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Log Management · head to head

Datadog Logs vs Papertrail

Datadog Logs logo

Datadog Logs

Log Management

Log Management and Analytics

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

Papertrail

Log Management

Cloud-Hosted Log Management

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Papertrail has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Datadog Logs complex, multi-tiered pricing model based on ingestion, indexing, and storage; can become expensive at scale; Papertrail log Observability starts at $5.00 per GB per month
  • They diverge on capability: Datadog Logs covers Log ingestion, Papertrail covers Log aggregation.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Datadog Logs and Papertrail differ
AttributeDatadog LogsPapertrail
Starting price$0.1/per GB ingested per monthFree
Pricing modelusage-basedsubscription
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsCloud (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, Oracle Cloud)Web, Api
Founded20102011

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Log Management).

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
  • Full-text search
  • Custom dashboards
  • Log-based metrics

Only in Papertrail

  • Log aggregation
  • Real-time tail
  • Saved searches
  • System alerts

Both cover

  • 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 Papertrail
  • Multi-source log correlation with metrics and tracesnot Papertrail
  • Root cause analysis and troubleshootingnot Papertrail
  • Security monitoring and threat detectionnot Papertrail

Papertrail

  • Aggregating syslog and application logs from many hosts into one searchable streamnot Datadog Logs
  • Tail-and-search style troubleshooting during incidentsnot Datadog Logs
  • Long-term log archiving to Amazon S3 for later analysisnot 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

Papertrail

  • Log Observability starts at $5.00 per GB per month
  • Usage beyond the plan volume is billed at a 30% higher price per GB and is capped at 200% extra
  • Transferred volume is measured as message length plus 50 bytes of metadata per message, so metadata counts against the quota

Pricing, plan by plan

Datadog Logs

$0.1/per GB ingested per month

No published plan breakdown. See the Datadog Logs review.

Papertrail

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Log aggregation
    • Real-time tail
    • Saved searches

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 full-text search.
Datadog Logs review

Choose Papertrail if

  • You need log aggregation.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Api.
  • You also want real-time tail.
Papertrail review

Questions people ask

Is Datadog Logs or Papertrail better?
Neither clearly leads. Datadog Logs starts at $0.1/per GB ingested per month and Papertrail at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Datadog Logs or Papertrail?
Papertrail has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $0.1/per GB ingested per month for Datadog Logs and Free for Papertrail.
Does Datadog Logs or Papertrail run on more platforms?
Datadog Logs runs on Cloud (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, Oracle Cloud). Papertrail runs on Web, Api.
Can I use Papertrail for free?
Yes. Papertrail has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Datadog Logs starts at $0.1/per GB ingested per month.
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 Papertrail is typically brought in for.
What can Datadog Logs do that Papertrail cannot?
Datadog Logs covers Log ingestion, Full-text search, Custom dashboards, Log-based metrics. Papertrail covers Log aggregation, Real-time tail, Saved searches, System alerts. Both handle API, Webhooks, REST, Web support.
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