Softwr

Logging · head to head

Loki vs Papertrail

Loki logo

Loki

Logging

Like Prometheus but for Logs

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Papertrail logo

Papertrail

Logging

Cloud-Hosted Log Management

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; Papertrail log Observability starts at $5.00 per GB per month
  • They diverge on capability: Loki covers Label-based indexing, Papertrail covers Real-time tail.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Loki and Papertrail actually diverge.

Attributes where Loki and Papertrail differ
AttributeLokiPapertrail
Pricing modelopen-sourcesubscription
Founded20142011

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 Loki

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

Only in Papertrail

  • Real-time tail
  • Saved searches
  • System alerts

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.

Loki

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

Papertrail

  • Aggregating syslog and application logs from many hosts into one searchable streamnot Loki
  • Tail-and-search style troubleshooting during incidentsnot Loki
  • Long-term log archiving to Amazon S3 for later analysisnot 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

Papertrail

  • Log Observability starts at $5.00 per GB per month
  • Usage beyond the plan volume is billed at a 30% higher price per GB and is capped at 200% extra
  • Transferred volume is measured as message length plus 50 bytes of metadata per message, so metadata counts against the quota

Pricing, plan by plan

Loki

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

Papertrail

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Log aggregation
    • Real-time tail
    • Saved searches

Which should you pick?

Choose Loki if

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

Choose Papertrail if

  • You need real-time tail.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Api.
  • You also want saved searches.
Papertrail review

Questions people ask

Is Loki or Papertrail better?
Neither clearly leads. Loki starts at Free and Papertrail at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Loki or Papertrail?
Loki starts at Free and Papertrail at Free.
Does Loki or Papertrail 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 Papertrail is typically brought in for.
What can Loki do that Papertrail cannot?
Loki covers Label-based indexing, Real-time log streaming, LogQL query language. Papertrail covers Real-time tail, Saved searches, System alerts. Both handle Log aggregation, API, Webhooks, REST.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Loki: What does it cost to use Grafana Loki?

Loki is open source and free under the AGPLv3 license for self-hosted deployments. Grafana's managed Cloud Logs service includes a free tier up to 50GB of logs at no cost.

Source
Loki: Are there paid options for Loki beyond the free tier?

Yes. Grafana Cloud Logs offers paid tiers for teams and enterprises, and Enterprise Logs provides self-managed options with expert support for organizations with data localization or privacy requirements.

Source
Loki: What license does open source Loki use?

Loki is released under the AGPLv3 license, which requires you to share modifications and publish your source code if you deploy modifications publicly.

Source
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