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Logging · head to head

Retrace vs Rootly

Retrace logo

Retrace

Logging

Application Performance Monitoring and Logs

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Rootly logo

Rootly

Logging

AI-native incident management with automation, on-call, and root cause analysis

From
$20/user-month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Retrace has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Retrace end of Life scheduled for March 31, 2027; the product is being discontinued; Rootly pricing higher than some competitors for basic features
  • They diverge on capability: Retrace covers Log management, Rootly covers AI SRE automation.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Retrace and Rootly actually diverge.

Attributes where Retrace and Rootly differ
AttributeRetraceRootly
Starting priceFree$20/user-month
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, .NET, Java, PHP, Node.js, PythonWeb, Mobile, Slack, Microsoft Teams
Founded20122020

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), 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 Retrace

  • Log management
  • Application performance tracking
  • Error detection
  • Code profiling
  • Performance baselines
  • API
  • Webhooks
  • REST

Only in Rootly

  • AI SRE automation
  • Alert routing
  • On-call management
  • Incident response
  • Call routing
  • AI meeting bot
  • Status pages

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Retrace

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

Rootly

  • Automate on-call and incident response workflowsnot Retrace
  • Run root cause analysis with AI assistancenot Retrace
  • Track and improve Mean Time to Mitigation (MTTR)not Retrace
  • Coordinate response across distributed teamsnot Retrace
  • Learn from post-incident retrospectivesnot 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

Rootly

  • Pricing higher than some competitors for basic features
  • AI SRE features require separate contact-sales engagement
  • Learning curve for advanced automation features
  • Per-user pricing increases costs as team grows

Pricing, plan by plan

Retrace

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

Rootly

$20/user-month
  • Incident Response Essentials$20/user-month
    • Response with Slack integration
    • @Rootly AI Chat
    • AI Similar Incidents detection
  • Incident Response Enterprise$undefined/custom
    • All Essentials features
    • Custom forms and incident types
    • Private incidents
  • On-Call Essentials$20/user-month
    • Alert grouping and routing
    • Live call routing (1 phone number)
    • Schedules and escalation policies
  • On-Call Enterprise$undefined/custom
    • All Essentials features
    • 5 phone numbers for call routing
    • Unlimited schedules

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 Rootly if

  • You need ai sre automation.
  • You work on Web, Mobile, Slack, Microsoft Teams.
  • You also want alert routing.
Rootly review

Questions people ask

Is Retrace or Rootly better?
Neither clearly leads. Retrace starts at Free and Rootly at $20/user-month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Retrace or Rootly?
Retrace has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Retrace and $20/user-month for Rootly.
Does Retrace or Rootly run on more platforms?
Retrace runs on Web, .NET, Java, PHP, Node.js, Python. Rootly runs on Web, Mobile, Slack, Microsoft Teams.
Can I use Retrace for free?
Yes. Retrace has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Rootly starts at $20/user-month.
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 Rootly is typically brought in for.
What can Retrace do that Rootly cannot?
Retrace covers Log management, Application performance tracking, Error detection, Code profiling. Rootly covers AI SRE automation, Alert routing, On-call management, Incident response.

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
Rootly: How much does Rootly cost?

Rootly charges $20/user/month for both Incident Response and On-Call Essentials plans. Enterprise plans require contacting sales. Startups under 100 employees with less than $50M raised get up to 50% discount.

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
Rootly: What is Rootly AI SRE?

AI SRE is an advanced feature that provides automated root cause analysis, alert correlation with system changes, impact analysis, and remediation suggestions. Pricing requires contact with sales.

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
Rootly: Does Rootly integrate with Slack?

Yes, Rootly natively integrates with Slack for incident response workflows, allowing teams to manage incidents directly in Slack.

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
Rootly: Are there discounts for small companies?

Yes, startups under 100 employees or less than 25 employees can get special pricing up to 50% discount. Contact Rootly sales for details.

Source
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