We tested 18+ log management platforms to find the best for centralized logging. These tools help you aggregate, search, analyze, and alert on logs from across your infrastructure.
Datadog Logs integrates seamlessly with metrics and APM traces. Log pipelines parse and enrich data automatically. Live tail streams logs in real-time. Correlation between logs, metrics, and traces accelerates debugging.
Starting price$0.10/GB
Strengths
Unified platform
Metrics correlation
Log pipelines
Live tail
Great UX
Limitations
Expensive at scale
Complex pricing
Retention costs
Vendor lock-in
Who it's for: Best for teams already using Datadog who want unified observability.
Loki is like Prometheus but for logs. It indexes labels only, not full log content, making it extremely cost-effective. LogQL queries are familiar to Prometheus users. Native Grafana integration for dashboards.
Starting priceFree
Strengths
Cost-effective
Label-based
Prometheus-like
Grafana native
Open source
Limitations
No full-text index
Query limitations
Setup complexity
Scale challenges
Who it's for: Best for teams using Prometheus/Grafana who want cost-effective logging.
Splunk is the enterprise standard for log analytics and SIEM. SPL query language is powerful for complex analysis. Machine learning features detect anomalies. Enterprise-grade with extensive compliance features.
Starting priceCustom
Strengths
Enterprise grade
Powerful SPL
ML features
Security/SIEM
Compliance
Limitations
Very expensive
Complex
License model
Resource heavy
Who it's for: Best for large enterprises with security and compliance requirements.
Papertrail is simple, fast log aggregation. Setup takes minutes via syslog. Live tail with instant search. Clean interface without complexity. Perfect for teams who need basic centralized logging fast.
Starting price$7/mo
Strengths
Super simple
Fast setup
Live tail
Affordable
Clean UI
Limitations
Basic features
Limited analysis
Retention limits
Less powerful
Who it's for: Best for small teams wanting simple, fast log aggregation.
Logtail brings SQL querying to log management. Familiar syntax for developers. Fast ingestion and search. Modern developer-focused interface. Good balance of power and simplicity.
Starting priceFree
Strengths
SQL queries
Fast
Developer-friendly
Good pricing
Modern
Limitations
Newer platform
Smaller ecosystem
Limited integrations
Scale unknowns
Who it's for: Best for developers who want SQL-based log querying.
CloudWatch Logs is native AWS log management. Automatic integration with AWS services. Log Insights provides analysis. Good for AWS-centric architectures without third-party tools.
Strengths
AWS native
Service integration
Log Insights
Serverless friendly
No setup
Limitations
AWS only
Expensive retention
Limited features
Query limits
Who it's for: Best for AWS-only teams wanting native, integrated logging.
Logz.io provides managed ELK with AI-powered insights. Familiar Kibana interface with added intelligence. Anomaly detection finds issues automatically. Good for teams wanting ELK without operations.
Starting priceCustom
Strengths
Managed ELK
AI insights
Familiar UI
Good support
Security features
Limitations
Custom pricing
Some limitations
Learning curve
Cost at scale
Who it's for: Best for teams wanting managed ELK with AI enhancements.
Axiom offers serverless log management with unlimited retention. Store logs forever without worrying about costs. Fast querying with APL language. Modern approach to log storage and analysis.
Starting priceFree
Strengths
Unlimited retention
Fast
Serverless
Good pricing
Modern
Limitations
Newer platform
APL learning
Smaller ecosystem
Some gaps
Who it's for: Best for teams wanting unlimited log retention without cost concerns.
We tested each log platform with real production log volumes.
Search & Query (25%) — Speed and power of log searching.
Ingestion (20%) — Ease of getting logs into the system.
Scalability (20%) — Performance with high log volumes.
Alerting (15%) — Log-based alerting capabilities.
Cost (20%) — Pricing at different scales.
How to Choose
Choose Datadog Logs if you need unified observability.
Choose Grafana Loki if you need cost-effective stack.
Choose Elastic Stack if you need best search power.
Choose Papertrail if you need simple and fast.
Choose CloudWatch Logs if you need AWS native.
Common Questions
Depends on volume and retention. Start with 30-day retention. Typical apps generate 1-10GB/day. Increase retention for compliance. Sample verbose logs. Archive old logs to cold storage.
Structured (JSON) logs are easier to query and analyze. Add context like request IDs, user IDs. Use structured logging libraries. Parse unstructured logs at ingestion when possible.
Filter verbose logs before ingestion. Use sampling for high-volume debug logs. Archive to cheaper storage. Set retention policies. Index only what you query frequently.
Encrypt in transit and at rest. Control access with RBAC. Mask sensitive data like passwords and PII. Audit log access. Consider compliance requirements for retention and location.
