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Lambda (AWS Serverless) vs Datadog

Lambda (AWS Serverless) logo

Lambda (AWS Serverless)

Software

Run code without thinking about servers

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Datadog logo

Datadog

Software

Modern monitoring & security

From
$15/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Lambda (AWS Serverless) has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Lambda (AWS Serverless) billed on two axes at once, $0.20 per million requests plus $0.0000166667 per GB-second of duration, so memory settings change the bill as much as traffic does; Datadog consumption-based pricing model makes costs hard to predict and can scale quickly
  • They diverge on capability: Lambda (AWS Serverless) covers Function-as-a-Service, Datadog covers Infrastructure monitoring.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Lambda (AWS Serverless) and Datadog actually diverge.

Attributes where Lambda (AWS Serverless) and Datadog differ
AttributeLambda (AWS Serverless)Datadog
Starting priceFree$15/month
Pricing modelusage-basedUnknown
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, ApiWeb, Linux, Windows, macOS
Founded20142010

Identical on both: 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 Lambda (AWS Serverless)

  • Function-as-a-Service
  • Event-driven execution
  • Auto-scaling
  • Pay-per-use
  • Multiple languages
  • Concurrency limits
  • Dead Letter Queues
  • Environment variables

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.

Lambda (AWS Serverless)

  • Event-driven functions without managing serversnot Datadog
  • API backends behind API Gatewaynot Datadog
  • Processing S3, DynamoDB, SQS and Kinesis eventsnot Datadog
  • Scheduled jobs without a always-on instancenot Datadog
  • Edge compute through Lambda@Edgenot Datadog

Datadog

  • Infrastructure monitoringnot Lambda (AWS Serverless)
  • Application performancenot Lambda (AWS Serverless)
  • Security monitoringnot Lambda (AWS Serverless)
  • Log analysisnot Lambda (AWS Serverless)
  • Cloud monitoringnot Lambda (AWS Serverless)

Where each one falls short

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

Lambda (AWS Serverless)

  • Billed on two axes at once, $0.20 per million requests plus $0.0000166667 per GB-second of duration, so memory settings change the bill as much as traffic does
  • Provisioned concurrency, used to avoid cold starts, is charged separately at $0.0000041667 per GB-second whether or not the function runs
  • Ephemeral storage beyond the included 512 MB is metered
  • Lambda@Edge costs $0.60 per million requests, three times the standard request rate
  • VPC use and cross-region data transfer carry EC2 charges on top

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

Lambda (AWS Serverless)

Free
  • Free TierFree
    • 1M free requests/month
    • 400,000 GB-seconds/month
    • Always free

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 Lambda (AWS Serverless) if

  • You need function-as-a-service.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Api.
  • You also want event-driven execution.
Lambda (AWS Serverless) 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 Lambda (AWS Serverless) or Datadog better?
Neither clearly leads. Lambda (AWS Serverless) 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, Lambda (AWS Serverless) or Datadog?
Lambda (AWS Serverless) has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Lambda (AWS Serverless) and $15/month for Datadog.
Does Lambda (AWS Serverless) or Datadog run on more platforms?
Lambda (AWS Serverless) runs on Web, Api. Datadog runs on Web, Linux, Windows, macOS.
Can I use Lambda (AWS Serverless) for free?
Yes. Lambda (AWS Serverless) has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Datadog starts at $15/month.
What is Lambda (AWS Serverless) best used for?
Lambda (AWS Serverless) is most often used for event-driven functions without managing servers, api backends behind api gateway, processing s3, dynamodb, sqs and kinesis events, scheduled jobs without a always-on instance. Of those, event-driven functions without managing servers and api backends behind api gateway are not what Datadog is typically brought in for.
What can Lambda (AWS Serverless) do that Datadog cannot?
Lambda (AWS Serverless) covers Function-as-a-Service, Event-driven execution, Auto-scaling, Pay-per-use. 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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