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Logging · head to head

Sematext vs Sumo Logic

Sematext logo

Sematext

Logging

Full Stack Observability Platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Sumo Logic logo

Sumo Logic

Logging

Cloud Monitoring, Logging, and Security Analytics

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

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; Sumo Logic neither the Essentials nor the Enterprise Suite package lists a price on the pricing page; both link to Contact Sales
  • They diverge on capability: Sematext covers APM, Sumo Logic covers Metrics collection.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Sematext and Sumo Logic actually diverge.

Attributes where Sematext and Sumo Logic differ
AttributeSematextSumo Logic
Founded20072010

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (usage-based), free tier (Yes), platforms (Web, Api), 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 Sematext

  • APM
  • Metrics monitoring
  • Anomaly detection

Only in Sumo Logic

  • Metrics collection
  • Real-time analytics
  • Custom dashboards

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 Sumo Logic
  • Infrastructure and application monitoring alongside logsnot Sumo Logic

Sumo Logic

  • Cloud-native log analytics across applications and infrastructurenot Sematext
  • Running a SIEM with MITRE ATT&CK mapped detections and UEBAnot Sematext
  • Compliance and audit readiness reporting from log datanot 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

Sumo Logic

  • Neither the Essentials nor the Enterprise Suite package lists a price on the pricing page; both link to Contact Sales
  • Quoted per GB figures assume an annual commitment, an average of 1 GB of log ingest per day and a US deployment region
  • Pricing varies by the AWS deployment region chosen, so the same volume costs differently in Dublin, Frankfurt, Sydney or Tokyo
  • Flex pricing bills per TB scanned rather than per GB ingested, so query activity drives the bill
  • Feature activation is subject to minimum volume, minimum user counts and service requirements confirmed at the time of the transaction
  • The API is limited to four calls per section, ten concurrent in-flight requests, and query processing times out after two minutes
  • Self-serve credit card purchase is capped at $25,000; larger purchases must go through sales or a reseller

Pricing, plan by plan

Sematext

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Log aggregation
    • APM
    • Metrics monitoring

Sumo Logic

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Log aggregation
    • Metrics collection
    • Real-time analytics

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.
Sematext review

Choose Sumo Logic if

  • You need metrics collection.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Api.
  • You also want real-time analytics.
Sumo Logic review

Questions people ask

Is Sematext or Sumo Logic better?
Neither clearly leads. Sematext starts at Free and Sumo Logic at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Sematext or Sumo Logic?
Sematext starts at Free and Sumo Logic at Free.
Does Sematext or Sumo Logic 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 Sumo Logic is typically brought in for.
What can Sematext do that Sumo Logic cannot?
Sematext covers APM, Metrics monitoring, Anomaly detection. Sumo Logic covers Metrics collection, Real-time analytics, Custom dashboards. Both handle Log aggregation, API, Webhooks, REST.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Sematext: How much does Sematext cost?

Sematext uses a transparent usage-based pricing model. Customers can set a Max Daily Volume for automatic rejection of excess data to prevent unexpected charges and keep costs predictable. Specific tier pricing is available through their cost calculator tool.

Source
Sumo Logic: How much does Sumo Logic cost?

Sumo Logic does not publish specific pricing on its pricing page. Essentials plan is available via self-serve credit card for up to $25,000, with Enterprise Suite requiring sales contact for quotes.

Source
Sematext: How does Sematext's pricing compare to competitors?

Sematext is positioned as +3x cheaper than Datadog, with potential annual savings of $800,000 for customers logging more than 200TB/month and a reported 75% decrease in price per GB compared to alternatives.

Source
Sumo Logic: How is Sumo Logic priced?

Sumo Logic uses a credit-based pricing model. Logs are measured by GB scanned during queries, metrics by Data Points per Minute, and traces up to 5GB per day on Essentials.

Source
Sematext: Does Sematext offer a free trial?

Yes, Sematext offers a 14-day free trial with no credit card required, allowing you to test the platform before committing to a paid plan.

Source
Sumo Logic: Is there a free trial?

Yes, Sumo Logic offers a 30-day free trial for the Essentials plan, which is available via self-serve credit card signup.

Source
Sumo Logic: What are the data retention limits?

The Essentials plan supports up to 365 days of log retention, 300 log monitors, 500 metric monitors, and 5GB per day trace storage.

Source
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