Softwr

Logging · head to head

Graylog vs Vector

Graylog logo

Graylog

Logging

Log Aggregation and Analysis Platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Vector logo

Vector

Logging

A Lightweight and Ultra-Fast Tool for Building Observability Pipelines

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; Vector free and open source under the MPL-2.0 license, backed by an open source community with a public GitHub repo
  • They diverge on capability: Graylog covers Log aggregation, Vector covers Log collection.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Graylog and Vector actually diverge.

Attributes where Graylog and Vector differ
AttributeGraylogVector
Founded20112019

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (open-source), 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

  • Log aggregation
  • Full-text search
  • Parsing and extraction
  • Real-time analytics

Only in Vector

  • Log collection
  • Metrics collection
  • Trace collection
  • Event transformation

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

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

Vector

  • 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

Vector

  • Free and open source under the MPL-2.0 license, backed by an open source community with a public GitHub repo

Pricing, plan by plan

Graylog

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

Vector

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Log collection
    • Metrics collection
    • Trace collection

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 Vector if

  • You need log collection.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Api.
  • You also want metrics collection.
Vector review

Questions people ask

Is Graylog or Vector better?
Neither clearly leads. Graylog starts at Free and Vector at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Graylog or Vector?
Graylog starts at Free and Vector at Free.
Does Graylog or Vector 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 Vector is typically brought in for.
What can Graylog do that Vector cannot?
Graylog covers Log aggregation, Full-text search, Parsing and extraction, Real-time analytics. Vector covers Log collection, Metrics collection, Trace collection, Event transformation. Both handle API, Webhooks, REST, Web support.

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
Vector: Is Vector free to download and use?

Yes, Vector is free and open source. The software is available across multiple platforms including Linux (various distributions), macOS, and Windows through direct downloads, package managers, containers, and source code.

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
Vector: What license does Vector use?

Vector is distributed under the Mozilla Public License (MPL 2.0). This license applies uniformly across all Vector releases.

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
Vector: Can I use Vector for commercial purposes without paying?

Vector appears to have no built-in paid tier distinction and is offered as unified open-source software. However, commercial support options or enterprise services may exist beyond the open-source distribution.

Source
Vector: Is there paid support or enterprise licensing available for Vector?

The Vector documentation and download pages do not specify commercial support tiers or enterprise licensing options. Such information would require contacting the Vector/Datadog team directly.

Source
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