Better Stack (Log Management)
Cloud-based log management solution for aggregating, searching, and analyzing application logs at scale
Logfire
Simple Python‑centric observability platform for faster development
Logfire provides a Python‑focused observability suite with easy‑to‑use dashboards, OpenTelemetry integration, SQL querying, and deep Pydantic validation insights, helping teams monitor code, traces, metrics, and logs.
Overview
Overview
Logfire is a Python‑centric observability suite designed to give developers immediate insight into application behavior. By combining a clean, interactive dashboard with rich telemetry—such as full Python object displays, event‑loop profiling, and database query tracing—it turns raw data into actionable information without steep learning curves.
Capabilities & Deployment
The SDK wraps OpenTelemetry, offering automatic instrumentation for popular libraries (FastAPI, HTTP clients, DB drivers) while still supporting manual spans for custom workflows. Data can be explored using standard SQL, enabling teams to leverage existing BI tools or write ad‑hoc queries. Although the SDK is open source (MIT), the Logfire UI and backend are closed source and available via a hosted service or self‑hosted enterprise license. This model lets you export telemetry to any OpenTelemetry‑compatible backend while benefiting from Logfire’s specialized Python insights.
Highlights
Intuitive dashboard delivering powerful observability at a glance
Deep Python‑specific telemetry, including object inspection and event‑loop profiling
SQL‑based data exploration compatible with existing BI tools
Full OpenTelemetry support with automatic instrumentation for common libraries
Pros
- Easy integration with a single `pip install` and minimal code changes
- Rich visibility into Pydantic validation and Python runtime behavior
- Leverages the broader OpenTelemetry ecosystem for traces, metrics, and logs
- SQL query interface simplifies analysis and alerting
Considerations
- Dashboard UI is closed source; self‑hosting requires an enterprise license
- Full feature set is most effective when using the Logfire service
- Primarily optimized for Python; other languages rely on generic OpenTelemetry support
- Potential performance overhead when instrumenting many libraries simultaneously
Managed products teams compare with
When teams consider Logfire, these hosted platforms usually appear on the same shortlist.
Looking for a hosted option? These are the services engineering teams benchmark against before choosing open source.
Fit guide
Great for
- Python teams building FastAPI or other web services
- Organizations already using OpenTelemetry and seeking Python‑specific insights
- Developers who prefer SQL for querying observability data
- Projects that need detailed validation and profiling information
Not ideal when
- Non‑Python applications without a dedicated SDK
- Teams requiring a completely open‑source observability stack
- Low‑traffic scripts where added instrumentation cost outweighs benefits
- Environments with strict data‑residency policies prohibiting closed‑source UI
How teams use it
Debugging FastAPI request handling
View request payloads, validation errors, and database query timings in a unified dashboard.
Profiling background tasks
Identify event‑loop latency and function execution time to optimize asynchronous workers.
SQL‑driven alerting
Write SQL queries against telemetry data to trigger alerts using existing BI or monitoring tools.
Cross‑language trace correlation
Combine Python traces with services written in other languages via OpenTelemetry for end‑to‑end visibility.
Tech snapshot
Python100%
Makefile1%
JavaScript1%
Frequently asked questions
What is Logfire?
Logfire is an observability platform focused on Python, offering dashboards, OpenTelemetry integration, and SQL querying to monitor code, traces, metrics, and logs.
How do I install the Logfire SDK?
Run `pip install logfire` and then configure it in your code with `logfire.configure()`.
Do I need a paid account to use Logfire?
The SDK is free and open source; the hosted UI and self‑hosted enterprise version require a subscription.
Can I send Logfire data to other OpenTelemetry backends?
Yes, the SDK can export telemetry to any OpenTelemetry‑compatible backend.
What license is the Logfire SDK released under?
The SDK is released under the MIT license.
Project at a glance
Active- Stars
- 3,948
- Watchers
- 3,948
- Forks
- 199
LicenseMIT
Repo age1 year old
Last commit2 days ago
Primary languagePython
Last synced 2 hours ago