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Logging · head to head

Datadog Logs vs Elastic Stack

Datadog Logs logo

Datadog Logs

Logging

Log Management and Analytics

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

Elastic Stack

Logging

Search, Observability, and Security Solutions

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Datadog Logs complex, multi-tiered pricing model based on ingestion, indexing, and storage; can become expensive at scale; Elastic Stack self-managed deployment requires licensing based on node count and RAM usage
  • They diverge on capability: Datadog Logs covers Log ingestion, Elastic Stack covers Log analytics.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Datadog Logs and Elastic Stack actually diverge.

Attributes where Datadog Logs and Elastic Stack differ
AttributeDatadog LogsElastic Stack
Starting price$0.1/per GB ingested per monthOn request
Pricing modelusage-basedsubscription
PlatformsCloud (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, Oracle Cloud)Cloud-hosted, Self-managed, Docker, Kubernetes (ECK)
Founded20102011

Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Logging).

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 Datadog Logs

  • Log ingestion
  • Custom dashboards
  • Log-based metrics

Only in Elastic Stack

  • Log analytics
  • Security monitoring
  • Alerting

Both cover

  • Full-text search
  • API
  • Webhooks
  • REST
  • Web support
  • Api support

What people use each for

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

Datadog Logs

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

Elastic Stack

  • Distributed search and analytics engine for production-scale workloadsnot Datadog Logs
  • Full-text search and vector search with approximate nearest neighbour supportnot Datadog Logs
  • Security event tracking with field-level and document-level access controlnot Datadog Logs
  • Machine learning capabilities including anomaly detection and forecastingnot Datadog Logs

Where each one falls short

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

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

Elastic Stack

  • Self-managed deployment requires licensing based on node count and RAM usage
  • Serverless option has pending features including traffic filtering and bring-your-own-key encryption
  • Hosted deployment requires custom resource configuration for cluster management
  • Pricing models differ significantly across Hosted, Serverless, and Self-managed options

Pricing, plan by plan

Datadog Logs

$0.1/per GB ingested per month

No published plan breakdown. See the Datadog Logs review.

Elastic Stack

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Elastic Stack review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Datadog Logs if

  • You need log ingestion.
  • You work on Cloud (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, Oracle Cloud).
  • You also want custom dashboards.
Datadog Logs review

Choose Elastic Stack if

  • You need log analytics.
  • You work on Cloud-hosted, Self-managed, Docker, Kubernetes (ECK).
  • You also want security monitoring.
Elastic Stack review

Questions people ask

Is Datadog Logs or Elastic Stack better?
Neither clearly leads. Datadog Logs starts at $0.1/per GB ingested per month and Elastic Stack at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Datadog Logs or Elastic Stack?
Datadog Logs starts at $0.1/per GB ingested per month and Elastic Stack at On request.
Does Datadog Logs or Elastic Stack run on more platforms?
Datadog Logs runs on Cloud (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, Oracle Cloud). Elastic Stack runs on Cloud-hosted, Self-managed, Docker, Kubernetes (ECK).
What is Datadog Logs best used for?
Datadog Logs is most often used for centralised log aggregation and analysis, multi-source log correlation with metrics and traces, root cause analysis and troubleshooting, security monitoring and threat detection. Of those, centralised log aggregation and analysis and multi-source log correlation with metrics and traces are not what Elastic Stack is typically brought in for.
What can Datadog Logs do that Elastic Stack cannot?
Datadog Logs covers Log ingestion, Custom dashboards, Log-based metrics. Elastic Stack covers Log analytics, Security monitoring, Alerting. Both handle Full-text search, API, Webhooks, REST.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Datadog Logs: What pricing options does Datadog offer for log ingestion and processing?

Log ingestion starts at $0.10/GB (annual billing; $0.10 on-demand). Standard indexing costs $1.70 per million events per month (annual; $2.55 on-demand). Flex Storage costs $0.05/million events stored per month (annual; $0.075 on-demand). Flex Logs Starter costs $0.60/million events stored per month (annual; $0.90 on-demand).

Source
Elastic Stack: How much does Elastic Stack cost?

Elastic does not publish specific pricing on the Elastic Stack product page. Users can start a 14-day free trial with no credit card required, but ongoing subscription pricing requires contacting their sales team.

Source
Datadog Logs: What retention options are available and how does it affect pricing?

Standard indexing offers 15-day retention with options for 3 to 30+ days. Flex Storage supports flexible retention up to 15 months. Flex Logs Starter includes bundled compute for retention of 3-15 months.

Source
Elastic Stack: What deployment options are available for Elastic Stack?

Users can deploy Elastic Stack on Elastic Cloud (hosted on AWS, Google Cloud, or Azure) or download it for self-managed deployment. Pricing for managed cloud hosting must be obtained by starting a trial or contacting sales.

Source
Datadog Logs: Is there a cost to forward logs to external systems?

Yes, log forwarding costs $0.25/GB outbound per destination for routing logs to external systems.

Source
Datadog Logs: What discounts are available for high-volume customers?

Multi-year and volume discounts are available for customers processing 3B+ events per month.

Source
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