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Logging · head to head

Kibana vs Logz.io

Kibana logo

Kibana

Logging

Visualize Your Elasticsearch Data

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Logz.io logo

Logz.io

Logging

AI-Powered Log Analytics and Monitoring Platform

From
$99/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Kibana has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Kibana requires Elasticsearch; it is a front end for data held there rather than a standalone analytics tool; Logz.io saaS-only with no self-hosting option
  • They diverge on capability: Kibana covers Data visualization, Logz.io covers Log aggregation.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 2 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Kibana and Logz.io actually diverge.

Attributes where Kibana and Logz.io differ
AttributeKibanaLogz.io
Starting priceFree$99/month
Pricing modelopen-sourceUnknown
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, ApiCloud (SaaS), Web
Founded20112014

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 Kibana

  • Data visualization
  • Dashboard creation
  • Log discovery
  • Alerting

Only in Logz.io

  • Log aggregation
  • AI-powered insights
  • Elasticsearch integration
  • Alert management
  • Security analytics

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 Logz.io
  • Dashboards over log and metric datanot Logz.io
  • Anomaly detection with machine learning jobsnot Logz.io
  • Geospatial analysis on indexed location datanot Logz.io
  • Alerting on query thresholdsnot Logz.io

Logz.io

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

Logz.io

  • SaaS-only with no self-hosting option
  • High pricing for long data retention periods, with steep cost increases for larger data volumes
  • UI can take up to 10 seconds to load
  • Geo-location data is old and inaccurate
  • Expensive for smaller companies with limited log volumes
  • Data retention limitations at 14 days may not meet compliance requirements

Pricing, plan by plan

Kibana

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Data visualization
    • Dashboard creation
    • Log discovery

Logz.io

$99/month
  • Pro$99/month
    • Log management
    • Real-time search
    • Basic alerts
  • Enterprise$undefined/mo
    • All Pro features
    • Advanced security
    • Dedicated support

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.
Kibana review

Choose Logz.io if

  • You need log aggregation.
  • You work on Cloud (SaaS), Web.
  • You also want ai-powered insights.
Logz.io review

Questions people ask

Is Kibana or Logz.io better?
Neither clearly leads. Kibana starts at Free and Logz.io at $99/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Kibana or Logz.io?
Kibana has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Kibana and $99/month for Logz.io.
Does Kibana or Logz.io run on more platforms?
Kibana runs on Web, Api. Logz.io runs on Cloud (SaaS), Web.
Can I use Kibana for free?
Yes. Kibana has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Logz.io starts at $99/month.
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 Logz.io is typically brought in for.
What can Kibana do that Logz.io cannot?
Kibana covers Data visualization, Dashboard creation, Log discovery, Alerting. Logz.io covers Log aggregation, AI-powered insights, Elasticsearch integration, Alert management. Both handle API, Webhooks, REST, Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Kibana: Is Kibana available for free?

Kibana is offered with a free trial across all deployment models (Elastic Cloud Serverless, Hosted, and self-managed). Kibana is a component of the Elastic product suite and is not priced separately.

Source
Logz.io: Does Logz.io support self-hosting?

No. Logz.io is a fully SaaS platform with no self-hosting option, limiting flexibility for organizations with on-premises requirements or specific data residency needs.

Source
Kibana: How is Kibana priced?

Kibana pricing is bundled with Elasticsearch or other Elastic products. Pricing varies by deployment model: Elastic Cloud Serverless uses usage-based pricing, Hosted uses resource-based pricing, and self-managed is free to download.

Source
Logz.io: Is Logz.io based on open-source ELK Stack?

Logz.io is built on the ELK Stack (Elasticsearch, Logstash, Kibana) but uses managed hosting. Note that Elasticsearch and Kibana switched to non-open-source licenses (SSPL) in February 2021, which may have legal implications.

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