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Logging · head to head

Graylog vs Sumo Logic

Graylog logo

Graylog

Logging

Log Aggregation and Analysis Platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Sumo Logic logo

Sumo Logic

Logging

Cloud Monitoring, Logging, and Security Analytics

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

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; Sumo Logic neither the Essentials nor the Enterprise Suite package lists a price on the pricing page; both link to Contact Sales
  • They diverge on capability: Graylog covers Full-text search, Sumo Logic covers Metrics collection.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Graylog and Sumo Logic actually diverge.

Attributes where Graylog and Sumo Logic differ
AttributeGraylogSumo Logic
Pricing modelopen-sourceusage-based
Founded20112010

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), platforms (Web, Api), 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 Sumo Logic

  • Metrics collection
  • Custom dashboards

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 Sumo Logic
  • IT and DevOps monitoring and troubleshootingnot Sumo Logic
  • Enterprise security event monitoringnot Sumo Logic

Sumo Logic

  • Cloud-native log analytics across applications and infrastructurenot Graylog
  • Running a SIEM with MITRE ATT&CK mapped detections and UEBAnot Graylog
  • Compliance and audit readiness reporting from log datanot 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

Sumo Logic

  • Neither the Essentials nor the Enterprise Suite package lists a price on the pricing page; both link to Contact Sales
  • Quoted per GB figures assume an annual commitment, an average of 1 GB of log ingest per day and a US deployment region
  • Pricing varies by the AWS deployment region chosen, so the same volume costs differently in Dublin, Frankfurt, Sydney or Tokyo
  • Flex pricing bills per TB scanned rather than per GB ingested, so query activity drives the bill
  • Feature activation is subject to minimum volume, minimum user counts and service requirements confirmed at the time of the transaction
  • The API is limited to four calls per section, ten concurrent in-flight requests, and query processing times out after two minutes
  • Self-serve credit card purchase is capped at $25,000; larger purchases must go through sales or a reseller

Pricing, plan by plan

Graylog

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

Sumo Logic

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Log aggregation
    • Metrics collection
    • Real-time analytics

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 Sumo Logic if

  • You need metrics collection.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Api.
  • You also want custom dashboards.
Sumo Logic review

Questions people ask

Is Graylog or Sumo Logic better?
Neither clearly leads. Graylog starts at Free and Sumo Logic at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Graylog or Sumo Logic?
Graylog starts at Free and Sumo Logic at Free.
Does Graylog or Sumo Logic 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 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 Sumo Logic is typically brought in for.
What can Graylog do that Sumo Logic cannot?
Graylog covers Full-text search, Parsing and extraction. Sumo Logic covers Metrics collection, Custom dashboards. 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
Sumo Logic: How much does Sumo Logic cost?

Sumo Logic does not publish specific pricing on its pricing page. Essentials plan is available via self-serve credit card for up to $25,000, with Enterprise Suite requiring sales contact for quotes.

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
Sumo Logic: How is Sumo Logic priced?

Sumo Logic uses a credit-based pricing model. Logs are measured by GB scanned during queries, metrics by Data Points per Minute, and traces up to 5GB per day on Essentials.

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
Sumo Logic: Is there a free trial?

Yes, Sumo Logic offers a 30-day free trial for the Essentials plan, which is available via self-serve credit card signup.

Source
Sumo Logic: What are the data retention limits?

The Essentials plan supports up to 365 days of log retention, 300 log monitors, 500 metric monitors, and 5GB per day trace storage.

Source
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