Software · head to head
Kibana vs CloudWatch
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Kibana requires Elasticsearch; it is a front end for data held there rather than a standalone analytics tool; CloudWatch the free tier covers 5 GB of log ingestion and 10 custom metrics a month, after which log ingestion is $0.50 per GB from 5 to 30 GB
- They diverge on capability: Kibana covers Data visualization, CloudWatch covers Metrics collection.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Kibana and CloudWatch actually diverge.
| Attribute | Kibana | CloudWatch |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | open-source | usage-based |
| Founded | 2011 | 2006 |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), platforms (Web, Api), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
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 Kibana
- Data visualization
- Dashboard creation
- Log discovery
- Alerting
Only in CloudWatch
- Metrics collection
- Log aggregation
- Dashboards
- Alarms and notifications
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.
Kibana
- Querying and visualising data held in Elasticsearchnot CloudWatch
- Dashboards over log and metric datanot CloudWatch
- Anomaly detection with machine learning jobsnot CloudWatch
- Geospatial analysis on indexed location datanot CloudWatch
- Alerting on query thresholdsnot CloudWatch
CloudWatch
- Metrics and log collection for AWS workloadsnot Kibana
- Alarming on thresholds across AWS servicesnot Kibana
- Querying logs with Logs Insightsnot Kibana
- Live tailing logs during an incidentnot Kibana
- Distributed tracing alongside X-Raynot Kibana
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Kibana
- Requires Elasticsearch; it is a front end for data held there rather than a standalone analytics tool
- Self-managed means running and scaling the Elastic stack yourself
- Cost is not Kibana's own; it follows whichever Elastic deployment sits underneath
CloudWatch
- The free tier covers 5 GB of log ingestion and 10 custom metrics a month, after which log ingestion is $0.50 per GB from 5 to 30 GB
- Custom metrics are $0.30 each for the first 10,000, so instrumenting broadly gets expensive before volume discounts apply
- Each custom dashboard beyond the free three is $3 a month
- Alarms are billed at $0.10 per alarm metric a month, with high-resolution alarms costing more
- Log storage beyond the free 5 GB is $0.03 per GB per month on top of the ingestion charge
Pricing, plan by plan
Kibana
Free- FreeFree
- Data visualization
- Dashboard creation
- Log discovery
CloudWatch
Free- FreeFree
- Metrics collection
- Log aggregation
- Dashboards
Which should you pick?
Choose Kibana if
- You need data visualization.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Api.
- You also want dashboard creation.
Choose CloudWatch if
- You need metrics collection.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Api.
- You also want log aggregation.
Questions people ask
- Is Kibana or CloudWatch better?
- Neither clearly leads. Kibana starts at Free and CloudWatch at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Kibana or CloudWatch?
- Kibana starts at Free and CloudWatch at Free.
- Does Kibana or CloudWatch run on more platforms?
- Both run on Web, Api, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
- Can I use Kibana for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Kibana best used for?
- Kibana is most often used for querying and visualising data held in elasticsearch, dashboards over log and metric data, anomaly detection with machine learning jobs, geospatial analysis on indexed location data. Of those, querying and visualising data held in elasticsearch and dashboards over log and metric data are not what CloudWatch is typically brought in for.
- What can Kibana do that CloudWatch cannot?
- Kibana covers Data visualization, Dashboard creation, Log discovery, Alerting. CloudWatch covers Metrics collection, Log aggregation, Dashboards, Alarms and notifications. Both handle API, Webhooks, REST, Web support.