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Proprietary vs Proprietary

Bugsnag vs Rollbar: Which One Should You Choose in 1970?

Bugsnag (SmartBear) is a proprietary Error Monitoring tool priced as per-event plan tiers, starting at Free tier then from ~$46/mo. Rollbar is proprietary, priced as per-event volume + seats, starting at $12/mo (Starter, 25,000 events).

Quick verdict

Choose Bugsnag for
Bugsnagstability scores and release-stage tracking built into the dashboard
Choose Rollbar for
Rollbarreal-time error grouping with deploy tracking and auto-assignment

Bugsnag vs Rollbar: feature comparison

FeatureBugsnag (SmartBear)ProprietaryRollbarProprietary
Open-Source AvailableNoNo
Self-HostableNoNo
Self-Hosting DifficultyN/AN/A
Pricing ModelPer-event plan tiersPer-event volume + seats
Starting PriceFree tier then from ~$46/mo$12/mo (Starter, 25,000 events)
Free TierFree 7,500 events/moFree 5,000 events/mo
GitHub StarsN/AN/A

Pricing takeaway

Bugsnag (SmartBear) starts at Free tier then from ~$46/mo (free 7,500 events/mo). Rollbar starts at $12/mo (Starter, 25,000 events) (free 5,000 events/mo).

Bugsnag (SmartBear)
Per-event plan tiers. Starts at Free tier then from ~$46/mo. Free 7,500 events/mo.Full Bugsnag pricing breakdown
Rollbar
Per-event volume + seats. Starts at $12/mo (Starter, 25,000 events). Free 5,000 events/mo.Full Rollbar pricing breakdown

Pros and cons

Bugsnag (SmartBear)

Visit Bugsnag

Pros

  • Stability scores and release-stage tracking built into the dashboard
  • Strong native crash reporting for iOS and Android
  • Procurement-friendly as part of the SmartBear portfolio

Cons

  • Price steps up steeply once the free event allowance is exceeded
  • Shallower performance tracing than Sentry
  • UI and API feel dated next to newer tools

Pros

  • Real-time error grouping with deploy tracking and auto-assignment
  • Simple SDK setup and a fast triage interface
  • Cheaper entry plan than Sentry for small teams

Cons

  • Event-based pricing becomes expensive as traffic grows
  • No self-hosting option
  • Weaker performance-monitoring story than Sentry or Datadog

Bugsnag vs Rollbar: FAQ

Is Rollbar a good alternative to Bugsnag?

Bugsnag (SmartBear) is a proprietary Error Monitoring tool priced as per-event plan tiers, starting at Free tier then from ~$46/mo. Rollbar is proprietary, priced as per-event volume + seats, starting at $12/mo (Starter, 25,000 events).

Which is cheaper, Bugsnag or Rollbar?

Bugsnag (SmartBear) starts at Free tier then from ~$46/mo (free 7,500 events/mo). Rollbar starts at $12/mo (Starter, 25,000 events) (free 5,000 events/mo).

Is Bugsnag or Rollbar open source?

Bugsnag (SmartBear) is proprietary. Rollbar is proprietary.

Can I self-host Bugsnag or Rollbar?

Bugsnag (SmartBear) cannot be self-hosted. Rollbar cannot be self-hosted.

Do Bugsnag and Rollbar have a free tier?

Bugsnag (SmartBear): Free 7,500 events/mo. Rollbar: Free 5,000 events/mo.