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Logging · head to head

Stackdriver vs Telegraf

Stackdriver logo

Stackdriver

Logging

Google Cloud Operations - Monitoring and Logging

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Telegraf logo

Telegraf

Logging

The Plugin-Driven Server Agent for Collecting and Reporting Metrics

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Stackdriver stackdriver is now branded Google Cloud Observability and cloud.google.com/stackdriver redirects to the Observability product page; Telegraf telegraf's core is open source and free, and InfluxData names a separate Telegraf Enterprise tier for teams running it at scale with no price published
  • They diverge on capability: Stackdriver covers Log management, Telegraf covers System monitoring.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Stackdriver and Telegraf actually diverge.

Attributes where Stackdriver and Telegraf differ
AttributeStackdriverTelegraf
Pricing modelusage-basedopen-source
Founded20062013

Identical on both: starting price (Free), 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 Stackdriver

  • Log management
  • Real-time monitoring
  • Error reporting

Only in Telegraf

  • System monitoring
  • Application monitoring
  • Plugin architecture

Both cover

  • Metrics collection
  • API
  • Webhooks
  • REST
  • Web support
  • Api support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Stackdriver

  • Application performance monitoringnot Telegraf
  • Log aggregation and analysisnot Telegraf
  • Cloud infrastructure observabilitynot Telegraf
  • Distributed trace analysisnot Telegraf

Telegraf

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

Where each one falls short

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

Stackdriver

  • Stackdriver is now branded Google Cloud Observability and cloud.google.com/stackdriver redirects to the Observability product page
  • Cloud Logging charges $0.50 per GiB ingested, with only the first 50 GiB per project per month free
  • Logs kept beyond 30 days cost an extra $0.01 per GiB per month on top of the ingestion charge
  • Monitoring metric ingestion starts at $0.2580 per MiB, with only the first 150 MiB per billing account free
  • Alerting policies are billed at $0.35 per month for each metric reference in the policy
  • Uptime checks cost $0.30 per 1,000 executions and synthetic monitors $1.20 per 1,000 executions, with only 100 synthetic executions per billing account free
  • Monitoring read API calls cost $0.50 per million time series returned beyond the first million per billing account
  • Log volume is measured before indexing on the actual size of log entries, so verbose logging directly drives cost

Telegraf

  • Telegraf's core is open source and free, and InfluxData names a separate Telegraf Enterprise tier for teams running it at scale with no price published

Pricing, plan by plan

Stackdriver

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Log management
    • Metrics collection
    • Real-time monitoring

Telegraf

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Metrics collection
    • System monitoring
    • Application monitoring

Which should you pick?

Choose Stackdriver if

  • You need log management.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Api.
  • You also want real-time monitoring.
Stackdriver review

Choose Telegraf if

  • You need system monitoring.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Api.
  • You also want application monitoring.
Telegraf review

Questions people ask

Is Stackdriver or Telegraf better?
Neither clearly leads. Stackdriver starts at Free and Telegraf at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Stackdriver or Telegraf?
Stackdriver starts at Free and Telegraf at Free.
Does Stackdriver or Telegraf run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, Api, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Stackdriver for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Stackdriver best used for?
Stackdriver is most often used for application performance monitoring, log aggregation and analysis, cloud infrastructure observability, distributed trace analysis. Of those, application performance monitoring and log aggregation and analysis are not what Telegraf is typically brought in for.
What can Stackdriver do that Telegraf cannot?
Stackdriver covers Log management, Real-time monitoring, Error reporting. Telegraf covers System monitoring, Application monitoring, Plugin architecture. Both handle Metrics collection, API, Webhooks, REST.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Stackdriver: How much does Google Cloud Observability (Stackdriver) cost?

Google Cloud Observability does not publish fixed subscription prices. The service uses a usage-based pricing model where you pay for actual consumption. Specific rates require visiting the individual pricing pages for Cloud Logging, Cloud Monitoring, Cloud Trace, and Cloud Profiler.

Source
Telegraf: Is Telegraf free to use?

Yes, Telegraf OSS is free and open source. It can be downloaded and used at no cost for collecting metrics from infrastructure, applications, and devices using over 400 community-tested plugins.

Source
Stackdriver: What is the pricing model for Cloud Logging?

Cloud Logging uses usage-based pricing charged per GB of logs ingested and per GB stored, with monthly free tiers included. Storage charges vary by retention period and location.

Source
Telegraf: What is Telegraf Enterprise and how much does it cost?

Telegraf Enterprise is a commercial offering for managing Telegraf at scale. It is licensed annually with entry-level packages starting at $18,000 per year, and pricing scales based on the total number of Telegraf agents under management.

Source
Stackdriver: How is Cloud Monitoring billed?

Cloud Monitoring charges per custom metric time series per month, with a monthly free tier for metrics. Standard monitoring includes basic default metrics at no extra charge.

Source
Telegraf: Can I try Telegraf Enterprise before purchasing?

Yes, a free tier of Telegraf Controller is available for evaluation. It allows you to store up to 20 configurations and manage up to 100 reporting agents.

Source
Telegraf: Can Telegraf OSS be used for commercial purposes?

Telegraf OSS is free and available as open source software, suitable for commercial deployments without licensing fees. For large-scale enterprise needs, Telegraf Enterprise is the commercial offering.

Source
Telegraf: How many plugins does Telegraf support?

Telegraf includes over 400 community-tested plugins that can connect to various data sources and destinations including Kubernetes, Docker, AWS, Google Cloud, Azure, Kafka, and many databases.

Source
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