Software · head to head
Sematext vs CloudWatch
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Sematext the $5 Basic plan caps ingestion at 500 MB a day and retains logs for 7 days; 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: Sematext covers APM, CloudWatch covers Metrics collection.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Sematext and CloudWatch actually diverge.
| Attribute | Sematext | CloudWatch |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 2007 | 2006 |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (usage-based), free tier (Yes), platforms (Web, Api), 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 Sematext
- APM
- Metrics monitoring
- Anomaly detection
Only in CloudWatch
- Metrics collection
- Dashboards
- Alarms and notifications
Both cover
- Log aggregation
- API
- Webhooks
- REST
- Web support
- Api support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Sematext
- Centralised log management and search across servicesnot CloudWatch
- Infrastructure and application monitoring alongside logsnot CloudWatch
CloudWatch
- Metrics and log collection for AWS workloadsnot Sematext
- Alarming on thresholds across AWS servicesnot Sematext
- Querying logs with Logs Insightsnot Sematext
- Live tailing logs during an incidentnot Sematext
- Distributed tracing alongside X-Raynot Sematext
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Sematext
- The $5 Basic plan caps ingestion at 500 MB a day and retains logs for 7 days
- Ingestion and storage are billed on separate meters, at $0.10 per GB received and $0.15 per GB stored
- Retention is a plan property rather than a setting, so keeping logs longer means moving tier
- The published pricing page renders Standard and Pro figures from unresolved template placeholders, so only the Basic numbers are actually readable
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
Sematext
Free- FreeFree
- Log aggregation
- APM
- Metrics monitoring
CloudWatch
Free- FreeFree
- Metrics collection
- Log aggregation
- Dashboards
Which should you pick?
Choose Sematext if
- You need apm.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Api.
- You also want metrics monitoring.
Choose CloudWatch if
- You need metrics collection.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Api.
- You also want dashboards.
Questions people ask
- Is Sematext or CloudWatch better?
- Neither clearly leads. Sematext 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, Sematext or CloudWatch?
- Sematext starts at Free and CloudWatch at Free.
- Does Sematext or CloudWatch run on more platforms?
- Both run on Web, Api, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
- Can I use Sematext for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Sematext best used for?
- Sematext is most often used for centralised log management and search across services, infrastructure and application monitoring alongside logs. Of those, centralised log management and search across services and infrastructure and application monitoring alongside logs are not what CloudWatch is typically brought in for.
- What can Sematext do that CloudWatch cannot?
- Sematext covers APM, Metrics monitoring, Anomaly detection. CloudWatch covers Metrics collection, Dashboards, Alarms and notifications. Both handle Log aggregation, API, Webhooks, REST.