Airbrake vs New Relic: Which is Better in 2026?
Choosing between Airbrake and New Relic comes down to understanding what each tool does best. This comparison breaks down the key differences so you can make an informed decision based on your specific needs, not marketing claims.
Short on time? Here's the quick answer
We've tested both tools. Here's who should pick what:
Airbrake
Error monitoring and performance tracking for applications
Best for you if:
- • You need debugging features specifically
- • Airbrake is an error monitoring service that helps development teams catch and fix bugs faster
- • It captures exceptions with full stack traces, deployment tracking, and performance insights
New Relic
Full-stack observability with 50+ monitoring capabilities
Best for you if:
- • You need DevOps features specifically
- • Full-stack observability platform with APM, infrastructure monitoring, and logs
- • Generous free tier: 100GB/month data ingest + 1 full-access user
| At a Glance |  Airbrake |  New Relic |
|---|---|---|
Starts at | $19/monthDeveloper | $10/moStandard |
Best For | Debugging | DevOps |
Rating | - | - |
Choose Airbrake or New Relic?
Choose Airbrake if
Error monitoring and performance tracking for applications
- Error monitoring
- APM included
- Good for Ruby
- Your work is debugging-shaped, not DevOps-shaped
Choose New Relic if
Full-stack observability with 50+ monitoring capabilities
- Generous free tier
- Full-stack observability
- AI insights
- Budget matters ($10/mo vs $19/month)
- Your work is DevOps-shaped, not debugging-shaped
| Feature | Airbrake | New Relic |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing Model | Freemium | Freemium |
| User Rating | ★4.5/5 103 reviews | ★4.4/5 780 reviews |
| Categories | DebuggingMonitoring | DevOpsAnalytics |
In-Depth Analysis
Airbrake
Error monitoring and performance tracking for applications
Strengths
- +Error monitoring
- +APM included
- +Good for Ruby
- +Deploy tracking
- +Fair pricing
Weaknesses
- -Less popular than Sentry
- -Smaller community
- -UI dated
- -Limited features
- -Support varies
Key features
New Relic
Full-stack observability with 50+ monitoring capabilities
Strengths
- +Generous free tier
- +Full-stack observability
- +AI insights
Weaknesses
- -Complex to set up
- -Data can be expensive
Key features
Pricing: Airbrake vs New Relic
| Plan | Airbrake | New Relic |
|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 | $19 month Developer | Free Free |
| Tier 2 | $38 month Basic | $10 Standard |
| Tier 3 | $99 month Pro | $349 Pro |
| Tier 4 | N/A | Enterprise |
Pricing verified from each vendor's public pricing page. Compare in detail on Airbrake pricing and New Relic pricing.
Who Should Use What?
On a budget?
Both are freemium. Compare plans on their websites.
Go with: Airbrake
Want the highest-rated option?
Neither has user reviews yet.
Go with: Airbrake
Value user reviews?
Neither has user reviews yet.
Go with: New Relic
3 Questions to Help You Decide
What's your budget?
Both are freemium. Pricing won't help you decide here.
What's your use case?
Airbrake is a debugging tool. New Relic is in DevOps. Pick the category that matches your needs.
How important are ratings?
Neither has user reviews yet.
Key Takeaways
New Relic
- Larger review base (780 reviews)
- Free tier available
- Our pick for this comparison
Airbrake
- Higher user rating: 4.5/5 vs 4.4/5
- Better fit for debugging
The Bottom Line
New Relic is our pick.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Airbrake or New Relic better?
New Relic is rated in our evaluation. Both are freemium.
What are Airbrake and New Relic used for?
Airbrake: Error monitoring and performance tracking for applications. New Relic: Full-stack observability with 50+ monitoring capabilities.
What does Airbrake cost vs New Relic?
Airbrake is freemium (free tier + paid plans). New Relic is freemium (free tier + paid plans). Visit their websites for detailed pricing.