Tailwise vs Sentry.
Sentry is an in-app SDK that catches code exceptions with full stack traces, breadcrumbs, and release context. Tailwise is an external agent that reads your server log files. Different mechanisms, different errors caught. Here's when each one fits.
| Tailwise | Sentry | |
|---|---|---|
| How it watches | Reads server log files (no SDK in your code) | SDK inside your app, captures exceptions as they happen |
| What it catches | PHP fatals, nginx/PHP-FPM errors, MySQL errors, anything in your logs | Code exceptions with stack trace, breadcrumbs, releases, performance traces |
| Setup | One bash command, ~5 minutes | Install SDK, configure DSN, capture init, deploy |
| Shared hosting / WordPress | Fine: just needs cron + log read access | Possible (PHP SDK exists) but awkward without dev workflow |
| Still alerts when your app is dead? | Yes, logs keep writing | No: SDK can't fire if PHP fataled before init |
| Free tier | 14-day trial | 5,000 events / month, 1 user, forever |
| Paid entry | $89 / year, 3 sites | ~$312 / year (Team plan), 1 project |
When to pick which
Use Sentry if
- You're shipping a web app or SaaS and you control the code.
- You need stack traces, breadcrumbs, source maps, release tagging.
- You're already running CI/CD and don't mind another SDK.
- You want performance traces, session replay, deep integrations.
Use Tailwise if
- You run WordPress, agency sites, or anything where adding an SDK is awkward.
- You want server-level errors (nginx 5xx, MySQL, PHP-FPM) an SDK can't see.
- You want setup in five minutes via one bash command.
- You'd rather pay $89/year for 3 sites than ~$312/year per project.
Where they overlap (and where they don't)
Both can email you when something breaks. Both work in production. Both let you skip writing your own log-grep cron job.
But they're built for slightly different people. Sentry is built for engineering teams who want full context to chase down a bug. Tailwise is built for site owners and freelancers who want to know when their site is on fire and fix it before visitors notice. The two don't conflict: if you have an in-house engineering team running Sentry on a SaaS but also a handful of WordPress sites, Tailwise picks up the latter without touching the former.
Get on the early-access list
Tailwise is rolling out. Drop your email and I'll let you in when access opens.