Softwr

Logging · head to head

Loki vs Vector

Loki logo

Loki

Logging

Like Prometheus but for Logs

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Vector logo

Vector

Logging

A Lightweight and Ultra-Fast Tool for Building Observability Pipelines

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; Vector free and open source under the MPL-2.0 license, backed by an open source community with a public GitHub repo
  • They diverge on capability: Loki covers Log aggregation, Vector covers Log collection.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Loki and Vector actually diverge.

Attributes where Loki and Vector differ
AttributeLokiVector
Founded20142019

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (open-source), 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

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

Only in Vector

  • Log collection
  • Metrics collection
  • Trace collection
  • Event transformation

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 Vector
  • Querying logs alongside metrics in Grafananot Vector

Vector

  • Log monitoringnot Loki
  • Application performancenot Loki
  • Security analyticsnot Loki
  • Troubleshootingnot 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

Vector

  • Free and open source under the MPL-2.0 license, backed by an open source community with a public GitHub repo

Pricing, plan by plan

Loki

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

Vector

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Log collection
    • Metrics collection
    • Trace collection

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 Vector if

  • You need log collection.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Api.
  • You also want metrics collection.
Vector review

Questions people ask

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

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
Vector: Is Vector free to download and use?

Yes, Vector is free and open source. The software is available across multiple platforms including Linux (various distributions), macOS, and Windows through direct downloads, package managers, containers, and source code.

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
Vector: What license does Vector use?

Vector is distributed under the Mozilla Public License (MPL 2.0). This license applies uniformly across all Vector releases.

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
Vector: Can I use Vector for commercial purposes without paying?

Vector appears to have no built-in paid tier distinction and is offered as unified open-source software. However, commercial support options or enterprise services may exist beyond the open-source distribution.

Source
Vector: Is there paid support or enterprise licensing available for Vector?

The Vector documentation and download pages do not specify commercial support tiers or enterprise licensing options. Such information would require contacting the Vector/Datadog team directly.

Source
Share

Related pages

More on Loki

More on Vector

Keep looking

Other head to heads