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Grafana Loki vs Raygun

Grafana Loki logo

Grafana Loki

Software

Log Aggregation for Grafana Stack

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Raygun logo

Raygun

Software

Real User Monitoring and Crash Reporting

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; 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: Grafana Loki covers Log aggregation, Raygun covers Crash reporting.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Grafana Loki and Raygun differ
AttributeGrafana LokiRaygun
Pricing modelfreemiumusage-based
PlatformsSelf-hosted (open source), Managed (Grafana Cloud Logs), Enterprise (self-managed with support)Web, Api
Founded20142011

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

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

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.

Grafana Loki

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

Raygun

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

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

Grafana Loki

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Grafana Loki review.

Raygun

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Crash reporting
    • Real user monitoring
    • Performance tracking

Which should you pick?

Choose Grafana Loki if

  • You need log aggregation.
  • 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 label-based indexing.
Grafana Loki review

Choose Raygun if

  • You need crash reporting.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Api.
  • You also want real user monitoring.
Raygun review

Questions people ask

Is Grafana Loki or Raygun better?
Neither clearly leads. Grafana Loki starts at Free and Raygun at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Grafana Loki or Raygun?
Grafana Loki starts at Free and Raygun at Free.
Does Grafana Loki or Raygun run on more platforms?
Grafana Loki runs on Self-hosted (open source), Managed (Grafana Cloud Logs), Enterprise (self-managed with support). Raygun 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 Raygun is typically brought in for.
What can Grafana Loki do that Raygun cannot?
Grafana Loki covers Log aggregation, Label-based indexing, LogQL language, Cost-effective. Raygun covers Crash reporting, Real user monitoring, Performance tracking, Source maps. Both handle API, Webhooks, REST, Web support.
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