Softwr

API Management · head to head

Microsoft Azure API Management vs Datadog

Microsoft Azure API Management logo

Microsoft Azure API Management

API Management

Hybrid, multi-cloud API management service on Azure

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Datadog logo

Datadog

Technology

Modern monitoring & security

From
$15/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Microsoft Azure API Management has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Microsoft Azure API Management prices are not shown on the pricing page itself; every tier renders as a placeholder and routes to the calculator or sales; Datadog consumption-based pricing model makes costs hard to predict and can scale quickly
  • They diverge on capability: Microsoft Azure API Management covers API Gateway, Datadog covers Infrastructure monitoring.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Microsoft Azure API Management and Datadog actually diverge.

Attributes where Microsoft Azure API Management and Datadog differ
AttributeMicrosoft Azure API ManagementDatadog
Starting priceFree$15/month
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsCloud, Hybrid, Multi-cloudWeb, Linux, Windows, macOS
CategoryAPI ManagementTechnology
Founded19752010

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 Microsoft Azure API Management

  • API Gateway
  • Developer Portal
  • API Policies
  • Azure services
  • On-premises
  • Cloud support
  • Hybrid support
  • Multi-cloud support

Only in Datadog

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

Both cover

  • AWS
  • Google Cloud

What people use each for

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

Microsoft Azure API Management

  • API gateway and lifecycle management on Azurenot Datadog
  • Throttling, keys and policies in front of backend servicesnot Datadog
  • Developer portal for internal and partner APIsnot Datadog
  • Hybrid deployments using self-hosted gatewaysnot Datadog

Datadog

  • Infrastructure monitoringnot Microsoft Azure API Management
  • Application performancenot Microsoft Azure API Management
  • Security monitoringnot Microsoft Azure API Management
  • Log analysisnot Microsoft Azure API Management
  • Cloud monitoringnot Microsoft Azure API Management

Where each one falls short

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

Microsoft Azure API Management

  • Prices are not shown on the pricing page itself; every tier renders as a placeholder and routes to the calculator or sales
  • Two parallel generations of tiers, classic and v2, so the choice is which lineage before which size
  • The Developer tier is explicitly not for production
  • Self-hosted gateways and workspace gateways are charged separately from the service

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

Microsoft Azure API Management

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 1M calls/month
    • Community support
  • Developer$50/monthly
    • 10M calls/month
    • Email support
  • Premium$500/monthly
    • Unlimited calls
    • Priority support
    • SLA

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 Microsoft Azure API Management if

  • You need api gateway.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Cloud, Hybrid, Multi-cloud.
  • You also want developer portal.
Microsoft Azure API Management 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 Microsoft Azure API Management or Datadog better?
Neither clearly leads. Microsoft Azure API Management 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, Microsoft Azure API Management or Datadog?
Microsoft Azure API Management has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Microsoft Azure API Management and $15/month for Datadog.
Does Microsoft Azure API Management or Datadog run on more platforms?
Microsoft Azure API Management runs on Cloud, Hybrid, Multi-cloud. Datadog runs on Web, Linux, Windows, macOS.
Can I use Microsoft Azure API Management for free?
Yes. Microsoft Azure API Management has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Datadog starts at $15/month.
What is Microsoft Azure API Management best used for?
Microsoft Azure API Management is most often used for api gateway and lifecycle management on azure, throttling, keys and policies in front of backend services, developer portal for internal and partner apis, hybrid deployments using self-hosted gateways. Of those, api gateway and lifecycle management on azure and throttling, keys and policies in front of backend services are not what Datadog is typically brought in for.
What can Microsoft Azure API Management do that Datadog cannot?
Microsoft Azure API Management covers API Gateway, Developer Portal, API Policies, Azure services. Datadog covers Infrastructure monitoring, Application performance monitoring, Log management, Real user monitoring. Both handle AWS, Google Cloud.

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
ShareXLinkedInRedditWhatsAppEmail

Related pages

More on Microsoft Azure API Management

More on Datadog

Keep looking

Other head to heads