Looking for a Datadog alternative? Here's a quick rundown of 12 top options:
- Better Stack
- New Relic
- Dynatrace
- Splunk
- AppDynamics
- Zabbix
- Sentry
- SolarWinds
- Instana
- LogicMonitor
- Sumo Logic
- Coralogix
Let's compare their key aspects:
| Tool | Best For | Standout Feature | Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Better Stack | Small teams | User-friendly interface | Starts at $25/month |
| New Relic | Full-stack monitoring | 100GB free data ingestion | $0.30/GB after free tier |
| Dynatrace | AI-powered analysis | Automatic discovery | Starts at $74/month |
| Splunk | Large data volumes | Flexible data ingestion | Ingest or workload-based |
| AppDynamics | Code-level diagnostics | Business impact analysis | Licensed per agent/server |
| Zabbix | Open-source option | Comprehensive monitoring | Free (paid support available) |
| Sentry | Error tracking | Works with 90+ languages | Starts at $26/month |
| SolarWinds | Network monitoring | Multi-vendor support | Based on monitored items |
| Instana | Microservices | Automated discovery | Custom quote-based |
| LogicMonitor | Hybrid environments | Agentless monitoring | Contact sales |
| Sumo Logic | Log analytics | Cloud SIEM | Starts at $3/GB of logs |
| Coralogix | DevOps teams | ML-powered analysis | Starts at $1.50/GB |
Choose based on your needs, budget, and infrastructure complexity. Consider ease of use, integration capabilities, and scalability when deciding.
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1. Better Stack
Better Stack is a user-friendly monitoring tool gaining traction as a Datadog alternative. It's designed for small developers and large enterprises alike.
Key features:
- Comprehensive monitoring (uptime, performance, logs, incidents)
- Quick setup with fast alerts via SMS and email
- Generous free tier including free SMS notifications
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Multi-channel alerting | Notifications via voice calls, SMS, email, Slack, Teams, push |
| Uptime monitoring | 30-second checks with error screenshots |
| Log management | Search up to 1 billion log lines in a second |
| Incident management | 24/7 monitoring with second-by-second timeline |
Pricing is competitive:
| Plan | Price (per month) |
|---|---|
| Free | $0 |
| Freelancer | $25 |
| Small Team | $85 |
| Business | $170 |
| Enterprise | Custom pricing |
Better Stack combines ease of use with robust features, making it worth considering for teams seeking a Datadog alternative.
2. New Relic
New Relic is a cloud-based observability platform offering end-to-end visibility into complex software environments. It focuses on Application Performance Monitoring (APM) and has evolved into a comprehensive solution.
Key features:
- Full-stack monitoring (metrics, logs, distributed tracing)
- User-friendly interface for querying data and setting alerts
- Free tier with 100GB of data ingestion per month
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| APM | Advanced application performance monitoring |
| Infrastructure monitoring | Comprehensive system health visibility |
| Log management | Log data aggregation and analysis |
| Real User Monitoring (RUM) | End-user experience insights |
| AI monitoring | AI stack and performance visibility |
Pricing model:
| Plan | Price |
|---|---|
| Free | 100GB data ingestion, unlimited users |
| Paid | Starts at $149/month |
| Enterprise | Custom pricing |
After the free 100GB, data ingestion costs $0.3/GB or $0.5/GB based on the plan.
New Relic is a solid choice for teams seeking strong APM capabilities and a more intuitive pricing structure compared to Datadog.
3. Dynatrace
Dynatrace is an end-to-end observability platform focusing on modern infrastructures, distributed applications, user experience, and business intelligence. It's a strong APM contender with unique features.
Key features:
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| AI-powered analysis | Davis® AI engine for root cause analysis and proactive issue detection |
| Full-stack monitoring | Covers infrastructure, applications, and user experience |
| Automatic discovery | OneAgent automatically scans and captures data from most components |
| AIOps capabilities | Manages complex multicloud and hybrid cloud environments |
| OpenTelemetry support | Fully supports this open-source observability framework |
Pricing model:
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Starting price | $74 per 8GB per host |
| Pricing model | Consumption-based |
| Units | Digital Experience Units and Davis Data Units (DDUs) |
| Free trial | Not available |
Dynatrace's strength lies in its AI-powered features and focus on application performance. It's well-suited for large, complex cloud-native environments where advanced automation can make a big difference.
4. Splunk
Splunk is a powerful data analysis platform for monitoring, searching, and analyzing machine-generated data in real-time. It handles large data volumes and offers flexible data ingestion.
Key offerings:
| Product | Description |
|---|---|
| Splunk Enterprise | On-premises solution for searching, monitoring, and analyzing machine data |
| Splunk Cloud | Cloud-based version of Splunk Enterprise |
| Splunk Enterprise Security | Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) solution |
| Splunk IT Service Intelligence | AI-powered monitoring and analytics for IT operations |
Splunk's Search Processing Language (SPL) allows complex searches and in-depth data analysis. Pricing options include:
- Ingest Pricing: Based on data ingested (GB/day)
- Workload Pricing: Based on search activity
Splunk excels in log analysis and handling large, diverse datasets. It's ideal for organizations with complex data environments, but consider its pricing model and learning curve when evaluating as a Datadog alternative.
5. AppDynamics
AppDynamics is a powerful APM tool from Cisco designed for deep application performance insights.
