Software · head to head
AppDynamics vs Dynatrace Logs
The short version
- Each has a real cost: AppDynamics appdynamics.com/pricing returns a 301 redirect to Splunk's observability pricing page; the product is now sold as Splunk AppDynamics; Dynatrace Logs log ingest and processing is billed at $0.20 per GiB, separately from retention and from query
- They diverge on capability: AppDynamics covers Application performance monitoring, Dynatrace Logs covers Log analysis.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which AppDynamics and Dynatrace Logs actually diverge.
| Attribute | AppDynamics | Dynatrace Logs |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | usage-based | subscription |
| Founded | 2008 | 2005 |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), platforms (Web, Api), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in AppDynamics
- Application performance monitoring
- Distributed tracing
- Real-time analytics
- Alert management
Only in Dynatrace Logs
- Log analysis
- AI-powered insights
- Metrics integration
- Automated root cause
Both cover
- API
- Webhooks
- REST
- Web support
- Api support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
AppDynamics
- Application performance monitoring for Java, .NET and other enterprise application stacksnot Dynatrace Logs
- Business transaction tracing across distributed application tiersnot Dynatrace Logs
- Infrastructure monitoring priced per vCPUnot Dynatrace Logs
Dynatrace Logs
- Ingesting and processing application and infrastructure logsnot AppDynamics
- Querying logs alongside traces and metrics in one platformnot AppDynamics
- Log driven alerting within an existing Dynatrace deploymentnot AppDynamics
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
AppDynamics
- appdynamics.com/pricing returns a 301 redirect to Splunk's observability pricing page; the product is now sold as Splunk AppDynamics
- Infrastructure Edition starts at $6 per vCPU per month billed annually, so cost scales with core count rather than host count
- Premium Edition starts at $33 per host per month and Enterprise Edition at $50 per host per month, both billed annually
- The published figures are starting prices only, with volume pricing requiring a sales quote
Dynatrace Logs
- Log ingest and processing is billed at $0.20 per GiB, separately from retention and from query
- Querying logs is charged in addition to ingest, either pay per query or as bundled queries
- Log analytics requires the same annual platform commitment as the rest of the Dynatrace platform
Pricing, plan by plan
AppDynamics
Free- FreeFree
- Application performance monitoring
- Distributed tracing
- Real-time analytics
Dynatrace Logs
Free- FreeFree
- Log analysis
- AI-powered insights
- Metrics integration
Which should you pick?
Choose AppDynamics if
- You need application performance monitoring.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Api.
- You also want distributed tracing.
Choose Dynatrace Logs if
- You need log analysis.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Api.
- You also want ai-powered insights.
Questions people ask
- Is AppDynamics or Dynatrace Logs better?
- Neither clearly leads. AppDynamics starts at Free and Dynatrace Logs at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, AppDynamics or Dynatrace Logs?
- AppDynamics starts at Free and Dynatrace Logs at Free.
- Does AppDynamics or Dynatrace Logs run on more platforms?
- Both run on Web, Api, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
- Can I use AppDynamics for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is AppDynamics best used for?
- AppDynamics is most often used for application performance monitoring for java, .net and other enterprise application stacks, business transaction tracing across distributed application tiers, infrastructure monitoring priced per vcpu. Of those, application performance monitoring for java, .net and other enterprise application stacks and business transaction tracing across distributed application tiers are not what Dynatrace Logs is typically brought in for.
- What can AppDynamics do that Dynatrace Logs cannot?
- AppDynamics covers Application performance monitoring, Distributed tracing, Real-time analytics, Alert management. Dynatrace Logs covers Log analysis, AI-powered insights, Metrics integration, Automated root cause. Both handle API, Webhooks, REST, Web support.