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Logging · head to head

Loggly vs Logstash

Loggly logo

Loggly

Logging

Cloud-Based Log Management and Analytics

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Logstash logo

Logstash

Logging

Data Processing Pipeline for Ingestion

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Loggly the free Lite plan caps ingest at 200 MB per day with 7 day retention; Logstash logstash's source is dual licensed: code outside the x-pack directory is Apache License 2.0, but code inside x-pack (which carries several of Logstash's monitoring and management features) is licensed under the Elastic License, not a fully open source license
  • They diverge on capability: Loggly covers Log aggregation, Logstash covers Data ingestion.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Loggly and Logstash actually diverge.

Attributes where Loggly and Logstash differ
AttributeLogglyLogstash
Pricing modelusage-basedopen-source
Founded20092011

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 Loggly

  • Log aggregation
  • Real-time search
  • Custom dashboards
  • Alert management

Only in Logstash

  • Data ingestion
  • Event parsing
  • Data transformation
  • Multiple input sources

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.

Loggly

  • Cloud-hosted log aggregation for small and mid-sized engineering teamsnot Logstash
  • Alerting on log patterns via email, webhook, PagerDuty or Slacknot Logstash
  • Log analysis alongside SolarWinds infrastructure and application monitoringnot Logstash

Logstash

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

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Loggly

  • The free Lite plan caps ingest at 200 MB per day with 7 day retention
  • API access and archiving to Amazon S3 start on the Pro plan at $159 per month billed annually
  • Federated identity management is an Enterprise feature, starting at $279 per month billed annually
  • The Standard plan at $79 per month is limited to 1 GB per day and 3 source groups
  • Maximum retention is 90 days and only on Enterprise; Standard is fixed at 15 days

Logstash

  • Logstash's source is dual licensed: code outside the x-pack directory is Apache License 2.0, but code inside x-pack (which carries several of Logstash's monitoring and management features) is licensed under the Elastic License, not a fully open source license

Pricing, plan by plan

Loggly

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Log aggregation
    • Real-time search
    • Custom dashboards

Logstash

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Data ingestion
    • Event parsing
    • Data transformation

Which should you pick?

Choose Loggly if

  • You need log aggregation.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Api.
  • You also want real-time search.
Loggly review

Choose Logstash if

  • You need data ingestion.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Api.
  • You also want event parsing.
Logstash review

Questions people ask

Is Loggly or Logstash better?
Neither clearly leads. Loggly starts at Free and Logstash at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Loggly or Logstash?
Loggly starts at Free and Logstash at Free.
Does Loggly or Logstash run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, Api, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Loggly for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Loggly best used for?
Loggly is most often used for cloud-hosted log aggregation for small and mid-sized engineering teams, alerting on log patterns via email, webhook, pagerduty or slack, log analysis alongside solarwinds infrastructure and application monitoring. Of those, cloud-hosted log aggregation for small and mid-sized engineering teams and alerting on log patterns via email, webhook, pagerduty or slack are not what Logstash is typically brought in for.
What can Loggly do that Logstash cannot?
Loggly covers Log aggregation, Real-time search, Custom dashboards, Alert management. Logstash covers Data ingestion, Event parsing, Data transformation, Multiple input sources. Both handle API, Webhooks, REST, Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Logstash: How much does Logstash cost?

Logstash is free and open-source. The data processing pipeline is available to download at no charge and can be deployed without licensing costs or commercial restrictions.

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