Logging · head to head
New Relic Logs vs Stackdriver
The short version
- Each has a real cost: New Relic Logs log data counts against the same 100 GB monthly free ingest allowance shared with every other telemetry type, so logs compete with metrics and traces for it; Stackdriver stackdriver is now branded Google Cloud Observability and cloud.google.com/stackdriver redirects to the Observability product page
- They diverge on capability: New Relic Logs covers Log ingestion, Stackdriver covers Log management.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which New Relic Logs and Stackdriver actually diverge.
| Attribute | New Relic Logs | Stackdriver |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | freemium | usage-based |
| Founded | 2008 | 2006 |
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 New Relic Logs
- Log ingestion
- Full-text search
- Logs-in-context
- Custom dashboards
Only in Stackdriver
- Log management
- Metrics collection
- Real-time monitoring
- Error reporting
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.
New Relic Logs
- Centralised log management alongside metrics and tracesnot Stackdriver
- Searching and alerting on application logs in context with performance datanot Stackdriver
Stackdriver
- Application performance monitoringnot New Relic Logs
- Log aggregation and analysisnot New Relic Logs
- Cloud infrastructure observabilitynot New Relic Logs
- Distributed trace analysisnot New Relic Logs
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
New Relic Logs
- Log data counts against the same 100 GB monthly free ingest allowance shared with every other telemetry type, so logs compete with metrics and traces for it
- Ingest beyond that is $0.40 per GB, rising to $0.60 per GB on the Data Plus option
- Full platform users cost $349 each a month on Pro with an annual commitment, or $418.80 paying monthly
- The Standard edition caps additional full platform users at 5
- Core users are $49 a month each even though basic users are free
Stackdriver
- Stackdriver is now branded Google Cloud Observability and cloud.google.com/stackdriver redirects to the Observability product page
- Cloud Logging charges $0.50 per GiB ingested, with only the first 50 GiB per project per month free
- Logs kept beyond 30 days cost an extra $0.01 per GiB per month on top of the ingestion charge
- Monitoring metric ingestion starts at $0.2580 per MiB, with only the first 150 MiB per billing account free
- Alerting policies are billed at $0.35 per month for each metric reference in the policy
- Uptime checks cost $0.30 per 1,000 executions and synthetic monitors $1.20 per 1,000 executions, with only 100 synthetic executions per billing account free
- Monitoring read API calls cost $0.50 per million time series returned beyond the first million per billing account
- Log volume is measured before indexing on the actual size of log entries, so verbose logging directly drives cost
Pricing, plan by plan
New Relic Logs
Free- Free TierFree
- 100 GB per month data ingest
- Unlimited basic users
- 1 full platform user
- Standard Edition$49/month
- Up to 5 full platform users
- Core users 49 dollars per user per month
- Additional full platform users at 99 dollars each
- Pro Edition$349/year
- Unlimited full platform users
- Core users at 49 dollars per user per month
- Full platform users at 349 dollars per user annually or 418.80 dollars monthly
- Enterprise Edition$null/mo
- Unlimited full platform users
- Custom pricing
- FedRAMP and HIPAA support
Stackdriver
Free- FreeFree
- Log management
- Metrics collection
- Real-time monitoring
Which should you pick?
Choose New Relic Logs if
- You need log ingestion.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Api.
- You also want full-text search.
Choose Stackdriver if
- You need log management.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Api.
- You also want metrics collection.
Questions people ask
- Is New Relic Logs or Stackdriver better?
- Neither clearly leads. New Relic Logs starts at Free and Stackdriver at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, New Relic Logs or Stackdriver?
- New Relic Logs starts at Free and Stackdriver at Free.
- Does New Relic Logs or Stackdriver run on more platforms?
- Both run on Web, Api, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
- Can I use New Relic Logs for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is New Relic Logs best used for?
- New Relic Logs is most often used for centralised log management alongside metrics and traces, searching and alerting on application logs in context with performance data. Of those, centralised log management alongside metrics and traces and searching and alerting on application logs in context with performance data are not what Stackdriver is typically brought in for.
- What can New Relic Logs do that Stackdriver cannot?
- New Relic Logs covers Log ingestion, Full-text search, Logs-in-context, Custom dashboards. Stackdriver covers Log management, Metrics collection, Real-time monitoring, Error reporting. Both handle API, Webhooks, REST, Web support.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
New Relic Logs: Is New Relic free?
New Relic offers a free tier with 100 GB per month of data ingest, 1 full platform user, and unlimited basic users.
SourceStackdriver: How much does Google Cloud Observability (Stackdriver) cost?
Google Cloud Observability does not publish fixed subscription prices. The service uses a usage-based pricing model where you pay for actual consumption. Specific rates require visiting the individual pricing pages for Cloud Logging, Cloud Monitoring, Cloud Trace, and Cloud Profiler.
SourceNew Relic Logs: What does New Relic charge for data beyond the free tier?
New Relic charges 0.40 dollars per gigabyte for data beyond the 100 GB free monthly allowance. Data Plus tier costs 0.60 dollars per GB and includes up to 90-day extended retention.
SourceStackdriver: What is the pricing model for Cloud Logging?
Cloud Logging uses usage-based pricing charged per GB of logs ingested and per GB stored, with monthly free tiers included. Storage charges vary by retention period and location.
SourceNew Relic Logs: What is the Pro plan pricing?
The Pro Edition costs 349 dollars per user per year for full platform users, or 418.80 dollars per month. Unlimited full platform users are included.
SourceStackdriver: How is Cloud Monitoring billed?
Cloud Monitoring charges per custom metric time series per month, with a monthly free tier for metrics. Standard monitoring includes basic default metrics at no extra charge.
SourceRelated pages
More on New Relic Logs
More on Stackdriver
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