Sentry vs New Relic: Which is Better in 2026?
Choosing between Sentry 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.
Bottom line: Sentry wins this matchup. Our overall Monitoring pick is Better Uptime. Our free Monitoring pick is Spiceworks. Pick New Relic if you need DevOps.
Short on time? Here's the quick answer
We've tested both tools. Here's who should pick what:
Sentry
Application monitoring & error tracking
Best for you if:
- • You want excellent error grouping
- • You want good integrations ecosystem
New Relic
Full-stack observability with 50+ monitoring capabilities
Best for you if:
- • You want generous free tier
- • You want full-stack observability
| At a Glance | Sentry | New Relic |
|---|---|---|
Starts at | FreeFree tier available | FreeFree tier available |
Best For | Monitoring | DevOps |
Rating | 4.6/5 | 4.4/5 |
Free plan | Yes | Yes |
Choose Sentry or New Relic?
Choose Sentry if
Application monitoring & error tracking
- You want excellent error grouping
- You want good integrations ecosystem
- Your work is monitoring-shaped, not DevOps-shaped
Choose New Relic if
Full-stack observability with 50+ monitoring capabilities
- You want generous free tier
- You want full-stack observability
- Budget matters (Free vs Free)
- Your work is DevOps-shaped, not monitoring-shaped
| Feature | Sentry | New Relic |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing Model | Freemium | Freemium |
| User Rating | ★4.6/5 297 reviews | ★4.4/5 783 reviews |
| Categories | MonitoringDebugging | DevOpsAnalytics |
In-Depth Analysis
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
- +Excellent error grouping
- +Good integrations ecosystem
- +Useful context in errors
- +Free tier available
Weaknesses
- -Can be expensive at scale
- -Complex setup for some features
- -UI can be overwhelming
Key features
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
- +Generous free tier
- +Full-stack observability
- +AI insights
Weaknesses
- -Complex to set up
- -Data can be expensive
Key features
Pricing: Sentry vs New Relic
| Plan | Sentry | New Relic |
|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 | Free Developer | Free Free |
| Tier 2 | $26 month (annual) Team | $10 Standard |
| Tier 3 | $80 month (annual) Business | $349 Pro |
| Tier 4 | custom Enterprise | Enterprise |
Pricing verified from each vendor's public pricing page. Compare in detail on Sentry pricing and New Relic pricing.
Who Should Use What?
On a budget?
Both are freemium. Compare plans on their websites.
Go with: Sentry
Want the highest-rated option?
Sentry: 4.6/5 (297 reviews). New Relic: 4.4/5 (783 reviews).
Go with: Sentry
Value user reviews?
Sentry: 297 reviews (4.6/5). New Relic: 783 reviews (4.4/5).
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?
Sentry is a monitoring tool. New Relic is in DevOps. Pick the category that matches your needs.
How important are ratings?
Sentry is rated higher: 4.6/5 vs 4.4/5.
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. Our overall Monitoring pick is Better Uptime. Our free Monitoring pick is Spiceworks.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Sentry or New Relic better?
Sentry is rated in our evaluation. Both are freemium.
What are Sentry and New Relic used for?
Sentry: Application monitoring & error tracking. New Relic: Full-stack observability with 50+ monitoring capabilities.
What does Sentry cost vs New Relic?
Sentry is freemium (free tier + paid plans). New Relic is freemium (free tier + paid plans). Visit their websites for detailed pricing.