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Logging · head to head

Raygun vs Vector

Raygun logo

Raygun

Logging

Real User Monitoring and Crash Reporting

From
$40/month
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

  • Only Vector has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • 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; 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: Raygun covers Crash reporting, Vector covers Log collection.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Raygun and Vector actually diverge.

Attributes where Raygun and Vector differ
AttributeRaygunVector
Starting price$40/monthFree
Pricing modelusage-basedopen-source
Free tierNoYes
Founded20112019

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 Raygun

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

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.

Raygun

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

Vector

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

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

Raygun

$40/month
  • Basic$40/month
    • Core monitoring, unlimited apps and members
    • Basic alerts, deployment tracking
    • Annual billing saves 33%
  • Team$80/month
    • Inbound filters and third-party integrations
    • Unlimited dashboards and user roles
    • Marked as MOST POPULAR plan
  • Business$400/month
    • SAML SSO and dedicated account manager
    • Priority support and quarterly reviews
    • Annual billing saves 33%
  • Enterprise$undefined/mo
    • Custom pricing and compliance requirements
    • Unlimited reports and SLA agreements
    • Private Slack support

Vector

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

Which should you pick?

Choose Raygun if

  • You need crash reporting.
  • You work on Web, Api.
  • You also want real user monitoring.
Raygun 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 Raygun or Vector better?
Neither clearly leads. Raygun starts at $40/month and Vector at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Raygun or Vector?
Vector has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $40/month for Raygun and Free for Vector.
Does Raygun or Vector run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, Api, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Vector for free?
Yes. Vector has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Raygun starts at $40/month.
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 Vector is typically brought in for.
What can Raygun do that Vector cannot?
Raygun covers Crash reporting, Real user monitoring, Performance tracking, Source maps. Vector covers Log collection, Metrics collection, Trace collection, Event transformation. Both handle API, Webhooks, REST, Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Raygun: Does Raygun offer a free trial?

Yes. Raygun offers a free 14-day trial with no credit card required. The trial includes feature access across all products.

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
Raygun: What is Raygun's pricing model?

Raygun uses a usage-based pricing model with tiered plans starting at $40/month for Basic tier, plus per-event charges ($0.001 to $0.002 per event). Annual billing saves 33% compared to monthly rates.

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
Raygun: What features are included in the Team plan?

Team plan at $80/month includes inbound filters, third-party integrations, unlimited dashboards, user roles, and is marked as the most popular option. It's positioned between Basic and Business tiers.

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
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