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Log Management · head to head

Splunk Cloud vs CloudWatch

Splunk Cloud logo

Splunk Cloud

Log Management

Cloud-Based Log Management and Analytics

From
$675/year
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
CloudWatch logo

CloudWatch

Log Management

AWS Monitoring and Observability

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only CloudWatch has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Splunk Cloud significantly higher pricing than competitors like Datadog and Elastic; 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: Splunk Cloud covers Real-time analytics, CloudWatch covers Metrics collection.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Splunk Cloud and CloudWatch actually diverge.

Attributes where Splunk Cloud and CloudWatch differ
AttributeSplunk CloudCloudWatch
Starting price$675/yearFree
Pricing modelUnknownusage-based
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWebWeb, Api
Founded20032006

Identical on both: 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 Splunk Cloud

  • Real-time analytics
  • Machine learning
  • Advanced dashboards
  • Compliance tools
  • Cloud scalability

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.

Splunk Cloud

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

CloudWatch

  • Metrics and log collection for AWS workloadsnot Splunk Cloud
  • Alarming on thresholds across AWS servicesnot Splunk Cloud
  • Querying logs with Logs Insightsnot Splunk Cloud
  • Live tailing logs during an incidentnot Splunk Cloud
  • Distributed tracing alongside X-Raynot Splunk Cloud

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Splunk Cloud

  • Significantly higher pricing than competitors like Datadog and Elastic
  • Per-GB ingest costs of $150+/day make budget forecasting difficult
  • Extended retention adds substantial additional costs
  • Enterprise Security add-on costs $25-45/GB/day on top of base pricing

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

Splunk Cloud

$675/year

No published plan breakdown. See the Splunk Cloud review.

CloudWatch

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Metrics collection
    • Log aggregation
    • Dashboards

Which should you pick?

Choose Splunk Cloud if

  • You need real-time analytics.
  • You also want machine learning.
Splunk Cloud review

Choose CloudWatch if

  • You need metrics collection.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Api.
  • You also want dashboards.
CloudWatch review

Questions people ask

Is Splunk Cloud or CloudWatch better?
Neither clearly leads. Splunk Cloud starts at $675/year and CloudWatch at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Splunk Cloud or CloudWatch?
CloudWatch has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $675/year for Splunk Cloud and Free for CloudWatch.
Does Splunk Cloud or CloudWatch run on more platforms?
Splunk Cloud runs on Web. CloudWatch runs on Web, Api.
Can I use CloudWatch for free?
Yes. CloudWatch has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Splunk Cloud starts at $675/year.
What is Splunk Cloud best used for?
Splunk Cloud is most often used for log monitoring, application performance, security analytics, troubleshooting. Of those, log monitoring and application performance are not what CloudWatch is typically brought in for.
What can Splunk Cloud do that CloudWatch cannot?
Splunk Cloud covers Real-time analytics, Machine learning, Advanced dashboards, Compliance tools. CloudWatch covers Metrics collection, Dashboards, Alarms and notifications. Both handle Log aggregation, API, Webhooks, REST.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Splunk Cloud: How is Splunk Cloud priced?

Splunk Cloud uses two pricing models: legacy per-GB ingest at $150+/GB/day or newer workload pricing ranging from $3,000 to $400,000/month depending on pack size. Simpler deployments offer ingest pricing with 5GB/day at $675/year.

Source
Splunk Cloud: What is included with Splunk Cloud storage?

Storage is included for a default retention period, typically 90 days for hot/warm data, with extended retention costing extra.

Source
Splunk Cloud: Is Splunk Cloud managed or do I need to manage infrastructure?

Splunk Cloud is a fully managed SaaS offering where Cisco (current owner) handles infrastructure, upgrades, and scaling.

Source
Splunk Cloud: What makes Splunk Cloud expensive compared to alternatives?

Splunk remains the highest-priced major log platform, but offers the most powerful query language (SPL) and the deepest enterprise security ecosystem.

Source
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Related pages

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