ELK Stack
ELK Stack: A flexible open-source log stack with broad deployment options and layered pricing. Ranked #1 of 109 in Log Management Software by our editors (9.4/10); pricing: Free plan · 14-day trial; best for open-source teams wanting a complete log stack.
At a glance
- Editor score9.4 / 10
- PricingFree plan · 14-day trial
- Best forOpen-source teams wanting a complete log stack
- Free planYes
- Facts checked21 Sep 2026
Where it wins
- Combines ingestion, pipelines, search, visualization, and anomaly detection
- Supports self-managed, hosted, serverless, web, API, Windows, and Linux deployments
- Offers structured parsing, live tailing, snapshots, and broad integrations
Where it doesn't
- Pricing spans usage-based and configuration-dependent models
- Advanced capabilities are distributed across higher paid tiers
- The broad platform may exceed the needs of teams seeking a narrow log tool
Our verdict on ELK Stack
ELK Stack, now branded Elastic Stack, combines Elasticsearch, Kibana, Beats, Logstash, Elastic Agent, and integrations for collecting, storing, searching, analyzing, and visualizing logs. It is suited to open-source teams that want to manage their own stack, as well as organizations considering Elastic Cloud Hosted or Serverless offerings. Kibana supports data exploration and visualization, while Logstash and Elastic integrations handle ingestion, transformation, and routing.
The pricing structure covers several deployment approaches. Basic provides self-managed Elastic Stack features, and a 14-day free trial is available. Logs Essentials costs $0.07 per GB ingested per month and adds ad hoc log analysis, dashboards, integrations, and alerts. Complete costs $0.09 per GB ingested per month, adding full-stack observability, AI-assisted pipelines and parsing, machine learning, private connectivity, and IP filtering. Hosted tiers start with Standard at $99 per month, followed by Gold at $114 and Platinum at $131; these add reporting, third-party alerting actions, multi-stack monitoring, machine learning, cross-cluster replication, and 24/7/365 support across the tiers. Enterprise adds searchable snapshots, cross-cluster search, and SAML SSO.
Its main strength is breadth: Elasticsearch search and analytics, Kibana visualization, Logstash pipelines, near-real-time filtering and tailing, structured ingest pipelines, snapshot and restore, and machine-learning anomaly detection are covered in one ecosystem. Integrations include Elastic Agent, Beats, Logstash, and OpenTelemetry, with web, Windows, Linux, API, and self-hosted support. Choose ELK Stack if you need flexible deployment and a wide log-processing workflow. A narrower log-management product may suit teams that prefer a simpler pricing model or fewer platform components.
Your product? Our editors can test ELK Stack in depth and publish a review, labelled as paid · from $149/mo →
ELK Stack pricing
All 7 ELK Stack plans and prices →
ELK Stack fact sheet
| Free plan | Yes |
|---|---|
| Paid from | Not verified |
| Included ingestion | Not verified |
| Log retention | 30 days |
| Log pipelines | Yes |
| Archive export | Yes |
| Live log tailing | Yes |
| Deployment options | Both |
| Structured log parsing | Yes |
| Free trial | 14 days · no card needed |
| Deployment | Cloud, Self-hosted |
| Platforms | Web, Windows, Linux |
| Compliance & security | SSO/SAML |
| Support | Email, Phone, Live chat, Tickets, Community, Docs |
| Built for | Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise (editorial estimate) |
| Integrations | 350+ integrations: Elastic Agent, Beats, Logstash, OpenTelemetry See all → |
| Pricing | Free plan · 14-day trial (source) |
| Website | elastic.co |
| Facts checked | 21 Sep 2026 |
ELK Stack integrations
ELK Stack lists 350+ integrations on its own site — the 4 named here are the ones its pages call out.
- Elastic Agent
- Beats
- Logstash
- OpenTelemetry
See all ELK Stack integrations →
Alternatives to ELK Stack
- 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
- Amazon CloudWatch LogsA broad AWS-native log service with strong routing and analysis, priced by usage rather than fixed plans.9.1
See all ELK Stack alternatives →
ELK Stack vs the competition
- ELK Stack vs Splunk Enterprise
- ELK Stack vs Google Cloud Logging
- ELK Stack vs Amazon CloudWatch Logs
- ELK Stack vs Elastic Observability
- ELK Stack vs Sumo Logic
- ELK Stack vs Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Logging
Compare ELK Stack with any tool side by side →
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The editor score above is our own research. What this page doesn't have yet is a reader's view — what you used ELK Stack 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.
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Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
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