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Logging · head to head

Graylog vs Honeycomb

Graylog logo

Graylog

Logging

Log Aggregation and Analysis Platform

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Visit GraylogFull review
Honeycomb logo

Honeycomb

Logging

Observability that's actually useful

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Visit HoneycombFull review

The short version

  • Graylog is a open-source log aggregation and analysis platform.
  • Graylog is free; Honeycomb starts at $150/mo.
  • Where Graylog falls short: Graylog Enterprise starts at $15,000 per year and Graylog Security at $18,000 per year, priced by daily volume or annual consumption.
  • Where Honeycomb falls short: free tier caps at 20 million events per month and 100 million metrics data points.
  • Prices and features on this page were last checked on 13 November 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Graylog and Honeycomb actually diverge.

Attributes where Graylog and Honeycomb differ
AttributeGraylogHoneycomb
Pricing modelOpen-sourceFreemium
PlatformsWeb, APIWeb

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), category (Logging).

Not yet recorded: founded for Honeycomb.

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
  • API
  • Webhooks
  • REST
  • Web support

Only in Honeycomb

Nothing recorded that Graylog does not also cover.

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Graylog

  • Log aggregation and analysis for SecOps teamsnot Honeycomb
  • IT and DevOps monitoring and troubleshootingnot Honeycomb
  • Enterprise security event monitoringnot Honeycomb

Honeycomb

  • Tracing requests through distributed microservicesnot Graylog
  • Observing AI agent behavior in productionnot Graylog
  • Debugging cloud migrations in real-timenot Graylog
  • Monitoring Kubernetes across multiple cloudsnot 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

Honeycomb

  • Free tier caps at 20 million events per month and 100 million metrics data points
  • Pro tier starts at $150 per month for only 50 million events, with cost scaling per additional event block up to its 750 million event ceiling
  • Enterprise tier's event and data point volumes are variable and its price is custom, requiring direct sales contact
  • Telemetry Pipeline is billed separately at $0.10 per GB on top of the base plan price

Pricing, plan by plan

Graylog

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Log aggregation
    • Full-text search
    • Parsing and extraction

Honeycomb

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 20M events per month
    • 100M metrics data points per month
    • 2 Triggers
  • Pro$150/mo
    • 750M events per month
    • 3.75B metrics data points per month
    • 100 Triggers

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.
Graylog review

Choose Honeycomb if

  • You want to start without paying.
Honeycomb review

Questions people ask

Is Graylog or Honeycomb better?
Neither clearly leads. Graylog starts at Free and Honeycomb at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Graylog or Honeycomb?
Graylog starts at Free and Honeycomb at Free.
Does Graylog or Honeycomb run on more platforms?
Graylog runs on Web, API. Honeycomb runs on Web.
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 log aggregation and analysis for secops teams, it and devops monitoring and troubleshooting, enterprise security event monitoring. Of those, log aggregation and analysis for secops teams and it and devops monitoring and troubleshooting are not what Honeycomb is typically brought in for.
What can Graylog do that Honeycomb cannot?
Graylog covers Log aggregation, Full-text search, Parsing and extraction, Real-time analytics.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Graylog: Does Graylog have a free version?

Yes. Graylog Open is a free, open-source option for collecting, storing, searching, and analyzing log data. However, it includes only community support.

Source
Honeycomb: Is Honeycomb free forever?

Honeycomb offers a free plan forever with up to 20M events per month and 100M metrics data points per month, best for testing and individual projects.

Source
Graylog: How much does Graylog Enterprise cost?

Graylog Enterprise pricing starts at $15,000/year based on daily log volume or annual data consumption. Exact pricing requires contacting sales.

Source
Honeycomb: What is the cost of Honeycomb's Telemetry Pipeline?

Honeycomb's Telemetry Pipeline starts at $0.10 per GB, with monthly or annual billing options available.

Source
Graylog: What is the difference between Graylog Enterprise and Security editions?

Graylog Security starts at $18,000/year and includes advanced threat detection capabilities beyond the Enterprise edition. Both include technical support.

Source
Honeycomb: Can I get custom Honeycomb pricing?

Yes, Honeycomb offers Enterprise plans with custom pricing and a base allowance starting at 10 billion events per year with dedicated support.

Source
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