Software · head to head
Rollbar vs Datadog Logs
Datadog Logs
Software
Log Management and Analytics
- From
- $0.1/per GB ingested per month
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Rollbar has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Rollbar the free plan allows 5,000 occurrences a month with 30 day retention; Datadog Logs complex, multi-tiered pricing model based on ingestion, indexing, and storage; can become expensive at scale
- They diverge on capability: Rollbar covers Error tracking, Datadog Logs covers Log ingestion.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Rollbar and Datadog Logs actually diverge.
| Attribute | Rollbar | Datadog Logs |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free | $0.1/per GB ingested per month |
| Free tier | Yes | No |
| Platforms | Web, Api | Cloud (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, Oracle Cloud) |
| Founded | 2012 | 2010 |
Identical on both: pricing model (usage-based), 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 Rollbar
- Error tracking
- Real-time alerts
- Error grouping
- Source maps
Only in Datadog Logs
- Log ingestion
- Full-text search
- Custom dashboards
- Log-based metrics
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.
Rollbar
- Tracking application errors and exceptions across deploymentsnot Datadog Logs
- Grouping and alerting on production error occurrencesnot Datadog Logs
Datadog Logs
- Centralised log aggregation and analysisnot Rollbar
- Multi-source log correlation with metrics and tracesnot Rollbar
- Root cause analysis and troubleshootingnot Rollbar
- Security monitoring and threat detectionnot Rollbar
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
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
Datadog Logs
- Complex, multi-tiered pricing model based on ingestion, indexing, and storage; can become expensive at scale
- Ingestion pricing of $0.10/GB can accumulate rapidly for high-volume logging environments
Pricing, plan by plan
Rollbar
Free- FreeFree
- Error tracking
- Real-time alerts
- Error grouping
Datadog Logs
$0.1/per GB ingested per monthNo published plan breakdown. See the Datadog Logs review.
Which should you pick?
Choose Rollbar if
- You need error tracking.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Api.
- You also want real-time alerts.
Choose Datadog Logs if
- You need log ingestion.
- You work on Cloud (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, Oracle Cloud).
- You also want full-text search.
Questions people ask
- Is Rollbar or Datadog Logs better?
- Neither clearly leads. Rollbar starts at Free and Datadog Logs at $0.1/per GB ingested per month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Rollbar or Datadog Logs?
- Rollbar has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Rollbar and $0.1/per GB ingested per month for Datadog Logs.
- Does Rollbar or Datadog Logs run on more platforms?
- Rollbar runs on Web, Api. Datadog Logs runs on Cloud (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, Oracle Cloud).
- Can I use Rollbar for free?
- Yes. Rollbar has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Datadog Logs starts at $0.1/per GB ingested per month.
- What is Rollbar best used for?
- Rollbar is most often used for tracking application errors and exceptions across deployments, grouping and alerting on production error occurrences. Of those, tracking application errors and exceptions across deployments and grouping and alerting on production error occurrences are not what Datadog Logs is typically brought in for.
- What can Rollbar do that Datadog Logs cannot?
- Rollbar covers Error tracking, Real-time alerts, Error grouping, Source maps. Datadog Logs covers Log ingestion, Full-text search, Custom dashboards, Log-based metrics. Both handle API, Webhooks, REST, Web support.