Software · head to head
Splunk Enterprise vs Filebeat
Splunk Enterprise
Software
Enterprise Search, Monitoring, and Analytics
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Filebeat has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Splunk Enterprise splunk Platform and Enterprise Security offerings carry no published rate and require contacting sales for a quote; Filebeat filebeat ships only as part of the Elastic Stack and has no standalone commercial license; using it in production requires deploying Elasticsearch and typically Kibana alongside it.
- They diverge on capability: Splunk Enterprise covers Log aggregation, Filebeat covers File tailing.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Splunk Enterprise and Filebeat actually diverge.
| Attribute | Splunk Enterprise | Filebeat |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | On request | Free |
| Pricing model | usage-based | open-source |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Founded | 2003 | 2011 |
Identical on both: 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 Splunk Enterprise
- Log aggregation
- Real-time monitoring
- Advanced analytics
- Compliance
Only in Filebeat
- File tailing
- Log forwarding
- Event parsing
- Input harvesting
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.
Splunk Enterprise
- Indexing and searching machine data and logs at enterprise scalenot Filebeat
- Security information and event management via Enterprise Securitynot Filebeat
- IT service intelligence and infrastructure observabilitynot Filebeat
Filebeat
- Log monitoringnot Splunk Enterprise
- Application performancenot Splunk Enterprise
- Security analyticsnot Splunk Enterprise
- Troubleshootingnot Splunk Enterprise
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Splunk Enterprise
- Splunk Platform and Enterprise Security offerings carry no published rate and require contacting sales for a quote
- Four different pricing models are offered (activity, ingest, workload and entity based) and the applicable one depends on the product purchased
- Published Observability Cloud rates start at $15 per host per month and are billed annually rather than monthly
- Volume discounts are not published and require direct consultation with sales
Filebeat
- Filebeat ships only as part of the Elastic Stack and has no standalone commercial license; using it in production requires deploying Elasticsearch and typically Kibana alongside it.
Pricing, plan by plan
Splunk Enterprise
On request- Starter$undefined/month
- Log aggregation
- Real-time monitoring
- Advanced analytics
Filebeat
Free- FreeFree
- File tailing
- Log forwarding
- Event parsing
Which should you pick?
Choose Splunk Enterprise if
- You need log aggregation.
- You work on Web, Api.
- You also want real-time monitoring.
Choose Filebeat if
- You need file tailing.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Api.
- You also want log forwarding.
Questions people ask
- Is Splunk Enterprise or Filebeat better?
- Neither clearly leads. Splunk Enterprise starts at On request and Filebeat at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Splunk Enterprise or Filebeat?
- Filebeat has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Splunk Enterprise and Free for Filebeat.
- Does Splunk Enterprise or Filebeat run on more platforms?
- Both run on Web, Api, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
- Can I use Filebeat for free?
- Yes. Filebeat has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Splunk Enterprise starts at On request.
- What is Splunk Enterprise best used for?
- Splunk Enterprise is most often used for indexing and searching machine data and logs at enterprise scale, security information and event management via enterprise security, it service intelligence and infrastructure observability. Of those, indexing and searching machine data and logs at enterprise scale and security information and event management via enterprise security are not what Filebeat is typically brought in for.
- What can Splunk Enterprise do that Filebeat cannot?
- Splunk Enterprise covers Log aggregation, Real-time monitoring, Advanced analytics, Compliance. Filebeat covers File tailing, Log forwarding, Event parsing, Input harvesting. Both handle API, Webhooks, REST, Web support.
Related pages
More on Splunk Enterprise
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