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Logging · head to head

Logstash vs Stackdriver

Logstash logo

Logstash

Logging

Data Processing Pipeline for Ingestion

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Visit LogstashFull review
Stackdriver logo

Stackdriver

Logging

Google Cloud Operations - Monitoring and Logging

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Visit StackdriverFull review

The short version

  • Logstash is a free and open-source data processing pipeline.
  • Both are free.
  • Only Logstash lists data ingestion; only Stackdriver lists log management.
  • Where Stackdriver falls short: Stackdriver is now branded Google Cloud Observability and cloud.google.com/stackdriver redirects to the Observability product page.
  • Prices and features on this page were last checked on 13 November 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Logstash and Stackdriver actually diverge.

Attributes where Logstash and Stackdriver differ
AttributeLogstashStackdriver
Pricing modelOpen-sourceUsage-based
Founded20112006

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), platforms (Web, API), 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 Logstash

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

Only in Stackdriver

  • Log management
  • Metrics collection
  • Real-time monitoring
  • Error reporting

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.

Logstash

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

Stackdriver

  • Application performance monitoringnot Logstash
  • Log aggregation and analysisnot Logstash
  • Cloud infrastructure observabilitynot Logstash
  • Distributed trace analysisnot Logstash

Where each one falls short

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

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

Stackdriver

  • Stackdriver is now branded Google Cloud Observability and cloud.google.com/stackdriver redirects to the Observability product page
  • Cloud Logging charges $0.50 per GiB ingested, with only the first 50 GiB per project per month free
  • Logs kept beyond 30 days cost an extra $0.01 per GiB per month on top of the ingestion charge
  • Monitoring metric ingestion starts at $0.2580 per MiB, with only the first 150 MiB per billing account free
  • Alerting policies are billed at $0.35 per month for each metric reference in the policy
  • Uptime checks cost $0.30 per 1,000 executions and synthetic monitors $1.20 per 1,000 executions, with only 100 synthetic executions per billing account free
  • Monitoring read API calls cost $0.50 per million time series returned beyond the first million per billing account
  • Log volume is measured before indexing on the actual size of log entries, so verbose logging directly drives cost

Pricing, plan by plan

Logstash

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

Stackdriver

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Log management
    • Metrics collection
    • Real-time monitoring

Which should you pick?

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

Choose Stackdriver if

  • You need log management.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, API.
  • You also want metrics collection.
Stackdriver review

Questions people ask

Is Logstash or Stackdriver better?
Neither clearly leads. Logstash starts at Free and Stackdriver at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Logstash or Stackdriver?
Logstash starts at Free and Stackdriver at Free.
Does Logstash or Stackdriver run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, API, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Logstash for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Logstash best used for?
Logstash is most often used for log monitoring, application performance, security analytics, troubleshooting. Of those, log monitoring and application performance are not what Stackdriver is typically brought in for.
What can Logstash do that Stackdriver cannot?
Logstash covers Data ingestion, Event parsing, Data transformation, Multiple input sources. Stackdriver covers Log management, Metrics collection, Real-time monitoring, Error reporting. 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.

Source
Stackdriver: How much does Google Cloud Observability (Stackdriver) cost?

Google Cloud Observability does not publish fixed subscription prices. The service uses a usage-based pricing model where you pay for actual consumption. Specific rates require visiting the individual pricing pages for Cloud Logging, Cloud Monitoring, Cloud Trace, and Cloud Profiler.

Source
Stackdriver: What is the pricing model for Cloud Logging?

Cloud Logging uses usage-based pricing charged per GB of logs ingested and per GB stored, with monthly free tiers included. Storage charges vary by retention period and location.

Source
Stackdriver: How is Cloud Monitoring billed?

Cloud Monitoring charges per custom metric time series per month, with a monthly free tier for metrics. Standard monitoring includes basic default metrics at no extra charge.

Source
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