Key features:
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Real-time monitoring | Tracks application, infrastructure, and user experience |
| AI-powered analytics | Uses machine learning for issue detection and fixes |
| Code-level diagnostics | Pinpoints problems in application code |
| Business impact analysis | Links app performance to business outcomes |
AppDynamics excels with complex, distributed applications and specialized tech like mainframes and SAP systems. It requires agents on application servers, making setup more involved than Datadog.
Pricing is based on agents or servers monitored, with three main plans:
- APM Pro
- APM Advanced
- APM Peak
AppDynamics is best for business-critical apps in complex multi-cloud setups.
6. Zabbix
Zabbix is an open-source monitoring powerhouse covering your entire IT stack.
Key features:
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Comprehensive monitoring | Tracks network devices, servers, VMs, databases, and more |
| Flexible data collection | Uses agents, SNMP, IPMI, and JMX |
| Real-time graphing | Visualizes metrics instantly |
| Customizable alerting | Sends notifications via email, SMS, or custom scripts |
| API for integration | Allows automation and third-party software connections |
Zabbix shines in large, complex environments with diverse IT infrastructures. It's free to use, with paid professional support available.
Zabbix offers powerful customization but has a steeper learning curve. It's well-suited for large enterprises with complex, heterogeneous IT environments and resources to manage it.
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7. Sentry
Sentry is a powerful error tracking and performance monitoring tool supporting over 90 programming languages and frameworks.
Key features:
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Real-time error tracking | Captures and reports errors as they happen |
| Performance monitoring | Tracks app performance metrics |
| Release tracking | Monitors new release health |
| Custom dashboards | Create personalized views of key metrics |
| Integrations | Works with 65+ development tools |
Sentry excels at error tracking, providing detailed information about each issue. Pricing starts at $26 per month for the Team edition, with a free Developer plan available.
Sentry is well-suited for DevOps environments prioritizing quick issue resolution. It's GDPR compliant and SOC2 Type II certified.
8. SolarWinds
SolarWinds offers IT infrastructure management tools for complex environments.
Key features of SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor (NPM):
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Multi-vendor monitoring | Tracks performance across various network devices |
| Network Insights | Provides deep visibility into network operations |
| Intelligent mapping | Creates visual network topology representations |
| NetPath and PerfStack | Simplifies troubleshooting processes |
| Advanced alerting | Notifies IT teams of potential issues |
Pricing is based on monitored items, with license tiers ranging from SL100 to SLX (unlimited). SolarWinds excels in application monitoring and reporting but may have a steeper learning curve for non-technical users.
9. Instana
Instana is an APM tool built for modern, dynamic environments, especially microservices-based applications.
Key features:
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Automated Discovery | Finds and maps all services and infrastructure automatically |
| Real-time Updates | Provides updates on application dependencies every second |
| AI-powered Alerts | Uses machine learning to detect anomalies and potential issues |
| Distributed Tracing | Tracks requests across microservices for easier debugging |
| 1-second Metric Granularity | Offers detailed performance data for quick issue resolution |
Instana's automation can significantly reduce Mean Time to Detection (MTTD) and Mean Time to Resolution (MTTR). Pricing is custom and quote-based.
Instana is ideal for teams dealing with rapidly changing, microservices-heavy environments seeking automation and real-time insights.
10. LogicMonitor
LogicMonitor is a cloud-based observability platform for complex IT setups, especially hybrid environments.
Key features:
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Agentless Monitoring | Collects data without installing agents on every device |
| AI-Powered Insights | Uses machine learning to spot and predict issues |
| Wide Integration | Works with over 2000 technologies and services |
| Custom Dashboards | Build your own views with drag-and-drop tools |
| Capacity Planning | Helps forecast future resource needs |
LogicMonitor offers three plans: Starter, Pro, and Enterprise. While some users find it pricey, many consider it worth the investment for complex, hybrid environments.
11. Sumo Logic
Sumo Logic is a cloud-based monitoring solution excelling in log management and analytics.
Key features:
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Log Analytics | Offers historical and live streaming dashboards |
| Security Analytics | Provides Cloud SIEM and threat analytics |
| Infrastructure Monitoring | Supports AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud Platform |
| Application Observability | Helps resolve performance issues proactively |
| Custom Alerting | Allows for advanced monitors through subqueries or joins |
Sumo Logic offers four pricing tiers ranging from $3.00 to $4.75 per GB of logs. It's particularly useful for applications generating detailed log information and teams needing real-time insights for web and SaaS-based applications.
12. Coralogix
Coralogix is a SaaS monitoring tool focusing on observability and log management for DevOps teams and IT operations.
Key features:
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Log Management | Centralized storage and analysis of logs from any source |
| APM | Application performance monitoring |
| Infrastructure Monitoring | IT infrastructure monitoring capabilities |
| Network Monitoring | Network performance tracking |
| Security | SIEM functionality for security event monitoring |
Coralogix uses machine learning for data analysis without indexing, helping cut storage costs. Pricing is based on data volume, starting at $1.50 per GB.
Coralogix is strong in data handling and analytics but may not suit very small businesses with low log volumes.
Wrap-up
Choosing the right Datadog alternative depends on your specific needs, budget, and infrastructure complexity. Consider factors like ease of use, integration capabilities, and scalability. Test before committing, and keep an eye on emerging trends in the AIOps market as you make your decision.
