Rollbar Alternatives: Compare Before You Commit

Rollbar is acclaimed as the top error monitoring tool - with 4.5 out of 5 stars on both Capterra and G2 - amongst a competitive field. That said, we recognize there are alternatives some people consider when also looking at us. Here is our perspective on what these other tools are for, and when to choose Rollbar instead.

Rollbar (hey, that's us)

Rollbar stands out in the error monitoring tool scene for a few key reasons. First off, it's super quick to know when something goes wrong in your app. You get instant alerts about errors so you can jump right on fixing them. This means less downtime and a better experience for your users.

Rollbar also gives you detailed info about each error, like where exactly in your code it happened and what the data looked like at that moment. This makes it way easier to figure out what went wrong. And when it comes to sorting out the mess of errors you might get in a big app, Rollbar's got your back. It groups similar errors together, so you can see what needs your attention most. This feature is a lifesaver when you're dealing with lots of bugs at once.

Plus, it works with lots of different programming languages and hooks up smoothly with other tools you might be using, like Slack, Jira, or GitHub. The reports and analytics Rollbar provides are super helpful for understanding what's going on over time.

Another big plus for Rollbar is that it keeps getting better. The team behind it is always adding new stuff and really listens to what developers need.

All this makes Rollbar a solid, user-friendly choice for keeping your app running smoothly. If you're looking for an easy to use error monitoring tool with advanced diagnostic capabilities, give Rollbar a try. Plans start at $0/mo.

Now let’s look at how the alternatives to Rollbar compare based on features, platforms supported, and price.

Sentry

Sentry is another player in the error monitoring tool arena, and it's got a lot going for it. Like Rollbar, Sentry offers real-time error monitoring and reporting, but it also does application performance monitoring (APM). This means it not only tells you when something breaks, but also gives you insights into how well your application is running in general.

The problem is that Sentry is not best-of-breed in either error monitoring or APM. Sentry may match a lot of the features Rollbar offers, but many users find Rollbar's user interface to be particularly user-friendly and intuitive because we're not trying to do so many things to appeal to both sets of people who want error monitoring and APM. Rollbar's starting plan is also half the price of Sentry's.

Airbrake

While both Airbrake and Rollbar provide real-time error notifications, Airbrake's user interface is often praised for its simplicity and ease of use, making it a good choice for teams who value a no-frills, efficient approach. However, Rollbar offers more detailed diagnostic information, which can be crucial for complex applications and environments. Rollbar's error grouping and analysis capabilities are also more advanced, helping teams to manage and prioritize errors more effectively.

Bugpilot

Bugpilot.io is another emerging tool in the realm of error monitoring and debugging. Their particular focus is providing first-class support for Next.js, a popular React framework. If you use anything else besides Next.js, you have to manually add the required script tag, an additional step in the setup process, making it less convenient to tools like Rollbar, which are designed to integrate seamlessly with a wider range of frameworks and languages out of the box.

For teams using Next.js, Bugpilot's tailored support ensures seamless integration and optimized performance. However, for other frameworks, go with Rollbar for its broader compatibility and ease of integration.

Bugnsag

BugSnag offers a lot of the same features as Rollbar except they don’t provide access to the raw error data for in-depth analysis nor do they have account management automation, which makes it easy to provision and manage projects and access tokens as team members come and go.

According to their G2 reviews, one user complained that “rather than charge for overages they will automatically jack up your monthly price without asking. Went from $70 to $280 for our monthly bill.” Rollbar, on the other hand, will charge you a per event fee based on your plan level. If it becomes more economical for you to be on a higher plan level, you’ll be automatically upgraded. You may also choose to stop processing data once your monthly event limit is reached.

One area that BugSnag excels at is error monitoring for game development. They support Unity, Unreal Engine, and Nintendo Switch, which Rollbar does not.

Raygun

Raygun and Rollbar are very similar when it comes to error monitoring. Raygun goes beyond tracking bugs though. They offer an integrated platform that combines error monitoring, real user monitoring, and application performance monitoring (APM). With this triple emphasis comes triple the cost though. Raygun’s starting price is $40/mo while Rollbar’s is $12.50/mo.

If you don’t need all the extra bells and whistles that Raygun offers because you already have other solutions for performance monitoring, it’s better to choose Rollbar.

Glitchtip

Glitchtip is a newer player in the error monitoring space. It’s an open source tool that you can self-host or you can use their hosted version. Compared to Rollbar, GlitchTip does not have as many advanced features or as polished a user interface, but since it’s open source you can tweak and customize it to suit your specific needs, which is a plus if you have the development resources to do so.

Platform Support

According to each tool’s website, here is what each supports. Do a CTRL+F to find which tool supports your use case.

Pricing Comparison

When it comes to what you pay for the value you get, Rollbar is the clear winner.