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Logging · head to head

Loki vs Sumo Logic

Loki logo

Loki

Logging

Like Prometheus but for Logs

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Sumo Logic logo

Sumo Logic

Logging

Cloud Monitoring, Logging, and Security Analytics

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; Sumo Logic neither the Essentials nor the Enterprise Suite package lists a price on the pricing page; both link to Contact Sales
  • They diverge on capability: Loki covers Label-based indexing, Sumo Logic covers Metrics collection.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Loki and Sumo Logic actually diverge.

Attributes where Loki and Sumo Logic differ
AttributeLokiSumo Logic
Pricing modelopen-sourceusage-based
Founded20142010

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 Sumo Logic

  • Metrics collection
  • Real-time analytics
  • Custom dashboards

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 Sumo Logic
  • Querying logs alongside metrics in Grafananot Sumo Logic

Sumo Logic

  • Cloud-native log analytics across applications and infrastructurenot Loki
  • Running a SIEM with MITRE ATT&CK mapped detections and UEBAnot Loki
  • Compliance and audit readiness reporting from log datanot 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

Sumo Logic

  • Neither the Essentials nor the Enterprise Suite package lists a price on the pricing page; both link to Contact Sales
  • Quoted per GB figures assume an annual commitment, an average of 1 GB of log ingest per day and a US deployment region
  • Pricing varies by the AWS deployment region chosen, so the same volume costs differently in Dublin, Frankfurt, Sydney or Tokyo
  • Flex pricing bills per TB scanned rather than per GB ingested, so query activity drives the bill
  • Feature activation is subject to minimum volume, minimum user counts and service requirements confirmed at the time of the transaction
  • The API is limited to four calls per section, ten concurrent in-flight requests, and query processing times out after two minutes
  • Self-serve credit card purchase is capped at $25,000; larger purchases must go through sales or a reseller

Pricing, plan by plan

Loki

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

Sumo Logic

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Log aggregation
    • Metrics collection
    • Real-time analytics

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 Sumo Logic if

  • You need metrics collection.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Api.
  • You also want real-time analytics.
Sumo Logic review

Questions people ask

Is Loki or Sumo Logic better?
Neither clearly leads. Loki starts at Free and Sumo Logic at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Loki or Sumo Logic?
Loki starts at Free and Sumo Logic at Free.
Does Loki or Sumo Logic 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 Sumo Logic is typically brought in for.
What can Loki do that Sumo Logic cannot?
Loki covers Label-based indexing, Real-time log streaming, LogQL query language. Sumo Logic covers Metrics collection, Real-time analytics, Custom dashboards. 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
Sumo Logic: How much does Sumo Logic cost?

Sumo Logic does not publish specific pricing on its pricing page. Essentials plan is available via self-serve credit card for up to $25,000, with Enterprise Suite requiring sales contact for quotes.

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
Sumo Logic: How is Sumo Logic priced?

Sumo Logic uses a credit-based pricing model. Logs are measured by GB scanned during queries, metrics by Data Points per Minute, and traces up to 5GB per day on Essentials.

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
Sumo Logic: Is there a free trial?

Yes, Sumo Logic offers a 30-day free trial for the Essentials plan, which is available via self-serve credit card signup.

Source
Sumo Logic: What are the data retention limits?

The Essentials plan supports up to 365 days of log retention, 300 log monitors, 500 metric monitors, and 5GB per day trace storage.

Source
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