Stack
Sentry
An error and performance tracker that captures exceptions in your app, groups them, and shows the stack trace plus the events leading up to the crash.
What it actually does
Sentry catches unhandled exceptions and errors from your frontend and backend, deduplicates them into issues, and attaches the stack trace, request data, release version, and a breadcrumb trail of what happened before the failure. Its Next.js SDK wires up source maps and release tracking so a minified production stack trace maps back to your original code.
Beyond errors it also does performance tracing, session replay (a video-like reconstruction of the user session before a crash), and add-on uptime and cron monitoring. The free Developer plan covers production error tracking for a single user, which fits a solo founder since the seat limit does not bind.
Pricing above the free tier is usage-based, so an error storm or high-volume tracing can generate overages unless you set client-side sample rates and spend caps. It is a monitoring tool, not a business-analytics tool.
Sentry vs its main rivals
The tools people actually weigh against Sentry: Rollbar, Bugsnag, Datadog Error Tracking, PostHog. Same criteria for every column, including where Sentry loses.
| Sentry |  Rollbar | BBugsnag |  Datadog Error Tracking |  PostHog | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Pricing & access | |||||
| Free tier | Yes5k errors/mo | Yes5k events/mo | Yes7.5k events/mo | NoNo standalone | Yes100k errors/mo |
| Starting price | $26/mo | ~$19/mo | ~$20/mo | APM-bundled | Usage-based |
Coverage | |||||
| Session replay | Yes50/mo free | NoNo | NoNo | YesPaid RUM | YesIncluded |
| Performance tracing | YesYes | NoNo | YesAdd-on | YesFull APM | NoNo |
| Source maps / releases | YesYes | YesYes | YesYes | YesYes | YesYes |
Scaling & limits | |||||
| Free error quota | 5k/mo | 5k/mo | 7.5k/mo | None | 100k/mo |
| Data retention | 30-90 days | 30 days | 7-60 days | 15 days | 1 yr+ |
Developer & API | |||||
| REST API | Free | Free | Free | Paid | Free |
| First-party Next.js SDK | YesYes | YesYes | YesYes | YesYes | YesYes |
Team & enterprise | |||||
| Self-host option | YesYes | NoNo | NoNo | NoNo | YesYes |
| SSO / SAML | YesBusiness | YesPaid | YesPaid | YesYes | YesPaid |
- The free Developer tier includes production error tracking, tracing, and 50 session replays at $0, and the single-user limit does not bind a solo founder
- Stack traces, source-map support, and release tracking with a first-party Next.js SDK
- Session replay ties the crash to a reconstruction of what the user did just before it
- An error loop can burn the 5,000 free events fast, and paid overages are usage-based, hitting exactly when an incident triggers them
- PostHog's free tier grants 100k errors/mo versus Sentry's 5k, so Sentry is the pricier choice at low volume if you only need error capture
- The step from free to Team is $26/mo even if you only exceeded the error quota slightly
Pay less for it
5 ways found1 user, 5k errors/mo, 50 replays, 30-day retention, no card
Cap trace/replay sampling and set a spend limit so an error storm cannot trigger usage overages
Team is $26/mo on annual versus ~$29/mo monthly
The core is open source and can be self-hosted for free if you can run the infrastructure
GlitchTip — Sentry-SDK-compatible error tracking you can self-host for free or use on a cheap hosted plan, if you only need error grouping and not tracing or replay
StackTracker tracks what you actually pay for Sentry and every other tool, flags overpayment, and shows the dollars you would save by switching.
Is it the right tool for you
- You are shipping a Next.js app to production and want stack traces plus release tracking
- You want session replay tied to your errors without adding a separate tool
- You are fine starting free and tuning sample rates before you ever pay
- You only need business-event pings (signup, payment), not technical error capture → use LogSnag
- You want the largest free error quota and product analytics in one tool → use PostHog
Track what Sentry and the rest of your stack cost
StackTracker adds up every subscription, plus your hours, so you see the real number.
Prices and limits last verified 2026-07-20.