Quick answer
Bugsink - Bugsink is the better pick for most builders who want a free tier they can stretch, because its self-hosted option is unlimited on users and hardware-based, while Sentry’s free plan is more tightly capped and asks for a card.
How the free tiers compare
These two free tiers solve different problems. Bugsink is centered on self-hosting first, so the free option is less about a polished hosted allowance and more about giving you a usable error tracker with no user limit and no card requirement, as long as you run it yourself and absorb the hardware cost. Its hosted path is simple and low-cost, with a clear jump from free to $16/mo. Sentry’s free tier is more of a conventional hosted starter plan: it includes one user, error monitoring, tracing, alerts, and dashboards, but the free envelope is narrower and the pricing page indicates a card is required. If you want the lowest-friction hosted evaluation, Sentry is familiar. If you want the most room before paying, Bugsink gives more headroom, especially for small teams or solo builders who can self-host.
Bugsink vs Sentry free tier, side by side
| BugsinkFTV 61 | SentryFTV 48 | |
|---|---|---|
| Free usersBugsink’s hosted evaluation plan is single-user, but its free self-hosted option is unlimited users. | Unlimited users on self-hosted free | 1 user |
| Free monthly eventsBugsink’s free self-hosted volume is based on hardware. Sentry’s free event cap is not provided in the input. | Hardware-based / not stated | Not stated |
| Free retentionOnly Bugsink’s hosted evaluation plan gives a retention figure in the provided data. | Not stated for self-hosted free; hosted eval includes 5K events retained | Not stated |
| Free featuresSentry’s free plan is more feature-bundled but narrower in access. | All features on self-hosted free | Error Monitoring, Tracing, email alerts, 10 custom dashboards |
| Credit card required for freeThis claim is only stated where the input provides ftv_no_cc_required. | No | Yes |
After you outgrow the free tier
Bugsink uses flat hosted pricing after free, with a very low first step at $16/mo for 75K events and a simple climb to $50/mo and $158/mo for higher event volumes. It also has a separate per-seat Premium Support add-on at $15/user/mo and custom enterprise support. Sentry’s first paid step is $26/mo on a per-seat Team plan, then $80/mo for Business, then custom Enterprise. For small-team hosted use, Bugsink is cheaper at the entry point; Sentry becomes pricier sooner if you need more seats or broader platform features.
Cost at real usage
| Usage | Bugsink | Sentry |
|---|---|---|
| 1 user, small hosted projectUsing the first meaningful paid tier for each product. | $16/mo | $26/mo |
| Multiple users on a small teamBugsink’s hosted tier pricing is event-based, while Sentry’s Team tier is per-seat. | $16/mo for hosted access, or self-hosted free if you manage hardware | $26/mo and up |
| Higher hosted event volumeSentry says additional events are available on Team, but no rate is provided. | $50/mo at 600K events | $26/mo plus additional events not priced in the input |
| Need enterprise supportBoth products move to contact sales for enterprise-level arrangements. | Custom | Custom |
Estimates, not quotes. Usage-based rates change - verify with the vendor's pricing page before committing.
When to pick each one
Pick Bugsink when…
- You want a free error tracker with unlimited users as long as you self-host it.
- You are comfortable running Docker and handling the hardware yourself.
- You mainly need exception capture, stack traces, code context, and local variables.
- You expect to stay small and want a cheap hosted upgrade path at $16/mo.
- You do not want to enter a credit card for the free tier.
Pick Sentry when…
- You want a hosted observability workflow rather than managing your own server.
- You need tracing plus error monitoring in the same starter plan.
- You want email alerts and notifications included out of the box.
- You are okay with a one-user free plan and a card being required.
- You expect to move into dashboards, integrations, or broader debugging features soon.
Bottom line
For the most common builder case, Bugsink wins if you want the broadest free use without a card and are willing to self-host. That makes it the better free-tier option for solo builders and small teams that can tolerate some setup. Sentry is the better choice if you want a hosted starter plan with tracing, alerts, and dashboards already bundled, but its free tier is tighter and less generous on access. If your main goal is to avoid paying for as long as possible, Bugsink is the safer bet.
Read the full listings: Bugsink and Sentry. Scores use the FTV methodology at /ftv. Browse more head-to-heads on /compare, or see the top-ranked free tiers on /top.