log collection with a small memory footprint, filtering and enriching telemetry before shipping it to a backend. Of those, lightweight log and metric forwarding from containers and edge devices and kubernetes node level log collection with a small memory footprint are not what Graylog Plus is typically brought in for.
What can Fluent Bit do that Graylog Plus cannot?
Fluent Bit covers Log collection, Lightweight processing, Data parsing, Event filtering. Graylog Plus covers Log aggregation, SIEM capabilities, Advanced parsing, Compliance. Both handle API, Webhooks, REST, Web support.
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Related pages

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