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ClickHouse vs Datadog Logs

ClickHouse logo

ClickHouse

Software

Fast open-source column-oriented database for real-time analytics

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Datadog Logs logo

Datadog Logs

Software

Log Management and Analytics

From
$0.1/per GB ingested per month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only ClickHouse has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: ClickHouse limited multi-row atomic transactions and expensive UPDATE/DELETE operations unsuitable for transactional systems; Datadog Logs complex, multi-tiered pricing model based on ingestion, indexing, and storage; can become expensive at scale
  • They diverge on capability: ClickHouse covers Column-oriented Storage, Datadog Logs covers Log ingestion.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which ClickHouse and Datadog Logs actually diverge.

Attributes where ClickHouse and Datadog Logs differ
AttributeClickHouseDatadog Logs
Starting priceFree$0.1/per GB ingested per month
Pricing modelUnknownusage-based
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsLinux, macOS, Windows (via Docker)Cloud (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, Oracle Cloud)
Founded20212010

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 ClickHouse

  • Column-oriented Storage
  • Real-time Analytics
  • SQL Support
  • Linear Scalability
  • Data Compression
  • Vectorized Query Execution
  • Approximate Calculations
  • Kafka

Only in Datadog Logs

  • Log ingestion
  • Full-text search
  • Custom dashboards
  • Log-based metrics
  • API
  • Webhooks
  • REST
  • Api support

Both cover

  • Web support

What people use each for

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

ClickHouse

  • Business intelligencenot Datadog Logs
  • Data warehousingnot Datadog Logs
  • Real-time analyticsnot Datadog Logs
  • Reportingnot Datadog Logs
  • Machine learningnot Datadog Logs

Datadog Logs

  • Centralised log aggregation and analysisnot ClickHouse
  • Multi-source log correlation with metrics and tracesnot ClickHouse
  • Root cause analysis and troubleshootingnot ClickHouse
  • Security monitoring and threat detectionnot ClickHouse

Where each one falls short

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

ClickHouse

  • Limited multi-row atomic transactions and expensive UPDATE/DELETE operations unsuitable for transactional systems
  • Requires upfront schema design discipline with MergeTree engine choices and sort/partition keys
  • Experimental vector search support, not production-ready for vector operations
  • Different query syntax from standard SQL requiring migration planning
  • Limited JOIN capabilities compared to traditional relational databases
  • Migration complexity with 2-4 weeks estimated for data type mapping and query translation

Datadog Logs

  • Complex, multi-tiered pricing model based on ingestion, indexing, and storage; can become expensive at scale
  • Ingestion pricing of $0.10/GB can accumulate rapidly for high-volume logging environments

Pricing, plan by plan

ClickHouse

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the ClickHouse review.

Datadog Logs

$0.1/per GB ingested per month

No published plan breakdown. See the Datadog Logs review.

Which should you pick?

Choose ClickHouse if

  • You need column-oriented storage.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, macOS, Windows (via Docker).
  • You also want real-time analytics.
ClickHouse review

Choose Datadog Logs if

  • You need log ingestion.
  • You work on Cloud (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, Oracle Cloud).
  • You also want full-text search.
Datadog Logs review

Questions people ask

Is ClickHouse or Datadog Logs better?
Neither clearly leads. ClickHouse starts at Free and Datadog Logs at $0.1/per GB ingested per month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, ClickHouse or Datadog Logs?
ClickHouse has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for ClickHouse and $0.1/per GB ingested per month for Datadog Logs.
Does ClickHouse or Datadog Logs run on more platforms?
ClickHouse runs on Linux, macOS, Windows (via Docker). Datadog Logs runs on Cloud (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, Oracle Cloud).
Can I use ClickHouse for free?
Yes. ClickHouse has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Datadog Logs starts at $0.1/per GB ingested per month.
What is ClickHouse best used for?
ClickHouse is most often used for business intelligence, data warehousing, real-time analytics, reporting. Of those, business intelligence and data warehousing are not what Datadog Logs is typically brought in for.
What can ClickHouse do that Datadog Logs cannot?
ClickHouse covers Column-oriented Storage, Real-time Analytics, SQL Support, Linear Scalability. Datadog Logs covers Log ingestion, Full-text search, Custom dashboards, Log-based metrics. Both handle Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

ClickHouse: What is ClickHouse best used for?

ClickHouse is optimized for analytical workloads on large datasets. It excels at fast aggregations and queries, being 10-100x faster than PostgreSQL on large aggregations.

Source
ClickHouse: Does ClickHouse support transactions?

ClickHouse has limited transaction support and expensive UPDATE/DELETE operations. It is not suitable for transactional workloads requiring strict ACID guarantees.

Source
ClickHouse: How does ClickHouse compare to PostgreSQL?

ClickHouse is 10-100x faster for analytics but PostgreSQL is better for transactional workloads. Many teams use both: PostgreSQL for writes via MaterializedPostgreSQL replication to ClickHouse for analytics.

Source
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