Software · head to head
Retrace vs CloudWatch
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Retrace end of Life scheduled for March 31, 2027; the product is being discontinued; CloudWatch the free tier covers 5 GB of log ingestion and 10 custom metrics a month, after which log ingestion is $0.50 per GB from 5 to 30 GB
- They diverge on capability: Retrace covers Log management, CloudWatch covers Metrics collection.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Retrace and CloudWatch actually diverge.
| Attribute | Retrace | CloudWatch |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | subscription | usage-based |
| Platforms | Web, .NET, Java, PHP, Node.js, Python | Web, Api |
| Founded | 2012 | 2006 |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), 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 Retrace
- Log management
- Application performance tracking
- Error detection
- Code profiling
- Performance baselines
Only in CloudWatch
- Metrics collection
- Log aggregation
- Dashboards
- Alarms and 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.
Retrace
- Log monitoringnot CloudWatch
- Application performancenot CloudWatch
- Security analyticsnot CloudWatch
- Troubleshootingnot CloudWatch
CloudWatch
- Metrics and log collection for AWS workloadsnot Retrace
- Alarming on thresholds across AWS servicesnot Retrace
- Querying logs with Logs Insightsnot Retrace
- Live tailing logs during an incidentnot Retrace
- Distributed tracing alongside X-Raynot Retrace
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Retrace
- End of Life scheduled for March 31, 2027; the product is being discontinued
- Costs escalate quickly with per-server billing model, expensive at scale
- User interface and dashboard criticisms; UI is outdated and difficult to use
- Logging latency; logs can take time to appear and are not instant
- Less mature support for Node.js, Python, and newer ecosystems
- Reporting issues where process restarts provide only timeline without root cause data
- Reliability concerns; monitoring has stopped collecting traces with no warning
CloudWatch
- The free tier covers 5 GB of log ingestion and 10 custom metrics a month, after which log ingestion is $0.50 per GB from 5 to 30 GB
- Custom metrics are $0.30 each for the first 10,000, so instrumenting broadly gets expensive before volume discounts apply
- Each custom dashboard beyond the free three is $3 a month
- Alarms are billed at $0.10 per alarm metric a month, with high-resolution alarms costing more
- Log storage beyond the free 5 GB is $0.03 per GB per month on top of the ingestion charge
Pricing, plan by plan
Retrace
Free- FreeFree
- Log management
- Application performance tracking
- Error detection
CloudWatch
Free- FreeFree
- Metrics collection
- Log aggregation
- Dashboards
Which should you pick?
Choose Retrace if
- You need log management.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, .NET, Java, PHP, Node.js, Python.
- You also want application performance tracking.
Choose CloudWatch if
- You need metrics collection.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Api.
- You also want log aggregation.
Questions people ask
- Is Retrace or CloudWatch better?
- Neither clearly leads. Retrace starts at Free and CloudWatch at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Retrace or CloudWatch?
- Retrace starts at Free and CloudWatch at Free.
- Does Retrace or CloudWatch run on more platforms?
- Retrace runs on Web, .NET, Java, PHP, Node.js, Python. CloudWatch runs on Web, Api.
- Can I use Retrace for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Retrace best used for?
- Retrace is most often used for log monitoring, application performance, security analytics, troubleshooting. Of those, log monitoring and application performance are not what CloudWatch is typically brought in for.
- What can Retrace do that CloudWatch cannot?
- Retrace covers Log management, Application performance tracking, Error detection, Code profiling. CloudWatch covers Metrics collection, Log aggregation, Dashboards, Alarms and notifications. Both handle API, Webhooks, REST, Web support.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Retrace: What does Retrace monitor?
Retrace provides application performance monitoring (APM), centralized log management, error tracking, code profiling, and real user monitoring (RUM). It aggregates logs from applications and servers in one place.
SourceRetrace: What programming languages does Retrace support?
Retrace supports .NET, .NET Core, PHP, Node.js, Ruby, Python, and Java applications. Support for Node.js, Python, and newer ecosystems is noted as less mature.
SourceRetrace: Is Retrace being discontinued?
Yes. Retrace will reach End of Life on March 31, 2027. Users should plan to migrate to alternative solutions.
SourceRetrace: What databases and services does Retrace integrate with?
Retrace supports SQL Server, Oracle, PostgreSQL, MySQL, Redis, MongoDB, Elasticsearch, and cloud platforms like AWS and Azure.
Source