$ k8scalc compare loki elasticsearch
Loki vs Elasticsearch for Kubernetes Logging
Loki vs Elasticsearch (ELK/ECK) for Kubernetes log aggregation — compare storage cost, RAM requirements, query capabilities, and Grafana integration.
Verdict
Loki is the right choice for most Kubernetes clusters. It integrates natively with Grafana, uses 5–10× less storage than Elasticsearch (no full-text index on all fields), and has much lower RAM requirements. Elasticsearch wins if you need full-text search across log content, complex aggregations, or already have a centralized ELK stack. For a self-hosted Hetzner cluster where disk cost and RAM are real constraints, Loki with S3 backend (Hetzner Object Storage) is the cost-effective default.
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K8s Cluster Cost
Calculate the monthly cost of running a self-managed Kubernetes cluster on Hetzner Cloud, Vultr, or DigitalOcean. Choose server types for control planes, workers, and load balancers with HA mode.