Log Management · head to head
Sematext vs Fluentd
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; Fluentd fluentd needs more than 60 MB of memory at runtime, against roughly 450 KB for Fluent Bit
- They diverge on capability: Sematext covers Log aggregation, Fluentd covers Log collection.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Sematext and Fluentd actually diverge.
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), platforms (Web, Api), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Log Management).
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
- Log aggregation
- APM
- Metrics monitoring
- Anomaly detection
Only in Fluentd
- Log collection
- Data parsing
- Filtering and buffering
- Event routing
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.
Sematext
- Centralised log management and search across servicesnot Fluentd
- Infrastructure and application monitoring alongside logsnot Fluentd
Fluentd
- Unified log collection and routing from many sources to many destinationsnot Sematext
- Parsing and transforming log records before forwardingnot Sematext
- Aggregating logs from containers into Elasticsearch, S3 or a SIEMnot 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
Fluentd
- Fluentd needs more than 60 MB of memory at runtime, against roughly 450 KB for Fluent Bit
- Fluentd is built as a Ruby gem and depends on other gems, so a Ruby runtime is required
- Its capability comes from over 1,000 external plugins rather than built in functionality, so each added input or output is a separate dependency
- The Fluent Bit documentation states that cloud providers have switched from Fluentd to Fluent Bit for performance and compatibility and calls Fluent Bit the next generation solution
Pricing, plan by plan
Sematext
Free- FreeFree
- Log aggregation
- APM
- Metrics monitoring
Fluentd
Free- FreeFree
- Log collection
- Data parsing
- Filtering and buffering
Which should you pick?
Choose Sematext if
- You need log aggregation.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Api.
- You also want apm.
Choose Fluentd if
- You need log collection.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Api.
- You also want data parsing.
Questions people ask
- Is Sematext or Fluentd better?
- Neither clearly leads. Sematext starts at Free and Fluentd at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Sematext or Fluentd?
- Sematext starts at Free and Fluentd at Free.
- Does Sematext or Fluentd 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 Fluentd is typically brought in for.
- What can Sematext do that Fluentd cannot?
- Sematext covers Log aggregation, APM, Metrics monitoring, Anomaly detection. Fluentd covers Log collection, Data parsing, Filtering and buffering, Event routing. Both handle API, Webhooks, REST, Web support.