Honeycomb

honeycomb.io
Observability & Monitoring
Weekend Project

Observability for Distributed Services

How to Replace Honeycomb

Overview

Honeycomb is an observability platform built for distributed systems that provides fast feedback loops and unified telemetry data. It features a purpose-built columnar data store designed specifically for observability with subsecond query speeds and extensive integrations. The platform combines AI-powered analysis, comprehensive telemetry management, and dynamic sampling to help teams solve complex engineering challenges before they impact users.

Features

36 features across 19 categories

AI & LLMs(4)

CanvasAIPremium

AI-assisted copilot that helps speed up investigations and answer questions in seconds

Honeycomb IntelligenceAIPremium

AI-powered observability analysis that makes every engineer an expert

Honeycomb MCP ServerAIPremium

Access observability data directly via AI agent IDE to stay in flow during investigations

LLM ObservabilityAIPremium

Get granular insight into how LLMs behave in production with real-time data and troubleshooting

API(2)

Query Data APIPremium

API for querying and accessing observability data programmatically

SLO Reporting APIPremium

API for programmatic access to SLO data and reports

Alerting(1)

Triggers

Set up automated alerts based on observability data thresholds and conditions

Also in: Splunk, Lacework, Dashlane

Analysis(2)

Anomaly DetectionAIPremium

Automatically identify anomalies and unusual patterns in observability data

BubbleUpAI

Perform root cause analysis in under three minutes with automated anomaly detection

Also in: Lexion, Ironclad, Juro

Collaboration(1)

Query Result Permalinks

Share query results with shareable permanent links

Also in: Notion, Airtable, Obsidian

Core Observability(3)

Custom Metrics

Derive unlimited custom metrics from your telemetry data at no additional cost

Distributed Tracing

Trace requests across distributed systems to understand service interactions and dependencies

Log Analytics

Search, filter, and analyze logs alongside traces and metrics for complete context

Data Management(3)

RefineryPremium

Dynamic sampling tool that intelligently reduces data volume while preserving signal

Telemetry Pipelines

Collect, enrich, filter, sample, route, and shape telemetry data for optimized cost and insights

Unlimited Custom Fields

Add unlimited context fields to telemetry without additional charges

Also in: monday.com, Notion, Airtable

Deployment(1)

Honeycomb Private CloudPremium

Dedicated private cloud deployment option for enterprise customers

Also in: Kubernetes Dashboard, Hugging Face, Bitwarden

Frontend(1)

Frontend ObservabilityPremium

Monitor and analyze frontend performance and user experience metrics

Infrastructure(1)

Columnar Data Store

Purpose-built columnar database optimized for observability workloads

Integration(1)

OpenTelemetry Support

Native support for OpenTelemetry standard with compatible platform

Performance(3)

Data Available in 90 Seconds

Real-time data ingestion with visibility in under 90 seconds

Sub-10 Second Queries

Query engine designed for near-instantaneous results

Subsecond Query Speeds

Real-time query performance for rapid investigation

Professional Services(1)

Installation and Enablement ServicesPremium

Professional services for setting up and optimizing Honeycomb

Query & Analysis(3)

Query AssistantAI

AI-powered query builder that helps construct queries quickly and efficiently

Query Builder

Visual interface for building and running observability queries

Query History

Track and access previously run queries for repeatability and audit purposes

SLO Management(1)

SLOsPremium

Define and track Service Level Objectives to measure and improve reliability

Security(3)

Activity LogsPremium

Audit trail of activities and changes within Honeycomb

AWS PrivateLinkPremium

Private network connectivity to Honeycomb for enhanced security

Single-Sign On (SSO)Premium

Enterprise authentication using SSO for secure access management

Support(2)

Enterprise SupportPremium

Priority support for enterprise customers

Honeycomb SupportPremium

Customer support for Pro and Enterprise plans

User Management(1)

Unlimited Users

Scale user access across teams without per-user pricing

Visualization(2)

Dynamic Visualizations

Interactive and explorable visualizations that encourage investigation

Service MapPremium

Visualize service dependencies and interactions in your distributed architecture

Pricing

Free

Free
  • Up to 20M events per month
  • 2 Triggers
  • Distributed Tracing
  • BubbleUp
  • OpenTelemetry Support
  • Query History
  • Query Result Permalinks
  • Honeycomb Metrics

Pro

Popular
$130/mo
  • All features from Free Plan
  • Up to 1.5B events per month
  • 100 Triggers
  • 2 Service Level Objectives (SLOs)
  • Single-Sign On (SSO)
  • Honeycomb Support
  • Monthly or Annual Subscription

Enterprise

Custom
  • All features from Pro Plan
  • Variable event volume
  • Starts with 300 Triggers
  • Starts with 100 SLOs
  • Service Map
  • Enterprise Support for Refinery
  • Enterprise-Grade Support + Onboarding
  • Query Data API
  • AWS PrivateLink
  • SLO Reporting API
  • Support for Honeycomb Private Cloud

Cost Calculator

Keep Paying Honeycomb

Monthly$130/mo
Yearly$1.6k/yr
5-Year Total$7.8k

Build It Yourself

Est. Build Time~3 hrs
Hosting$20/mo
DifficultyVery Easy

Total Cost Comparison

1 YearSave $1.3k
SaaS
$1.6k
DIY
$240
3 YearsSave $4k
SaaS
$4.7k
DIY
$720
5 YearsSave $6.6k
SaaS
$7.8k
DIY
$1.2k

DIY hosting estimate based on Vercel + Supabase free/pro tiers (~$20/mo). Build time estimated from 36 features at very easy complexity.

Build vs Buy

Should you build a Honeycomb alternative or buy the subscription? Estimate based on 36 features.

Buy Honeycomb

Monthly cost$1,300/mo
3-year total$46,800
Time to deployDays

Build Your Own

Better Value
Development cost$24,000
Maintenance$360/mo
3-year total$36,960
Dev time~2 months

Building could save ~$9,840 over 3 years.

Estimates based on 36 features and a BuildScore of 5/5. Actual costs vary.

Integrations

4 known integrations

60+ ToolsAmazon S3CI/CD PipelinesIncident Management Tools