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Graylog Plus vs Elastic Stack

Graylog Plus logo

Graylog Plus

Software

Enterprise Log Aggregation and SIEM

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Elastic Stack logo

Elastic Stack

Software

Search, Observability, and Security Solutions

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Graylog Plus pricing is not published on the product pages; Elastic Stack self-managed deployment requires licensing based on node count and RAM usage
  • They diverge on capability: Graylog Plus covers Log aggregation, Elastic Stack covers Full-text search.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Graylog Plus and Elastic Stack actually diverge.

Attributes where Graylog Plus and Elastic Stack differ
AttributeGraylog PlusElastic Stack
PlatformsWeb, ApiCloud-hosted, Self-managed, Docker, Kubernetes (ECK)

Identical on both: starting price (On request), pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), 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 Stack

  • Full-text search
  • Log analytics
  • Security monitoring
  • Alerting

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 Stack
  • SIEM and threat detection through Graylog Securitynot Elastic Stack
  • Self-hosting log management on your own infrastructurenot Elastic Stack
  • API security monitoringnot Elastic Stack
  • Compliance reporting from retained log datanot Elastic Stack

Elastic Stack

  • Distributed search and analytics engine for production-scale workloadsnot Graylog Plus
  • Full-text search and vector search with approximate nearest neighbour supportnot Graylog Plus
  • Security event tracking with field-level and document-level access controlnot Graylog Plus
  • Machine learning capabilities including anomaly detection and forecastingnot 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 Stack

  • Self-managed deployment requires licensing based on node count and RAM usage
  • Serverless option has pending features including traffic filtering and bring-your-own-key encryption
  • Hosted deployment requires custom resource configuration for cluster management
  • Pricing models differ significantly across Hosted, Serverless, and Self-managed options

Pricing, plan by plan

Graylog Plus

On request
  • Starter$undefined/month
    • Log aggregation
    • SIEM capabilities
    • Advanced parsing

Elastic Stack

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Elastic Stack review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Graylog Plus if

  • You need log aggregation.
  • You work on Web, Api.
  • You also want siem capabilities.
Graylog Plus review

Choose Elastic Stack if

  • You need full-text search.
  • You work on Cloud-hosted, Self-managed, Docker, Kubernetes (ECK).
  • You also want log analytics.
Elastic Stack review

Questions people ask

Is Graylog Plus or Elastic Stack better?
Neither clearly leads. Graylog Plus starts at On request and Elastic Stack at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Graylog Plus or Elastic Stack?
Graylog Plus starts at On request and Elastic Stack at On request.
Does Graylog Plus or Elastic Stack run on more platforms?
Graylog Plus runs on Web, Api. Elastic Stack runs on Cloud-hosted, Self-managed, Docker, Kubernetes (ECK).
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 Stack is typically brought in for.
What can Graylog Plus do that Elastic Stack cannot?
Graylog Plus covers Log aggregation, SIEM capabilities, Advanced parsing, Compliance. Elastic Stack covers Full-text search, Log analytics, Security monitoring, Alerting. Both handle API, Webhooks, REST, Web support.
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