Airbrake vs New Relic: Error Tracking Compared (2025)

Introduction

Selecting the right error tracking solution requires understanding how different tools approach the same problem. Airbrake and New Relic are both popular choices, but they serve different needs and audiences.

Airbrake is a well-established error monitoring platform known for its clean interface and robust notification system. New Relic is a comprehensive full-stack observability platform offering APM, infrastructure monitoring, and error tracking in one solution.

Feature Comparison

Airbrake Overview

Airbrake stands out for clean UI, backtrace analysis, deploy tracking, GitHub/GitLab integration. It is primarily a error monitoring solution that works well for teams who need these capabilities. Pricing: Starts at $19/mo for the Developer plan, scaling to $249/mo for Business.

The main limitations include: limited APM features, higher cost per event at scale.

New Relic Overview

New Relic focuses on full-stack observability, NRQL query language, broad integrations, generous free tier. As a full-stack observability platform, it appeals to teams looking for these specific features. Pricing: Free tier (100GB/mo), Standard at $0.30/GB ingested, Pro at $0.50/GB.

Trade-offs to consider: can get expensive at scale, complex pricing model, occasional data lag.

Pricing Comparison

Recommendation

Choose Airbrake if your primary need is clean ui and error monitoring. Choose New Relic if you value full-stack observability and need a strong full-stack observability platform.

For teams that need both error tracking and broader observability, consider whether a dedicated error tracker or a full-platform solution better fits your architecture. Both Airbrake and New Relic are battle-tested in production environments.