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Logging · head to head

Loki vs Uptime.com

Loki logo

Loki

Logging

Like Prometheus but for Logs

From
Free
Rated
-
Uptime.com logo

Uptime.com

Logging

Website monitoring and uptime checker with 80+ global monitoring points

From
On request
Rated
-

The short version

  • Only Loki has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Loki the Grafana Cloud free tier caps log ingestion at 50 GB a month with 14 day retention; Uptime.com pricing structure not fully detailed publicly
  • They diverge on capability: Loki covers Log aggregation, Uptime.com covers Website monitoring.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Loki and Uptime.com actually diverge.

Attributes where Loki and Uptime.com differ
AttributeLokiUptime.com
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelopen-sourcesubscription
Free tierYesNo
Founded2014Unknown

Identical on both: 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

  • Log aggregation
  • Label-based indexing
  • Real-time log streaming
  • LogQL query language
  • API
  • Webhooks
  • REST
  • Web support

Only in Uptime.com

  • Website monitoring
  • API monitoring
  • Synthetic monitoring
  • Page speed testing
  • Real User Monitoring
  • Status pages
  • Private locations
  • Global network

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 Uptime.com
  • Querying logs alongside metrics in Grafananot Uptime.com

Uptime.com

  • Monitor website availability across multiple global locationsnot Loki
  • Test API endpoints and validate response timesnot Loki
  • Verify DNS resolution and certificate validitynot Loki
  • Track page load performance over timenot Loki
  • Send alerts to teams when issues occurnot 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

Uptime.com

  • Pricing structure not fully detailed publicly
  • Limited information on check frequency in basic plans
  • Real User Monitoring and status pages require add-ons
  • Lower-tier plans may have feature limitations

Pricing, plan by plan

Loki

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

Uptime.com

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Uptime.com review.

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.

Choose Uptime.com if

  • You need website monitoring.
  • You work on Web, API.
  • You also want api monitoring.

Questions people ask

Is Loki or Uptime.com better?
Neither clearly leads. Loki starts at Free and Uptime.com at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Loki or Uptime.com?
Loki has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Loki and On request for Uptime.com.
Does Loki or Uptime.com run on more platforms?
Loki runs on Web, Api. Uptime.com runs on Web, API.
Can I use Loki for free?
Yes. Loki has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Uptime.com starts at On request.
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 Uptime.com is typically brought in for.
What can Loki do that Uptime.com cannot?
Loki covers Log aggregation, Label-based indexing, Real-time log streaming, LogQL query language. Uptime.com covers Website monitoring, API monitoring, Synthetic monitoring, Page speed testing.

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
Uptime.com: Does Uptime.com offer a money-back guarantee?

Yes, Uptime.com provides a 30-day money-back guarantee for new users, allowing risk-free trial of their service.

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
Uptime.com: What alerting methods does Uptime.com support?

All plans include email and SMS alerting with 20+ integrations available including Slack, Teams, PagerDuty, and webhooks for custom integrations.

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
Uptime.com: How many monitoring locations does Uptime.com have?

Uptime.com operates 80+ monitoring locations worldwide, enabling checks from multiple geographic regions to detect regional connectivity issues.

Source
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