New Relic vs Sentry: Which is Better in 2026?
Choosing between New Relic and Sentry 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.
Bottom line: Sentry wins this matchup. SolarWinds is our overall Monitoring pick. Hookdeck is our free Monitoring pick. Pick New Relic if you need DevOps.
Short on time? Here's the quick answer
Based on published vendor pricing and features and on public review data, here's who should pick what:
New Relic
Full-stack observability with 50+ monitoring capabilities
Best for you if:
- • You want generous free tier
Sentry
Application monitoring & error tracking
Best for you if:
- • You want excellent error grouping
| At a Glance | New Relic | Sentry |
|---|---|---|
Starts at | Free Free plan | Free Free plan |
Category | DevOps Analytics | Monitoring Debugging |
Rating | 4.4/5 G2 4.4 · Capterra 4.5 783 reviews | 4.6/5 G2 4.5 · Capterra 4.7 297 reviews |
Free plan | Yes | Yes |
Watch out for | Data ingest overages at $0.40/GB (Standard) | Error volume overages: Team and Business include 50K errors. Each additional 50K costs a flat rate that varies by plan. A medium-traffic app generating 500K errors/mo on Team pays significantly more than the $26 base price |
Choose New Relic or Sentry?
Choose New Relic if
- You want generous free tier
- You want full-stack observability
- Budget matters (Free vs Free)
- You work in DevOps, not monitoring
Choose Sentry if
- You want excellent error grouping
- You want good integrations ecosystem
- You work in monitoring, not DevOps
In-Depth Analysis
New Relic
Full-stack observability with 50+ monitoring capabilities
New Relic's freemium model is generous, offering 100 GB/month and a full platform user for free.
Watch out
Data ingest overages at $0.40/GB (Standard)
Strengths
- Pro: Generous free tier
- Pro: Full-stack observability
- Pro: AI insights
Weaknesses
- Con: Complex to set up
- Con: Data can be expensive
Key features
Sentry
Application monitoring & error tracking
Sentry is the error tracking standard for development teams, and its pricing is reasonable at low volumes but scales aggressively with event count.
Watch out
Error volume overages: Team and Business include 50K errors. Each additional 50K costs a flat rate that varies by plan. A medium-traffic app generating 500K errors/mo on Team pays significantly more than the $26 base price
Strengths
- Pro: Excellent error grouping
- Pro: Good integrations ecosystem
- Pro: Useful context in errors
- Pro: Free tier available
Weaknesses
- Con: Can be expensive at scale
- Con: Complex setup for some features
- Con: UI can be overwhelming
Key features
Pricing: New Relic vs Sentry
| Plan | New Relic | Sentry |
|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 | Free Free | Free Developer |
| Tier 2 | $10 Standard | $26 month (annual) Team |
| Tier 3 | $349 Pro | $80 month (annual) Business |
| Tier 4 | Enterprise | custom Enterprise |
Pricing verified from each vendor's public pricing page. Compare in detail on New Relic pricing and Sentry pricing.
Key Takeaways
Sentry
- Higher user rating: 4.6/5 vs 4.4/5
- Free tier available
- Our pick for this comparison
New Relic
- Larger review base (783 reviews)
- Better fit for DevOps
The Bottom Line
Sentry wins this matchup. SolarWinds is our overall Monitoring pick. Hookdeck is our free Monitoring pick.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is New Relic or Sentry better in 2026?
Sentry wins this matchup. SolarWinds is our overall Monitoring pick. Hookdeck is our free Monitoring pick. Pick New Relic for DevOps workflows (main strength: generous free tier). Pick Sentry for monitoring workflows (main strength: excellent error grouping).
What are New Relic and Sentry used for?
New Relic: Full-stack observability with 50+ monitoring capabilities. Sentry: Application monitoring & error tracking.
What does New Relic cost vs Sentry?
New Relic's paid plans start at Free (Standard). Sentry's paid plans start at Free (Team).
What's the main difference between New Relic and Sentry?
New Relic's main strength: generous free tier. Sentry's main strength: excellent error grouping.