Sentry vs Splunk Cloud: What are the differences?

Introduction

Sentry and Splunk Cloud are two popular platforms used for monitoring and managing software applications. While both platforms offer similar functionalities, they have key differences that set them apart from each other. In this article, we will discuss these differences in detail.

1. Pricing Model: Sentry follows a usage-based pricing model, where users are charged based on the volume of data they send and the features they require. On the other hand, Splunk Cloud uses a subscription-based pricing model, which offers fixed pricing plans with different tiers based on data ingestion limits and additional features.

2. Deployment Model: Sentry is primarily offered as a cloud-based solution, where the platform is hosted and managed by Sentry. It provides ease of use and eliminates the need for infrastructure management. In contrast, Splunk Cloud offers the flexibility of both cloud-based and on-premises deployments. Users can choose to host Splunk Cloud on their own infrastructure or leverage the cloud-hosted option provided by Splunk.

3. Data Retention: Sentry provides a default data retention period of 90 days for event data, which can be extended up to 1 year with the purchase of additional data retention packs. Splunk Cloud, on the other hand, offers flexible data retention options based on the subscription tier chosen by the user. The retention period can range from 15 days to 5 years, depending on the selected plan.

4. Ease of Integration: Sentry integrates seamlessly with a wide range of programming languages and frameworks, making it easier for developers to integrate error monitoring into their applications. Splunk Cloud offers extensive integration capabilities as well, but it requires more configuration and setup compared to Sentry.

5. Advanced Analytics and Search Capabilities: Splunk Cloud offers powerful search and analytics capabilities, allowing users to explore and analyze their data using a query language called SPL (Splunk Processing Language). The platform also provides machine learning capabilities and pre-built dashboards for visualizing data. While Sentry offers basic search and filtering functionality, it does not provide the same level of advanced analytics and machine learning capabilities as Splunk Cloud.

6. Focus on Application Performance Monitoring: Sentry focuses primarily on error monitoring and application performance monitoring (APM). It provides detailed insights into errors and performance issues, helping developers identify and troubleshoot issues quickly. Splunk Cloud, on the other hand, is a more comprehensive platform that offers a wide range of monitoring and analysis capabilities beyond just APM.

In summary, Sentry and Splunk Cloud differ in their pricing models, deployment options, data retention periods, ease of integration, analytics capabilities, and focus on application performance monitoring.