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API Management · head to head

AWS API Gateway vs Datadog

AWS API Gateway logo

AWS API Gateway

API Management

Fully managed API gateway service for creating and managing APIs at scale

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Datadog logo

Datadog

Technology

Modern monitoring & security

From
$15/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only AWS API Gateway has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: AWS API Gateway rEST APIs cost $3.50 per million calls against $1.00 for HTTP APIs, so the older and more featureful type is three and a half times dearer; Datadog consumption-based pricing model makes costs hard to predict and can scale quickly
  • They diverge on capability: AWS API Gateway covers REST APIs, Datadog covers Infrastructure monitoring.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which AWS API Gateway and Datadog actually diverge.

Attributes where AWS API Gateway and Datadog differ
AttributeAWS API GatewayDatadog
Starting priceFree$15/month
Pricing modelusage-basedUnknown
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsAWS CloudWeb, Linux, Windows, macOS
CategoryAPI ManagementTechnology
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 API Gateway

  • REST APIs
  • WebSocket APIs
  • HTTP APIs
  • Lambda
  • EC2
  • DynamoDB
  • CloudWatch
  • IAM

Only in Datadog

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

What people use each for

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

AWS API Gateway

  • Fronting Lambda functions with an HTTP endpointnot Datadog
  • REST and HTTP API management with throttling and keysnot Datadog
  • WebSocket APIs for real-time clientsnot Datadog
  • Private APIs reachable only inside a VPCnot Datadog
  • Publishing a developer portal for API consumersnot Datadog

Datadog

  • Infrastructure monitoringnot AWS API Gateway
  • Application performancenot AWS API Gateway
  • Security monitoringnot AWS API Gateway
  • Log analysisnot AWS API Gateway
  • Cloud monitoringnot AWS API Gateway

Where each one falls short

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

AWS API Gateway

  • REST APIs cost $3.50 per million calls against $1.00 for HTTP APIs, so the older and more featureful type is three and a half times dearer
  • Data transfer out is charged at $0.09 per GB on top of request pricing
  • WebSocket APIs bill connection minutes as well as messages, at $0.25 per million minutes
  • Private APIs avoid data transfer charges but incur AWS PrivateLink costs instead
  • The developer portal is $125 a month, with additional portal products at $12.50 each
  • The free tier lasts 12 months rather than being ongoing

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 API Gateway

Free
  • Free TierFree
    • 1M requests per month
    • Basic API management
  • Pay-as-you-go$3.5/per 1M requests
    • Unlimited requests
    • HTTP APIs
    • REST APIs

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 API Gateway if

  • You need rest apis.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on AWS Cloud.
  • You also want websocket apis.
AWS API Gateway 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 API Gateway or Datadog better?
Neither clearly leads. AWS API Gateway 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 API Gateway or Datadog?
AWS API Gateway has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for AWS API Gateway and $15/month for Datadog.
Does AWS API Gateway or Datadog run on more platforms?
AWS API Gateway runs on AWS Cloud. Datadog runs on Web, Linux, Windows, macOS.
Can I use AWS API Gateway for free?
Yes. AWS API Gateway has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Datadog starts at $15/month.
What is AWS API Gateway best used for?
AWS API Gateway is most often used for fronting lambda functions with an http endpoint, rest and http api management with throttling and keys, websocket apis for real-time clients, private apis reachable only inside a vpc. Of those, fronting lambda functions with an http endpoint and rest and http api management with throttling and keys are not what Datadog is typically brought in for.
What can AWS API Gateway do that Datadog cannot?
AWS API Gateway covers REST APIs, WebSocket APIs, HTTP APIs, Lambda. Datadog covers Infrastructure monitoring, Application performance monitoring, Log management, Real user monitoring.

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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