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Fluentd vs Zabbix Cloud

Fluentd logo

Fluentd

Logging

Open Source Data Collector for Unified Logging

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Visit FluentdFull review
Zabbix Cloud logo

Zabbix Cloud

Logging

Zabbix monitoring, fully managed

From
$50/month
Free plan
No
Visit Zabbix CloudFull review

The short version

  • Fluentd is an open-source data collector.
  • Fluentd is free; Zabbix Cloud starts at $50/mo.
  • Where Fluentd falls short: Fluentd needs more than 60 MB of memory at runtime, against roughly 450 KB for Fluent Bit.
  • Where Zabbix Cloud falls short: the free trial lasts only 5 days before a paid subscription is required.
  • Prices and features on this page were last checked on 13 November 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Fluentd and Zabbix Cloud actually diverge.

Attributes where Fluentd and Zabbix Cloud differ
AttributeFluentdZabbix Cloud
Starting priceFree$50/month
Pricing modelOpen-sourceSubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, APIWeb

Identical on both: category (Logging).

Not yet recorded: founded for Zabbix Cloud.

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 Fluentd

  • Log collection
  • Data parsing
  • Filtering and buffering
  • Event routing
  • API
  • Webhooks
  • REST
  • Web support

Only in Zabbix Cloud

Nothing recorded that Fluentd does not also cover.

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Fluentd

  • Unified log collection and routing from many sources to many destinationsnot Zabbix Cloud
  • Parsing and transforming log records before forwardingnot Zabbix Cloud
  • Aggregating logs from containers into Elasticsearch, S3 or a SIEMnot Zabbix Cloud

Zabbix Cloud

  • Network performance monitoring and detectionnot Fluentd
  • Server health and performance trackingnot Fluentd
  • Container monitoring in Kubernetes environmentsnot Fluentd
  • Database performance across vendor platformsnot Fluentd
  • VMware and Windows infrastructure observationnot Fluentd

Where each one falls short

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

Fluentd

  • Fluentd needs more than 60 MB of memory at runtime, against roughly 450 KB for Fluent Bit
  • Fluentd is built as a Ruby gem and depends on other gems, so a Ruby runtime is required
  • Its capability comes from over 1,000 external plugins rather than built in functionality, so each added input or output is a separate dependency
  • The Fluent Bit documentation states that cloud providers have switched from Fluentd to Fluent Bit for performance and compatibility and calls Fluent Bit the next generation solution

Zabbix Cloud

  • Billed by NVPS (new values per second) rather than by number of monitored hosts, so cost scales with metric volume: Nano starts at $50/month for 50 NVPS and 2xLarge reaches $5,000/month for 10,000 NVPS
  • The free trial lasts only 5 days before a paid subscription is required
  • Annual subscription is needed to get the 10% discount; the base prices listed are monthly rates

Pricing, plan by plan

Fluentd

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Log collection
    • Data parsing
    • Filtering and buffering

Zabbix Cloud

$50/month
  • Nano$50/mo
    • 50 NVPS
    • 10GB storage free
  • Micro$100/mo
    • 100 NVPS
  • Small$250/mo
    • 250 NVPS
  • Medium$750/mo
    • 1000 NVPS

Which should you pick?

Choose Fluentd if

  • You need log collection.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, API.
  • You also want data parsing.
Fluentd review

Choose Zabbix Cloud if

Nothing in the data separates Zabbix Cloud from Fluentd on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

Zabbix Cloud review

Questions people ask

Is Fluentd or Zabbix Cloud better?
Neither clearly leads. Fluentd starts at Free and Zabbix Cloud at $50/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Fluentd or Zabbix Cloud?
Fluentd has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Fluentd and $50/month for Zabbix Cloud.
Does Fluentd or Zabbix Cloud run on more platforms?
Fluentd runs on Web, API. Zabbix Cloud runs on Web.
Can I use Fluentd for free?
Yes. Fluentd has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Zabbix Cloud starts at $50/month.
What is Fluentd best used for?
Fluentd is most often used for unified log collection and routing from many sources to many destinations, parsing and transforming log records before forwarding, aggregating logs from containers into elasticsearch, s3 or a siem. Of those, unified log collection and routing from many sources to many destinations and parsing and transforming log records before forwarding are not what Zabbix Cloud is typically brought in for.
What can Fluentd do that Zabbix Cloud cannot?
Fluentd covers Log collection, Data parsing, Filtering and buffering, Event routing.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Fluentd: How much does Fluentd cost?

Fluentd is free and open-source under the Apache 2 License from the Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF). There are no subscription fees, licensing costs, or commercial pricing tiers.

Source
Zabbix Cloud: What is the starting price for Zabbix Cloud?

Zabbix Cloud starts at $50 per month for the Nano tier, which includes 50 NVPS and 10GB of free storage. Pricing scales up to $5000 monthly for the 2xLarge tier with 10000 NVPS.

Source
Zabbix Cloud: Is there a free trial for Zabbix Cloud?

Yes, Zabbix Cloud offers a 5-day free trial with no credit card required. After the trial, you save 10% by converting to an annual subscription.

Source
Zabbix Cloud: How does annual billing work with Zabbix Cloud?

Annual subscribers receive a 10% discount on monthly pricing. A pricing calculator is available to estimate costs based on devices, metrics, update intervals, and storage requirements.

Source
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