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Monitoring for Side Projects

Dirt-cheap log monitoring so your weekend project doesn't become a weekend firefight.

>_ the problem

You launched a side project last weekend. It's getting traction on Hacker News, a few hundred users signed up, and now someone is reporting a bug you can't reproduce. You open your server logs and realize you have nothing useful. Just a wall of console.log statements with no timestamps, no context, and no way to search. You consider setting up proper monitoring, but Datadog wants $23 per host per month. New Relic requires a Java agent you don't want to install. Even the free tiers of most tools cap at a level that is useless or require credit card information and threaten overages. You just need something that works, costs less than your domain registration, and takes less time to set up than it took you to write this side project.

>_ why traditional tools fall short

  • $Free tiers are intentionally crippled with tiny retention windows, limited queries, or missing features, designed to force upgrades to expensive paid plans.
  • $Enterprise tools require more setup time than you spent building the entire side project.
  • $Usage-based pricing with no caps means a single Hacker News spike could generate an invoice larger than your side project's annual revenue.
  • $Most platforms are designed for teams, requiring org setup, role configuration, and onboarding flows before you can see a single log line.

>_ how logmonitor solves this

Starter Plan at $9/mo

Two apps, 50,000 logs per month, and 7-day retention for the cost of a fancy coffee. Predictable pricing with no usage surprises.

5-Minute Setup

npm install, one line of init, done. Spend your weekend building features, not configuring monitoring infrastructure.

Live Console

Watch your side project's logs in real time. When that Hacker News traffic hits, you can see exactly what is happening as it happens.

Zero Overhead

The tiny, async SDK won't slow down your app. Your side project's $5 VPS can handle it without breaking a sweat.

>_ quick setup

app.js · javascript
import { logmonitor } from 'logmonitor-js';
logmonitor.init({ apiKey: 'your-api-key' });
// The SDK auto-patches console.log/info/warn/error/debug
// Logs are only sent in production (process.env.NODE_ENV === 'production')
console.log('App started', { version: '1.0.0' });

>_ pricing for this use case

The Starter plan at $9/mo is built for exactly this. Two apps and 50,000 logs per month with 7-day retention covers most side projects with room to spare. If your project takes off, upgrade to Pro at $19/mo.

View all plans →

>_ frequently asked questions

$ Is $9/mo really enough for a side project?

Yes. The Starter plan gives you 50,000 logs per month, which is roughly 1,600 logs per day. For most side projects, that comfortably covers error logs, key user actions, and system events without needing to worry about quota.

$ Can I monitor two side projects on one plan?

Yes. The Starter plan includes 2 apps, so you can monitor two separate side projects from the same account and dashboard.

$ What happens if my side project goes viral and I exceed 50,000 logs?

You can monitor your usage from the dashboard. You can upgrade to the Pro plan at $19/mo for 1 million logs, or adjust your logging to only capture errors and critical events to stay within the Starter tier.

$ I built my project with a framework you don't have an SDK for. Can I still use LogMonitor?

Yes. The LogMonitor HTTP API accepts log data via HTTP POST from any language or framework. If you can make an HTTP request, you can use LogMonitor.

$ Is 7-day retention enough for a side project?

For most side projects, yes. You are typically debugging issues within hours or days, not looking at logs from last month. If you need longer retention, the Pro plan offers 30 days and the Scale plan offers 90 days.

$ Can I use LogMonitor during development too?

Absolutely. Many developers use LogMonitor during local development as well as production. It gives you the same clean, searchable log interface regardless of environment, which is a major upgrade from scrolling through terminal output.

>_ related pages

>_ about logmonitor

LogMonitor.io is a log observability platform built for developers who want simple, fast, affordable log monitoring without enterprise complexity. Stream production logs from your users' devices in real-time with native Flutter and React SDKs. Set up in under 5 minutes, with plans starting at $9/month. No dashboards to configure, no query languages to learn — just your logs, live.

logmonitor --start
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Plans from $9/mo · Set up in under 5 minutes