Softwr

Logging · head to head

Retrace vs Rollbar

Retrace logo

Retrace

Logging

Application Performance Monitoring and Logs

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Rollbar logo

Rollbar

Logging

Real-Time Error Tracking and Debugging

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Retrace end of Life scheduled for March 31, 2027; the product is being discontinued; Rollbar the free plan allows 5,000 occurrences a month with 30 day retention
  • They diverge on capability: Retrace covers Log management, Rollbar covers Error tracking.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Retrace and Rollbar actually diverge.

Attributes where Retrace and Rollbar differ
AttributeRetraceRollbar
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
PlatformsWeb, .NET, Java, PHP, Node.js, PythonWeb, Api

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Logging), founded (2012).

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 Rollbar

  • Error tracking
  • Real-time alerts
  • Error grouping
  • Source maps

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 Rollbar
  • Application performancenot Rollbar
  • Security analyticsnot Rollbar
  • Troubleshootingnot Rollbar

Rollbar

  • Tracking application errors and exceptions across deploymentsnot Retrace
  • Grouping and alerting on production error occurrencesnot 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  • User interface and dashboard criticisms; UI is outdated and difficult to use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

Rollbar

  • The free plan allows 5,000 occurrences a month with 30 day retention
  • Retention is a paid ladder rather than a setting, at up to 90 days on Essentials and up to 180 on Advanced
  • Advanced alerting, the RQL analytics query language and SCIM provisioning are excluded from the free plan
  • Enterprise requires a $4M annual plan minimum
  • No price is published for Essentials or Advanced, so only the free tier has a visible cost

Pricing, plan by plan

Retrace

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Log management
    • Application performance tracking
    • Error detection

Rollbar

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 5K occurrences per month
    • 1K replays
    • Real-time alerts
  • Essentials$null/month
    • 10K-50M occurrences
    • 4K credits included
    • 90-day retention
  • Advanced$null/month
    • 8K credits
    • Adaptive alerts
    • RQL and Metrics API
  • Enterprise$null/month
    • 80M+ events
    • Direct Slack support
    • Priority SLAs

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.
Retrace review

Choose Rollbar if

  • You need error tracking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Api.
  • You also want real-time alerts.
Rollbar review

Questions people ask

Is Retrace or Rollbar better?
Neither clearly leads. Retrace starts at Free and Rollbar at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Retrace or Rollbar?
Retrace starts at Free and Rollbar at Free.
Does Retrace or Rollbar run on more platforms?
Retrace runs on Web, .NET, Java, PHP, Node.js, Python. Rollbar 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 Rollbar is typically brought in for.
What can Retrace do that Rollbar cannot?
Retrace covers Log management, Application performance tracking, Error detection, Code profiling. Rollbar covers Error tracking, Real-time alerts, Error grouping, Source maps. 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.

Source
Rollbar: How much does Rollbar cost?

Free plan is $0 with 5K occurrences per month. Essentials, Advanced, and Enterprise plans do not have published pricing and require contact with sales.

Source
Retrace: 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.

Source
Rollbar: Is there a free trial?

Yes, a 14-day full access trial is available with 200K occurrences, 10K replays, and 15K credits.

Source
Retrace: Is Retrace being discontinued?

Yes. Retrace will reach End of Life on March 31, 2027. Users should plan to migrate to alternative solutions.

Source
Rollbar: How are overages handled?

Three overage protection options are available: stop processing at plan limits, enable on-demand billing at standard rates, or set a custom overage budget cap.

Source
Retrace: 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
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