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Logging · head to head

CloudWatch vs Splunk Cloud

CloudWatch logo

CloudWatch

Logging

AWS Monitoring and Observability

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Splunk Cloud logo

Splunk Cloud

Logging

Cloud-Based Log Management and Analytics

From
$675/year
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only CloudWatch has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: 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; Splunk Cloud significantly higher pricing than competitors like Datadog and Elastic
  • They diverge on capability: CloudWatch covers Metrics collection, Splunk Cloud covers Real-time analytics.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where CloudWatch and Splunk Cloud differ
AttributeCloudWatchSplunk Cloud
Starting priceFree$675/year
Pricing modelusage-basedUnknown
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, ApiWeb
Founded20062003

Identical on both: 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 CloudWatch

  • Metrics collection
  • Dashboards
  • Alarms and notifications

Only in Splunk Cloud

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

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.

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

Splunk Cloud

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

Where each one falls short

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

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

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

Pricing, plan by plan

CloudWatch

Free
  • Pay-as-you-goFree
    • Logs ingestion: $0.50/GB (first 5GB free), down to $0.05/GB at scale
    • Logs storage: $0.03/GB/month
    • Live Tail: $0.01/minute after 1,800 free minutes
  • Free tierFree
    • 5GB logs ingestion per month
    • 10 custom metrics
    • 3 custom dashboards

Splunk Cloud

$675/year

No published plan breakdown. See the Splunk Cloud review.

Which should you pick?

Choose CloudWatch if

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

Choose Splunk Cloud if

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

Questions people ask

Is CloudWatch or Splunk Cloud better?
Neither clearly leads. CloudWatch starts at Free and Splunk Cloud at $675/year, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, CloudWatch or Splunk Cloud?
CloudWatch has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for CloudWatch and $675/year for Splunk Cloud.
Does CloudWatch or Splunk Cloud run on more platforms?
CloudWatch runs on Web, Api. Splunk Cloud runs on Web.
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 CloudWatch best used for?
CloudWatch is most often used for metrics and log collection for aws workloads, alarming on thresholds across aws services, querying logs with logs insights, live tailing logs during an incident. Of those, metrics and log collection for aws workloads and alarming on thresholds across aws services are not what Splunk Cloud is typically brought in for.
What can CloudWatch do that Splunk Cloud cannot?
CloudWatch covers Metrics collection, Dashboards, Alarms and notifications. Splunk Cloud covers Real-time analytics, Machine learning, Advanced dashboards, Compliance tools. Both handle Log aggregation, API, Webhooks, REST.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

CloudWatch: How much does Amazon CloudWatch cost?

CloudWatch uses pay-as-you-go pricing with no upfront commitment. Logs ingestion costs $0.50/GB (first 5GB free), logs storage is $0.03/GB/month, custom metrics cost $0.30/metric/month (first 10,000), custom dashboards are $3/month, and standard alarms are $0.10/metric/month.

Source
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
CloudWatch: Does CloudWatch offer a free tier?

Yes, CloudWatch free tier includes 5GB logs ingestion, 10 custom metrics, 3 custom dashboards, and 10 alarm metrics per month at no charge. Usage beyond these limits incurs pay-as-you-go fees.

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
CloudWatch: What are CloudWatch's pricing tiers for high-volume usage?

CloudWatch offers tiered pricing with volume discounts: logs ingestion starts at $0.50/GB and decreases to $0.05/GB at higher volumes; custom metrics start at $0.30/metric/month and decline to $0.05 at higher volumes; Application Signals cost $1.50 per million traces initially, declining to $0.30.

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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