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AppDynamics vs Telegraf

AppDynamics logo

AppDynamics

Logging

Enterprise Application Performance Management

From
$6/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Telegraf logo

Telegraf

Logging

The Plugin-Driven Server Agent for Collecting and Reporting Metrics

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Telegraf has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • 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; Telegraf telegraf's core is open source and free, and InfluxData names a separate Telegraf Enterprise tier for teams running it at scale with no price published
  • They diverge on capability: AppDynamics covers Application performance monitoring, Telegraf covers Metrics collection.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which AppDynamics and Telegraf actually diverge.

Attributes where AppDynamics and Telegraf differ
AttributeAppDynamicsTelegraf
Starting price$6/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionopen-source
Free tierNoYes
Founded20082013

Identical on both: platforms (Web, Api), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Logging).

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 Telegraf

  • Metrics collection
  • System monitoring
  • Application monitoring
  • Plugin architecture

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 Telegraf
  • Business transaction tracing across distributed application tiersnot Telegraf
  • Infrastructure monitoring priced per vCPUnot Telegraf

Telegraf

  • Log monitoringnot AppDynamics
  • Application performancenot AppDynamics
  • Security analyticsnot AppDynamics
  • Troubleshootingnot 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

Telegraf

  • Telegraf's core is open source and free, and InfluxData names a separate Telegraf Enterprise tier for teams running it at scale with no price published

Pricing, plan by plan

AppDynamics

$6/month
  • Infrastructure Edition$6/month
    • Infrastructure monitoring
  • Premium Edition$33/month
    • Infrastructure monitoring
    • Applications
    • APM
  • Enterprise Edition$50/month
    • Premium Edition features
    • Business Analytics

Telegraf

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Metrics collection
    • System monitoring
    • Application monitoring

Which should you pick?

Choose AppDynamics if

  • You need application performance monitoring.
  • You work on Web, Api.
  • You also want distributed tracing.
AppDynamics review

Choose Telegraf if

  • You need metrics collection.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Api.
  • You also want system monitoring.
Telegraf review

Questions people ask

Is AppDynamics or Telegraf better?
Neither clearly leads. AppDynamics starts at $6/month and Telegraf at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, AppDynamics or Telegraf?
Telegraf has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $6/month for AppDynamics and Free for Telegraf.
Does AppDynamics or Telegraf run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, Api, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Telegraf for free?
Yes. Telegraf has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. AppDynamics starts at $6/month.
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 Telegraf is typically brought in for.
What can AppDynamics do that Telegraf cannot?
AppDynamics covers Application performance monitoring, Distributed tracing, Real-time analytics, Alert management. Telegraf covers Metrics collection, System monitoring, Application monitoring, Plugin architecture. Both handle API, Webhooks, REST, Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

AppDynamics: How is AppDynamics priced?

AppDynamics uses a subscription model based on vCPU usage, billed annually. Infrastructure Edition starts at $6 per vCPU/month, Premium Edition at $33 per vCPU/month, and Enterprise Edition at $50 per vCPU/month. Additional capabilities like Secure Application, Real User Monitoring, and Synthetics have separate per-unit pricing.

Source
Telegraf: Is Telegraf free to use?

Yes, Telegraf OSS is free and open source. It can be downloaded and used at no cost for collecting metrics from infrastructure, applications, and devices using over 400 community-tested plugins.

Source
AppDynamics: What add-on costs does AppDynamics charge?

Secure Application costs $13.75 per CPU core per month (billed annually). Real User Monitoring is $0.06 per 1000 tokens per month. Browser Synthetics costs $12 per test location per month. SAP Solutions monitoring is $95 per CPU core per month.

Source
Telegraf: What is Telegraf Enterprise and how much does it cost?

Telegraf Enterprise is a commercial offering for managing Telegraf at scale. It is licensed annually with entry-level packages starting at $18,000 per year, and pricing scales based on the total number of Telegraf agents under management.

Source
Telegraf: Can I try Telegraf Enterprise before purchasing?

Yes, a free tier of Telegraf Controller is available for evaluation. It allows you to store up to 20 configurations and manage up to 100 reporting agents.

Source
Telegraf: Can Telegraf OSS be used for commercial purposes?

Telegraf OSS is free and available as open source software, suitable for commercial deployments without licensing fees. For large-scale enterprise needs, Telegraf Enterprise is the commercial offering.

Source
Telegraf: How many plugins does Telegraf support?

Telegraf includes over 400 community-tested plugins that can connect to various data sources and destinations including Kubernetes, Docker, AWS, Google Cloud, Azure, Kafka, and many databases.

Source
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