Log Management · head to head
Graylog vs AppDynamics
A
AppDynamics
Log Management
Enterprise Application Performance Management
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
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; AppDynamics appdynamics.com/pricing returns a 301 redirect to Splunk's observability pricing page; the product is now sold as Splunk AppDynamics
- They diverge on capability: Graylog covers Log aggregation, AppDynamics covers Application performance monitoring.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Graylog and AppDynamics actually diverge.
| Attribute | Graylog | AppDynamics |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | open-source | usage-based |
| Founded | 2011 | 2008 |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), platforms (Web, Api), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Log Management).
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
Only in AppDynamics
- Application performance monitoring
- Distributed tracing
- Alert management
Both cover
- Real-time analytics
- 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 AppDynamics
- Running a SIEM with threat detection and investigation workflowsnot AppDynamics
- Self-hosting log management without per-GB SaaS billingnot AppDynamics
AppDynamics
- Application performance monitoring for Java, .NET and other enterprise application stacksnot Graylog
- Business transaction tracing across distributed application tiersnot Graylog
- Infrastructure monitoring priced per vCPUnot 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
AppDynamics
- appdynamics.com/pricing returns a 301 redirect to Splunk's observability pricing page; the product is now sold as Splunk AppDynamics
- Infrastructure Edition starts at $6 per vCPU per month billed annually, so cost scales with core count rather than host count
- Premium Edition starts at $33 per host per month and Enterprise Edition at $50 per host per month, both billed annually
- The published figures are starting prices only, with volume pricing requiring a sales quote
Pricing, plan by plan
Graylog
Free- FreeFree
- Log aggregation
- Full-text search
- Parsing and extraction
AppDynamics
Free- FreeFree
- Application performance monitoring
- Distributed tracing
- Real-time analytics
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 AppDynamics if
- You need application performance monitoring.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Api.
- You also want distributed tracing.
Questions people ask
- Is Graylog or AppDynamics better?
- Neither clearly leads. Graylog starts at Free and AppDynamics at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Graylog or AppDynamics?
- Graylog starts at Free and AppDynamics at Free.
- Does Graylog or AppDynamics 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 AppDynamics is typically brought in for.
- What can Graylog do that AppDynamics cannot?
- Graylog covers Log aggregation, Full-text search, Parsing and extraction. AppDynamics covers Application performance monitoring, Distributed tracing, Alert management. Both handle Real-time analytics, API, Webhooks, REST.