Software · head to head
Graylog Plus vs Elastic APM
The short version
- Only Elastic APM has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Graylog Plus pricing is not published on the product pages; Elastic APM pricing is not published on the product page; cost follows the underlying Elastic deployment rather than being quoted per host or per service
- They diverge on capability: Graylog Plus covers Log aggregation, Elastic APM covers Performance monitoring.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Graylog Plus and Elastic APM actually diverge.
| Attribute | Graylog Plus | Elastic APM |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | On request | Free |
| Pricing model | subscription | open-source |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
Identical on both: platforms (Web, Api), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown), founded (2011).
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 Graylog Plus
- Log aggregation
- SIEM capabilities
- Advanced parsing
- Compliance
Only in Elastic APM
- Performance monitoring
- Error tracking
- Transaction tracing
- Custom metrics
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.
Graylog Plus
- Centralised log collection, search and analysisnot Elastic APM
- SIEM and threat detection through Graylog Securitynot Elastic APM
- Self-hosting log management on your own infrastructurenot Elastic APM
- API security monitoringnot Elastic APM
- Compliance reporting from retained log datanot Elastic APM
Elastic APM
- Distributed tracing across microservicesnot Graylog Plus
- Auto-instrumenting Java, .NET, Python, Go, Node.js, Ruby, PHP and C++ servicesnot Graylog Plus
- OpenTelemetry-native collection through the Elastic distributionsnot Graylog Plus
- Correlating latency and errors with machine learningnot Graylog Plus
- Monitoring LLM calls alongside application tracesnot Graylog Plus
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
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
Elastic APM
- Pricing is not published on the product page; cost follows the underlying Elastic deployment rather than being quoted per host or per service
- Self-managed deployment means running and scaling Elasticsearch yourself
- Serverless does not carry every capability the hosted option does
Pricing, plan by plan
Graylog Plus
On request- Starter$undefined/month
- Log aggregation
- SIEM capabilities
- Advanced parsing
Elastic APM
Free- FreeFree
- Performance monitoring
- Error tracking
- Transaction tracing
Which should you pick?
Choose Graylog Plus if
- You need log aggregation.
- You work on Web, Api.
- You also want siem capabilities.
Choose Elastic APM if
- You need performance monitoring.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Api.
- You also want error tracking.
Questions people ask
- Is Graylog Plus or Elastic APM better?
- Neither clearly leads. Graylog Plus starts at On request and Elastic APM at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Graylog Plus or Elastic APM?
- Elastic APM has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Graylog Plus and Free for Elastic APM.
- Does Graylog Plus or Elastic APM run on more platforms?
- Both run on Web, Api, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
- Can I use Elastic APM for free?
- Yes. Elastic APM has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Graylog Plus starts at On request.
- What is Graylog Plus best used for?
- Graylog Plus is most often used for centralised log collection, search and analysis, siem and threat detection through graylog security, self-hosting log management on your own infrastructure, api security monitoring. Of those, centralised log collection, search and analysis and siem and threat detection through graylog security are not what Elastic APM is typically brought in for.
- What can Graylog Plus do that Elastic APM cannot?
- Graylog Plus covers Log aggregation, SIEM capabilities, Advanced parsing, Compliance. Elastic APM covers Performance monitoring, Error tracking, Transaction tracing, Custom metrics. Both handle API, Webhooks, REST, Web support.