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Software · head to head

Raygun vs Airbrake

Raygun logo

Raygun

Software

Real User Monitoring and Crash Reporting

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Airbrake logo

Airbrake

Software

Error Tracking and Performance Monitoring

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Raygun crash Reporting error data is retained for 180 days and Real User Monitoring sessions for only 60 days; longer retention is Enterprise only; Airbrake data retention is 30 days on every plan, including the $799 a month Business tier
  • They diverge on capability: Raygun covers Crash reporting, Airbrake covers Error tracking.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Raygun and Airbrake actually diverge.

Attributes where Raygun and Airbrake differ
AttributeRaygunAirbrake
Founded20112008

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (usage-based), free tier (Yes), platforms (Web, Api), 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 Raygun

  • Crash reporting
  • Real user monitoring
  • Performance tracking
  • Source maps

Only in Airbrake

  • Error tracking
  • Performance monitoring
  • Deploy tracking
  • Custom notifications

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.

Raygun

  • Crash and error reporting for web, mobile and backend applicationsnot Airbrake
  • Real user monitoring of front end page load and session performancenot Airbrake
  • Application performance monitoring with request level tracesnot Airbrake

Airbrake

  • Error and exception monitoring for web applicationsnot Raygun
  • Performance monitoring alongside error trackingnot Raygun
  • Alerting a team when a deploy introduces a spike in errorsnot Raygun
  • Tracking errors across multiple projects in one accountnot Raygun

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Raygun

  • Crash Reporting error data is retained for 180 days and Real User Monitoring sessions for only 60 days; longer retention is Enterprise only
  • Crash Reporting, Real User Monitoring and APM are billed as three separate products, each metered on its own unit of errors, sessions or traces
  • A Real User Monitoring session ends after 30 minutes of inactivity, so a single visit spanning breaks is billed as several sessions
  • Usage beyond the plan allowance is billed on demand at $0.001 per error and $0.002 per session or trace
  • Enterprise plan pricing is custom with no published rate

Airbrake

  • Data retention is 30 days on every plan, including the $799 a month Business tier
  • The entry plan at $19 a month covers 25,000 errors and 7,500 events
  • Errors beyond the plan quota are billed on demand
  • Audit logs and spike forgiveness require the Pro tier
  • The lowest tier is limited to 1 user and 1 team

Pricing, plan by plan

Raygun

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Crash reporting
    • Real user monitoring
    • Performance tracking

Airbrake

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Error tracking
    • Performance monitoring
    • Deploy tracking

Which should you pick?

Choose Raygun if

  • You need crash reporting.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Api.
  • You also want real user monitoring.
Raygun review

Choose Airbrake if

  • You need error tracking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Api.
  • You also want performance monitoring.
Airbrake review

Questions people ask

Is Raygun or Airbrake better?
Neither clearly leads. Raygun starts at Free and Airbrake at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Raygun or Airbrake?
Raygun starts at Free and Airbrake at Free.
Does Raygun or Airbrake run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, Api, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Raygun for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Raygun best used for?
Raygun is most often used for crash and error reporting for web, mobile and backend applications, real user monitoring of front end page load and session performance, application performance monitoring with request level traces. Of those, crash and error reporting for web, mobile and backend applications and real user monitoring of front end page load and session performance are not what Airbrake is typically brought in for.
What can Raygun do that Airbrake cannot?
Raygun covers Crash reporting, Real user monitoring, Performance tracking, Source maps. Airbrake covers Error tracking, Performance monitoring, Deploy tracking, Custom notifications. Both handle API, Webhooks, REST, Web support.
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