Software · head to head
New Relic vs Elasticsearch
Elasticsearch
Software
The heart of the Elastic Stack for search and analytics
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: New Relic data ingest costs can be high for large-scale deployments with high logging volume, making budgeting difficult; Elasticsearch eventual consistency model with 1-second default refresh interval, not suitable for real-time transactional requirements
- They diverge on capability: New Relic covers Infrastructure Monitoring, Elasticsearch covers Full-text Search.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which New Relic and Elasticsearch actually diverge.
| Attribute | New Relic | Elasticsearch |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | Web, Api, Mobile | Linux, Windows, macOS, Docker, Kubernetes |
| Founded | 2008 | 2010 |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (Unknown), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
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
- Infrastructure Monitoring
- Log Management
- Browser Monitoring
- Synthetic Monitoring
- Mobile Monitoring
- Kubernetes Monitoring
- AI Ops
- AWS
Only in Elasticsearch
- Full-text Search
- Real-time Analytics
- Distributed Architecture
- RESTful API
- Schema-free JSON
- Aggregations
- Machine Learning
- Kibana
Both cover
- APM
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
New Relic
- Application monitoringnot Elasticsearch
- Infrastructure monitoringnot Elasticsearch
- Error trackingnot Elasticsearch
- Performance optimizationnot Elasticsearch
Elasticsearch
- Real-time applicationsnot New Relic
- Content managementnot New Relic
- User profilesnot New Relic
- Mobile backendsnot New Relic
- Cachingnot New Relic
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
New Relic
- Data ingest costs can be high for large-scale deployments with high logging volume, making budgeting difficult
- Core user licensing model adds complexity to pricing with distinction between full platform users and basic users
- Default logs obfuscation may miss some sensitive patterns requiring custom configuration
- Retention limits even on paid tiers require additional storage for long-term compliance requirements
Elasticsearch
- Eventual consistency model with 1-second default refresh interval, not suitable for real-time transactional requirements
- No support for ACID transactions or rollbacks; updates delete and re-insert documents
- JVM-dependent architecture requires careful memory management and monitoring to prevent garbage collection issues at scale
Pricing, plan by plan
New Relic
FreeNo published plan breakdown. See the New Relic review.
Elasticsearch
Free- Self-ManagedFree
- Open source
- Self-hosted
- Elasticsearch Cloud$16.4/month
- Managed service
- 14-day free trial
Which should you pick?
Choose New Relic if
- You need infrastructure monitoring.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Api, Mobile.
- You also want log management.
Choose Elasticsearch if
- You need full-text search.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Linux, Windows, macOS, Docker, Kubernetes.
- You also want real-time analytics.
Questions people ask
- Is New Relic or Elasticsearch better?
- Neither clearly leads. New Relic starts at Free and Elasticsearch at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, New Relic or Elasticsearch?
- New Relic starts at Free and Elasticsearch at Free.
- Does New Relic or Elasticsearch run on more platforms?
- New Relic runs on Web, Api, Mobile. Elasticsearch runs on Linux, Windows, macOS, Docker, Kubernetes.
- Can I use New Relic for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is New Relic best used for?
- New Relic is most often used for application monitoring, infrastructure monitoring, error tracking, performance optimization. Of those, application monitoring and infrastructure monitoring are not what Elasticsearch is typically brought in for.
- What can New Relic do that Elasticsearch cannot?
- New Relic covers Infrastructure Monitoring, Log Management, Browser Monitoring, Synthetic Monitoring. Elasticsearch covers Full-text Search, Real-time Analytics, Distributed Architecture, RESTful API. Both handle APM.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
New Relic: Does New Relic offer a free tier?
Yes, New Relic's free tier is perpetual with no credit card required. It includes 100 GB of free data ingest monthly, one Full Platform User with access to all 50+ capabilities, and unlimited Basic Users for querying and dashboard creation.
SourceElasticsearch: Is Elasticsearch free?
Yes, Elasticsearch can be deployed as free and open-source software for self-managed installations. Elastic Cloud managed service starts at $16.40 per month, with a free 14-day trial available.
SourceNew Relic: How much does New Relic cost for paid plans?
Paid plans start at $49 per month per core user. New Relic uses consumption-based pricing where you pay only for what you use. Annual commitment options are available with volume discounts for larger teams.
SourceElasticsearch: Can I use Elasticsearch without Kibana?
Yes, Elasticsearch is a search engine independent of Kibana. Kibana is a visualization and analytics tool that works with Elasticsearch but is optional. You can use the Elasticsearch API directly for searching.
SourceNew Relic: What data retention is included in New Relic's free tier?
The free tier includes a minimum of 8 days data retention for troubleshooting. Paid plans offer extended retention periods and customizable data retention policies.
SourceElasticsearch: Does Elasticsearch support real-time indexing?
Elasticsearch indexes data with a refresh interval, typically 1 second. Data becomes searchable after the refresh cycle, making it near-real-time but not instantaneous. This can be configured but impacts performance.
SourceNew Relic: How many integrations does New Relic support?
New Relic provides access to 780+ integrations and unlimited hosts at no additional cost. These include monitoring integrations for various cloud services, databases, and applications.
SourceElasticsearch: What are Elasticsearch's scaling limitations?
Elasticsearch requires careful operational management at scale, including shard balancing, heap sizing, and monitoring. Large clusters can suffer from garbage collection issues and become expensive to operate.
SourceNew Relic: Can I use New Relic to monitor multiple cloud providers?
Yes, New Relic is cloud-agnostic and supports monitoring across AWS, Google Cloud, Azure, and on-premises infrastructure in a single platform.
SourceElasticsearch: Does Elasticsearch support transactions and rollbacks?
No, Elasticsearch does not support ACID transactions or rollbacks. Updates are expensive operations that delete and re-insert documents, making it unsuitable for transactional workloads.
SourceNew Relic: What is New Relic's ownership structure today?
New Relic was acquired by TPG and Francisco Partners on July 31, 2023, for $6.5 billion and transitioned from a publicly traded company to a private company in November 2023.
Source