Software · head to head
Graylog vs Airbrake
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Graylog graylog Enterprise starts at $15,000 per year and Graylog Security at $18,000 per year, priced by daily volume or annual consumption; Airbrake data retention is 30 days on every plan, including the $799 a month Business tier
- They diverge on capability: Graylog covers Log aggregation, Airbrake covers Error tracking.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Graylog and Airbrake actually diverge.
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), platforms (Web, Api), 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 Graylog
- Log aggregation
- Full-text search
- Parsing and extraction
- Real-time analytics
Only in Airbrake
- Error tracking
- Performance monitoring
- Deploy tracking
- Custom notifications
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
- Centralising and searching application and infrastructure logsnot Airbrake
- Running a SIEM with threat detection and investigation workflowsnot Airbrake
- Self-hosting log management without per-GB SaaS billingnot Airbrake
Airbrake
- Error and exception monitoring for web applicationsnot Graylog
- Performance monitoring alongside error trackingnot Graylog
- Alerting a team when a deploy introduces a spike in errorsnot Graylog
- Tracking errors across multiple projects in one accountnot Graylog
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Graylog
- Graylog Enterprise starts at $15,000 per year and Graylog Security at $18,000 per year, priced by daily volume or annual consumption
- Correlation engine, scheduled and custom reports, compliance reports and teams management are Enterprise-only
- Data tiering across hot, warm and archive storage is an Enterprise feature, not available in Graylog Open
- Graylog Open carries community support only; professional support requires a paid edition
- UEBA anomaly detection, Sigma rules, MITRE ATT&CK alignment and SOAR automation are limited to Graylog Security
Airbrake
- Data retention is 30 days on every plan, including the $799 a month Business tier
- The entry plan at $19 a month covers 25,000 errors and 7,500 events
- Errors beyond the plan quota are billed on demand
- Audit logs and spike forgiveness require the Pro tier
- The lowest tier is limited to 1 user and 1 team
Pricing, plan by plan
Graylog
Free- FreeFree
- Log aggregation
- Full-text search
- Parsing and extraction
Airbrake
Free- FreeFree
- Error tracking
- Performance monitoring
- Deploy tracking
Which should you pick?
Choose Graylog if
- You need log aggregation.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Api.
- You also want full-text search.
Choose Airbrake if
- You need error tracking.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Api.
- You also want performance monitoring.
Questions people ask
- Is Graylog or Airbrake better?
- Neither clearly leads. Graylog starts at Free and Airbrake at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Graylog or Airbrake?
- Graylog starts at Free and Airbrake at Free.
- Does Graylog or Airbrake run on more platforms?
- Both run on Web, Api, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
- Can I use Graylog for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Graylog best used for?
- Graylog is most often used for centralising and searching application and infrastructure logs, running a siem with threat detection and investigation workflows, self-hosting log management without per-gb saas billing. Of those, centralising and searching application and infrastructure logs and running a siem with threat detection and investigation workflows are not what Airbrake is typically brought in for.
- What can Graylog do that Airbrake cannot?
- Graylog covers Log aggregation, Full-text search, Parsing and extraction, Real-time analytics. Airbrake covers Error tracking, Performance monitoring, Deploy tracking, Custom notifications. Both handle API, Webhooks, REST, Web support.