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Cloud & Infrastructure · head to head

AWS (Amazon Web Services) vs Datadog

AWS (Amazon Web Services) logo

AWS (Amazon Web Services)

Cloud & Infrastructure

The leading cloud computing platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Datadog logo

Datadog

Technology

Modern monitoring & security

From
$15/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only AWS (Amazon Web Services) has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: AWS (Amazon Web Services) data transfer in is free and data transfer out is charged, which is the standard source of unexpected bills; Datadog consumption-based pricing model makes costs hard to predict and can scale quickly
  • They diverge on capability: AWS (Amazon Web Services) covers EC2 - Virtual Servers, Datadog covers Infrastructure monitoring.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which AWS (Amazon Web Services) and Datadog actually diverge.

Attributes where AWS (Amazon Web Services) and Datadog differ
AttributeAWS (Amazon Web Services)Datadog
Starting priceFree$15/month
Pricing modelusage-basedUnknown
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Api, Cli, MobileWeb, Linux, Windows, macOS
CategoryCloud & InfrastructureTechnology
Founded20062010

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).

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 AWS (Amazon Web Services)

  • EC2 - Virtual Servers
  • S3 - Object Storage
  • RDS - Managed Database
  • Lambda - Serverless Computing
  • CloudFront - CDN
  • VPC - Virtual Network
  • IAM - Access Management
  • CloudWatch - Monitoring

Only in Datadog

  • Infrastructure monitoring
  • Application performance monitoring
  • Log management
  • Real user monitoring
  • Synthetic monitoring
  • Security monitoring
  • Network monitoring
  • Serverless monitoring

Both cover

  • Kubernetes
  • Docker
  • Slack
  • SOC2
  • ISO27001
  • HIPAA

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

AWS (Amazon Web Services)

  • Web hostingnot Datadog
  • Data storagenot Datadog
  • Machine learningnot Datadog
  • Big data analyticsnot Datadog
  • Application developmentnot Datadog

Datadog

  • Infrastructure monitoringnot AWS (Amazon Web Services)
  • Application performancenot AWS (Amazon Web Services)
  • Security monitoringnot AWS (Amazon Web Services)
  • Log analysisnot AWS (Amazon Web Services)
  • Cloud monitoringnot AWS (Amazon Web Services)

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

AWS (Amazon Web Services)

  • Data transfer in is free and data transfer out is charged, which is the standard source of unexpected bills
  • Discounts require one or three year Savings Plan commitments rather than being automatic
  • Every service is priced separately, so a working architecture has no single published cost
  • The free tier is a promotional allowance rather than an ongoing free plan

Datadog

  • Consumption-based pricing model makes costs hard to predict and can scale quickly
  • Add-on modules significantly increase costs: custom metrics, indexed spans, extended retention
  • No free tier for production monitoring
  • High costs for organizations with large amounts of log data or high-cardinality metrics

Pricing, plan by plan

AWS (Amazon Web Services)

Free
  • AWS Free TierFree
    • EC2 750 hours/month
    • 5GB S3 storage
    • 20GB data transfer
  • Pay-As-You-GoFree
    • No upfront payment
    • No long-term commitments
    • Pay only for what you use

Datadog

$15/month
  • Infrastructure Monitoring$15/month
    • Host monitoring
    • Basic dashboards
  • APM$31/month
    • Application performance monitoring
    • Trace collection
  • Log Management$0.1/gb
    • Log indexing
    • Search and filter

Which should you pick?

Choose AWS (Amazon Web Services) if

  • You need ec2 - virtual servers.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Api, Cli, Mobile.
  • You also want s3 - object storage.
AWS (Amazon Web Services) review

Choose Datadog if

  • You need infrastructure monitoring.
  • You work on Web, Linux, Windows, macOS.
  • You also want application performance monitoring.
Datadog review

Questions people ask

Is AWS (Amazon Web Services) or Datadog better?
Neither clearly leads. AWS (Amazon Web Services) starts at Free and Datadog at $15/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, AWS (Amazon Web Services) or Datadog?
AWS (Amazon Web Services) has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for AWS (Amazon Web Services) and $15/month for Datadog.
Does AWS (Amazon Web Services) or Datadog run on more platforms?
AWS (Amazon Web Services) runs on Web, Api, Cli, Mobile. Datadog runs on Web, Linux, Windows, macOS.
Can I use AWS (Amazon Web Services) for free?
Yes. AWS (Amazon Web Services) has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Datadog starts at $15/month.
What is AWS (Amazon Web Services) best used for?
AWS (Amazon Web Services) is most often used for web hosting, data storage, machine learning, big data analytics. Of those, web hosting and data storage are not what Datadog is typically brought in for.
What can AWS (Amazon Web Services) do that Datadog cannot?
AWS (Amazon Web Services) covers EC2 - Virtual Servers, S3 - Object Storage, RDS - Managed Database, Lambda - Serverless Computing. Datadog covers Infrastructure monitoring, Application performance monitoring, Log management, Real user monitoring. Both handle Kubernetes, Docker, Slack, SOC2.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Datadog: How is Datadog pricing structured?

Datadog uses consumption-based pricing tied to data volume ingested, hosts monitored, and products enabled. Infrastructure Monitoring starts at $15/host/month, APM at $31/host/month, and Log Management at $0.10/GB for indexed logs.

Source
Datadog: Does Datadog offer a free tier?

Datadog offers a free trial but not a permanent free tier for production monitoring. Pricing begins with paid plans only.

Source
Datadog: What integrations does Datadog support?

Datadog offers 1000+ built-in integrations including AWS, Kubernetes, Docker, Azure, GCP, and most major cloud platforms and services.

Source
Datadog: Can Datadog monitor Kubernetes clusters?

Yes. The Datadog Agent runs as a DaemonSet to provide real-time visibility into pods, nodes, deployments, and control-plane health across major Kubernetes distributions including EKS, AKS, GKE, OpenShift, and others.

Source
Datadog: How can I reduce Datadog costs?

Datadog bills based on indexed logs, custom metrics, and high-cardinality tags. Costs can be unpredictable and may run 2-3x estimates. Prepaying annually can secure 5-15% discounts.

Source
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