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Software · head to head

Grafana Loki vs Rollbar

Grafana Loki logo

Grafana Loki

Software

Log Aggregation for Grafana Stack

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Rollbar logo

Rollbar

Software

Real-Time Error Tracking and Debugging

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; Rollbar the free plan allows 5,000 occurrences a month with 30 day retention
  • They diverge on capability: Grafana Loki covers Log aggregation, Rollbar covers Error tracking.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Grafana Loki and Rollbar differ
AttributeGrafana LokiRollbar
Pricing modelfreemiumusage-based
PlatformsSelf-hosted (open source), Managed (Grafana Cloud Logs), Enterprise (self-managed with support)Web, Api
Founded20142012

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 Rollbar

  • Error tracking
  • Real-time alerts
  • Error grouping
  • 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 Rollbar
  • Teams needing index-free log aggregation for high-volume environmentsnot Rollbar

Rollbar

  • Tracking application errors and exceptions across deploymentsnot Grafana Loki
  • Grouping and alerting on production error occurrencesnot 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

Rollbar

  • The free plan allows 5,000 occurrences a month with 30 day retention
  • Retention is a paid ladder rather than a setting, at up to 90 days on Essentials and up to 180 on Advanced
  • Advanced alerting, the RQL analytics query language and SCIM provisioning are excluded from the free plan
  • Enterprise requires a $4M annual plan minimum
  • No price is published for Essentials or Advanced, so only the free tier has a visible cost

Pricing, plan by plan

Grafana Loki

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Grafana Loki review.

Rollbar

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Error tracking
    • Real-time alerts
    • Error grouping

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 Rollbar if

  • You need error tracking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Api.
  • You also want real-time alerts.
Rollbar review

Questions people ask

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