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Logging · head to head

ELK Stack vs Logz.io

ELK Stack logo

ELK Stack

Logging

Open Source Search and Log Analytics

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 ELK Stack has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: ELK Stack the free Basic self managed subscription excludes machine learning, alerting, single sign on via SAML or OpenID Connect, LDAP and Active Directory authentication, field and document level security, searchable snapshots and cross cluster replication; Logz.io saaS-only with no self-hosting option
  • They diverge on capability: ELK Stack covers Full-text search, Logz.io covers AI-powered insights.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 2 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which ELK Stack and Logz.io actually diverge.

Attributes where ELK Stack and Logz.io differ
AttributeELK StackLogz.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 ELK Stack

  • Full-text search
  • Data visualization
  • Time-series analytics

Only in Logz.io

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

Both cover

  • Log aggregation
  • API
  • Webhooks
  • REST
  • Web support
  • Api support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

ELK Stack

  • Centralised log search and analytics over Elasticsearchnot Logz.io
  • Dashboards and visualisation of machine data in Kibananot Logz.io
  • Self managing a search and observability cluster on your own hardwarenot Logz.io

Logz.io

  • Log monitoringnot ELK Stack
  • Application performancenot ELK Stack
  • Security analyticsnot ELK Stack
  • Troubleshootingnot ELK Stack

Where each one falls short

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

ELK Stack

  • The free Basic self managed subscription excludes machine learning, alerting, single sign on via SAML or OpenID Connect, LDAP and Active Directory authentication, field and document level security, searchable snapshots and cross cluster replication
  • Cross cluster operations require the same subscription tier on every cluster involved
  • The 99.95 percent monthly uptime SLA applies only to the Platinum and Enterprise subscription tiers
  • Three deployment models are priced on three different bases: resource based for Cloud Hosted, usage based for Serverless and licence based on nodes and RAM for self managed
  • Elastic Cloud Serverless does not yet support traffic filtering, cross project search or bring your own key
  • The pricing page publishes no rate for any tier

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

ELK Stack

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Full-text search
    • Data visualization
    • Log aggregation

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 ELK Stack if

  • You need full-text search.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Api.
  • You also want data visualization.
ELK Stack review

Choose Logz.io if

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

Questions people ask

Is ELK Stack or Logz.io better?
Neither clearly leads. ELK Stack 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, ELK Stack or Logz.io?
ELK Stack has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for ELK Stack and $99/month for Logz.io.
Does ELK Stack or Logz.io run on more platforms?
ELK Stack runs on Web, Api. Logz.io runs on Cloud (SaaS), Web.
Can I use ELK Stack for free?
Yes. ELK Stack has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Logz.io starts at $99/month.
What is ELK Stack best used for?
ELK Stack is most often used for centralised log search and analytics over elasticsearch, dashboards and visualisation of machine data in kibana, self managing a search and observability cluster on your own hardware. Of those, centralised log search and analytics over elasticsearch and dashboards and visualisation of machine data in kibana are not what Logz.io is typically brought in for.
What can ELK Stack do that Logz.io cannot?
ELK Stack covers Full-text search, Data visualization, Time-series analytics. Logz.io covers AI-powered insights, Elasticsearch integration, Alert management, Security analytics. Both handle Log aggregation, API, Webhooks, REST.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

ELK Stack: Does Elastic offer a free trial without requiring a credit card?

Yes, Elastic offers a 14-day free cloud trial with no credit card required that includes all solutions: Search, Observability, Security, and Agent Builder.

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
ELK Stack: Can I deploy Elastic locally for evaluation?

Yes, Elastic provides a local deployment option for Elasticsearch and Kibana with a one-command setup requiring no account or credit card. This allows self-managed evaluation.

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.

ELK Stack: Does Elastic provide expert consultation for complex deployments?

Yes, Elastic offers expert consultation through their sales team for complex requirements and custom deployment scenarios.

Source
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