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Loki vs Bugsnag

Loki logo

Loki

Software

Like Prometheus but for Logs

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Bugsnag logo

Bugsnag

Software

Application Stability Monitoring

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Loki the Grafana Cloud free tier caps log ingestion at 50 GB a month with 14 day retention; Bugsnag owned by SmartBear rather than being independent
  • They diverge on capability: Loki covers Log aggregation, Bugsnag covers Error tracking.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Loki and Bugsnag actually diverge.

Attributes where Loki and Bugsnag differ
AttributeLokiBugsnag
Pricing modelopen-sourceusage-based
Founded20142012

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 Loki

  • Log aggregation
  • Label-based indexing
  • Real-time log streaming
  • LogQL query language

Only in Bugsnag

  • Error tracking
  • Crash reporting
  • Release tracking
  • Trend analysis

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.

Loki

  • Aggregating application and infrastructure logs with label based indexingnot Bugsnag
  • Querying logs alongside metrics in Grafananot Bugsnag

Bugsnag

  • Crash and error reporting for mobile and web applicationsnot Loki
  • Stability scores per releasenot Loki
  • Grouping errors by root cause across deploysnot Loki
  • Alerting when a release regressesnot Loki

Where each one falls short

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

Loki

  • The Grafana Cloud free tier caps log ingestion at 50 GB a month with 14 day retention
  • Paid log pricing is split across three separate meters, at $0.050 per GB processed, $0.400 per GB written and $0.100 per GB retained
  • Retaining logs is billed separately from ingesting them, so keeping data costs on an ongoing basis rather than once
  • The Pro plan carries a $19 a month platform fee before any usage charges

Bugsnag

  • Owned by SmartBear rather than being independent
  • The free tier covers 7,500 events a month
  • Paid tiers are usage-priced by event volume rather than by seat, so a noisy release raises the bill
  • Enterprise pricing is quote-only

Pricing, plan by plan

Loki

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Log aggregation
    • Label-based indexing
    • Real-time log streaming

Bugsnag

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Error tracking
    • Crash reporting
    • Release tracking

Which should you pick?

Choose Loki if

  • You need log aggregation.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Api.
  • You also want label-based indexing.
Loki review

Choose Bugsnag if

  • You need error tracking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Api.
  • You also want crash reporting.
Bugsnag review

Questions people ask

Is Loki or Bugsnag better?
Neither clearly leads. Loki starts at Free and Bugsnag at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Loki or Bugsnag?
Loki starts at Free and Bugsnag at Free.
Does Loki or Bugsnag run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, Api, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Loki for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Loki best used for?
Loki is most often used for aggregating application and infrastructure logs with label based indexing, querying logs alongside metrics in grafana. Of those, aggregating application and infrastructure logs with label based indexing and querying logs alongside metrics in grafana are not what Bugsnag is typically brought in for.
What can Loki do that Bugsnag cannot?
Loki covers Log aggregation, Label-based indexing, Real-time log streaming, LogQL query language. Bugsnag covers Error tracking, Crash reporting, Release tracking, Trend analysis. Both handle API, Webhooks, REST, Web support.
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Related pages

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