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Logging · head to head

Graylog vs Splunk Cloud

Graylog logo

Graylog

Logging

Log Aggregation and Analysis Platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Splunk Cloud logo

Splunk Cloud

Logging

Cloud-Based Log Management and Analytics

From
$675/year
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Graylog has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • 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; Splunk Cloud significantly higher pricing than competitors like Datadog and Elastic
  • They diverge on capability: Graylog covers Full-text search, Splunk Cloud covers Machine learning.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Graylog and Splunk Cloud actually diverge.

Attributes where Graylog and Splunk Cloud differ
AttributeGraylogSplunk Cloud
Starting priceFree$675/year
Pricing modelopen-sourceUnknown
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, ApiWeb
Founded20112003

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Logging).

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

  • Full-text search
  • Parsing and extraction

Only in Splunk Cloud

  • Machine learning
  • Advanced dashboards
  • Compliance tools
  • Cloud scalability

Both cover

  • Log aggregation
  • 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

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

Splunk Cloud

  • Log monitoringnot Graylog
  • Application performancenot Graylog
  • Security analyticsnot Graylog
  • Troubleshootingnot 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

Splunk Cloud

  • Significantly higher pricing than competitors like Datadog and Elastic
  • Per-GB ingest costs of $150+/day make budget forecasting difficult
  • Extended retention adds substantial additional costs
  • Enterprise Security add-on costs $25-45/GB/day on top of base pricing

Pricing, plan by plan

Graylog

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

Splunk Cloud

$675/year

No published plan breakdown. See the Splunk Cloud review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Graylog if

  • You need full-text search.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Api.
  • You also want parsing and extraction.
Graylog review

Choose Splunk Cloud if

  • You need machine learning.
  • You also want advanced dashboards.
Splunk Cloud review

Questions people ask

Is Graylog or Splunk Cloud better?
Neither clearly leads. Graylog starts at Free and Splunk Cloud at $675/year, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Graylog or Splunk Cloud?
Graylog has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Graylog and $675/year for Splunk Cloud.
Does Graylog or Splunk Cloud run on more platforms?
Graylog runs on Web, Api. Splunk Cloud runs on Web.
Can I use Graylog for free?
Yes. Graylog has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Splunk Cloud starts at $675/year.
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 Splunk Cloud is typically brought in for.
What can Graylog do that Splunk Cloud cannot?
Graylog covers Full-text search, Parsing and extraction. Splunk Cloud covers Machine learning, Advanced dashboards, Compliance tools, Cloud scalability. Both handle Log aggregation, Real-time analytics, API, Webhooks.

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
Splunk Cloud: How is Splunk Cloud priced?

Splunk Cloud uses two pricing models: legacy per-GB ingest at $150+/GB/day or newer workload pricing ranging from $3,000 to $400,000/month depending on pack size. Simpler deployments offer ingest pricing with 5GB/day at $675/year.

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
Splunk Cloud: What is included with Splunk Cloud storage?

Storage is included for a default retention period, typically 90 days for hot/warm data, with extended retention costing extra.

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
Splunk Cloud: Is Splunk Cloud managed or do I need to manage infrastructure?

Splunk Cloud is a fully managed SaaS offering where Cisco (current owner) handles infrastructure, upgrades, and scaling.

Source
Splunk Cloud: What makes Splunk Cloud expensive compared to alternatives?

Splunk remains the highest-priced major log platform, but offers the most powerful query language (SPL) and the deepest enterprise security ecosystem.

Source
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