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Grafana Loki vs Loggly

Grafana Loki logo

Grafana Loki

Software

Log Aggregation for Grafana Stack

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Loggly logo

Loggly

Software

Cloud-Based Log Management and Analytics

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: 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; Loggly the free Lite plan caps ingest at 200 MB per day with 7 day retention
  • They diverge on capability: Grafana Loki covers Label-based indexing, Loggly covers Real-time search.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Grafana Loki and Loggly actually diverge.

Attributes where Grafana Loki and Loggly differ
AttributeGrafana LokiLoggly
Pricing modelfreemiumusage-based
PlatformsSelf-hosted (open source), Managed (Grafana Cloud Logs), Enterprise (self-managed with support)Web, Api
Founded20142009

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 Grafana Loki

  • Label-based indexing
  • LogQL language
  • Cost-effective

Only in Loggly

  • Real-time search
  • Custom dashboards
  • Alert management

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.

Grafana Loki

  • Cost-sensitive organisations deploying Kubernetes and Prometheus ecosystemsnot Loggly
  • Teams needing index-free log aggregation for high-volume environmentsnot Loggly

Loggly

  • Cloud-hosted log aggregation for small and mid-sized engineering teamsnot Grafana Loki
  • Alerting on log patterns via email, webhook, PagerDuty or Slacknot Grafana Loki
  • Log analysis alongside SolarWinds infrastructure and application monitoringnot Grafana Loki

Where each one falls short

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

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

Loggly

  • The free Lite plan caps ingest at 200 MB per day with 7 day retention
  • API access and archiving to Amazon S3 start on the Pro plan at $159 per month billed annually
  • Federated identity management is an Enterprise feature, starting at $279 per month billed annually
  • The Standard plan at $79 per month is limited to 1 GB per day and 3 source groups
  • Maximum retention is 90 days and only on Enterprise; Standard is fixed at 15 days

Pricing, plan by plan

Grafana Loki

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Grafana Loki review.

Loggly

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Log aggregation
    • Real-time search
    • Custom dashboards

Which should you pick?

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.
Grafana Loki review

Choose Loggly if

  • You need real-time search.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Api.
  • You also want custom dashboards.
Loggly review

Questions people ask

Is Grafana Loki or Loggly better?
Neither clearly leads. Grafana Loki starts at Free and Loggly at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Grafana Loki or Loggly?
Grafana Loki starts at Free and Loggly at Free.
Does Grafana Loki or Loggly run on more platforms?
Grafana Loki runs on Self-hosted (open source), Managed (Grafana Cloud Logs), Enterprise (self-managed with support). Loggly runs on Web, Api.
Can I use Grafana Loki for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Grafana Loki best used for?
Grafana Loki is most often used for cost-sensitive organisations deploying kubernetes and prometheus ecosystems, teams needing index-free log aggregation for high-volume environments. Of those, cost-sensitive organisations deploying kubernetes and prometheus ecosystems and teams needing index-free log aggregation for high-volume environments are not what Loggly is typically brought in for.
What can Grafana Loki do that Loggly cannot?
Grafana Loki covers Label-based indexing, LogQL language, Cost-effective. Loggly covers Real-time search, Custom dashboards, Alert management. Both handle Log aggregation, API, Webhooks, REST.
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