Amazon CloudWatch Logs
Amazon CloudWatch Logs: A broad AWS-native log service with strong routing and analysis, priced by usage rather than fixed plans. Ranked #4 of 109 in Log Management Software by our editors (9.1/10); pricing: Paid; best for AWS-native teams centralizing operational logs.
At a glance
- Editor score9.1 / 10
- PricingPaid
- Best forAWS-native teams centralizing operational logs
- Free planNo
- Paid from$0.03/GB usage-based
- Facts checked24 Sep 2026
Where it wins
- Centralizes logs from AWS services, applications, and other sources
- Combines querying, Live Tail, metric filters, and retention controls
- Routes, transforms, masks, and exports log data across AWS services
Where it doesn't
- Usage-based pricing varies by Region and does not use fixed plans
- Its strongest ecosystem fit is centered on AWS services
- Cost comparison is less direct without a fixed entry plan
Our verdict on Amazon CloudWatch Logs
Amazon CloudWatch Logs is a managed AWS service for collecting, centralizing, storing, searching, filtering, and analyzing logs. It is aimed at teams operating AWS resources, applications, and other sources that need one place for operational log data. Access is available through the AWS Management Console, APIs, CLI, and SDKs, making it suitable for both console-led monitoring and automated log workflows. Its feature set covers collection, retention, querying, live viewing, routing, transformation, export, and sensitive-data controls.
AWS integration is a central strength. CloudWatch Logs connects with Amazon EC2, AWS CloudTrail, Amazon Route 53, Amazon Kinesis Data Streams, Amazon Kinesis Data Firehose, AWS Lambda, and Amazon S3. Subscription filters can route log events to Kinesis Data Streams, Firehose, or Lambda, while log transformation and enrichment can occur during ingestion. Export to S3 supports archive-oriented workflows, and configurable log-group retention can be set to selected periods or indefinite retention. These capabilities make the service a strong fit for AWS-centered operational pipelines rather than a narrowly focused log viewer.
Analysis is handled through CloudWatch Logs Insights interactive queries, while Live Tail provides a streaming view of newly ingested events. Metric filters can turn log events into metrics, and sensitive-data auditing and masking add control over exposed information. Pricing is usage-based rather than organized around fixed plans, with AWS pricing varying by Region. Teams should choose CloudWatch Logs when AWS integration, routing, retention, and operational analysis matter most. Organizations seeking a platform-neutral ecosystem or a simple fixed-plan comparison may prefer an alternative.
Your product? Our editors can test Amazon CloudWatch Logs in depth and publish a review, labelled as paid · from $149/mo →
Amazon CloudWatch Logs pricing
All 2 Amazon CloudWatch Logs plans and prices →
Amazon CloudWatch Logs fact sheet
| Free plan | No |
|---|---|
| Paid from | $0.03/GB usage-based |
| Included ingestion | Not verified |
| Log retention | Not verified |
| Log pipelines | Yes |
| Archive export | Yes |
| Live log tailing | Yes |
| Deployment options | Cloud |
| Structured log parsing | Yes |
| Deployment | Cloud |
| Platforms | Web |
| Support | Docs, Community, Tickets, Phone |
| Built for | Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise (editorial estimate) |
| Integrations | 5 integrations: AWS Lambda, Amazon Kinesis Data Streams, Amazon Kinesis Data Firehose, Amazon OpenSearch Service, Amazon S3 |
| Pricing | Paid (source) |
| Website | aws.amazon.com |
| Facts checked | 24 Sep 2026 |
Amazon CloudWatch Logs integrations
Amazon CloudWatch Logs lists 5 integrations on its own site.
- AWS Lambda
- Amazon Kinesis Data Streams
- Amazon Kinesis Data Firehose
- Amazon OpenSearch Service
- Amazon S3
Alternatives to Amazon CloudWatch Logs
- ELK StackA flexible open-source log stack with broad deployment options and layered pricing.9.4
- Splunk EnterpriseA broad, self-managed log analytics platform for large enterprises with sales-led pricing.9.3
- Google Cloud LoggingA capable Google Cloud logging service with usage-based pricing and broad routing options.9.2
See all Amazon CloudWatch Logs alternatives →
Amazon CloudWatch Logs vs the competition
- Amazon CloudWatch Logs vs ELK Stack
- Amazon CloudWatch Logs vs Splunk Enterprise
- Amazon CloudWatch Logs vs Google Cloud Logging
- Amazon CloudWatch Logs vs Elastic Observability
- Amazon CloudWatch Logs vs Sumo Logic
- Amazon CloudWatch Logs vs Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Logging
Compare Amazon CloudWatch Logs with any tool side by side →
Also Ranked In
Amazon CloudWatch Logs is ranked in 4 of our directories.
Used Amazon CloudWatch Logs? Be the first to review it
The editor score above is our own research. What this page doesn't have yet is a reader's view — what you used Amazon CloudWatch Logs for, what worked and what didn't. No stars are seeded and no review is paid for; an editor reads every one before it appears.
Write a reviewTwo minutes · verified accounts only · read by an editor before it appears
Featured on iTechGuides
Amazon CloudWatch Logs is listed in our Log Management Software directory. Add the badge to your site — it links back to this page.
<a href="https://www.itechguides.com/products/amazon-cloudwatch-logs/"><img src="https://www.itechguides.com/best/badge/amazon-cloudwatch-logs.svg" alt="Featured on iTechGuides" width="230" height="46"></a>
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.
Last updated · How we research and update