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Datadog vs Envoy

Datadog logo

Datadog

Software

Modern monitoring & security

From
$15/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
E

Envoy

Software

An open source edge and service proxy, designed for cloud-native and AI-native applications

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Envoy has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Datadog consumption-based pricing model makes costs hard to predict and can scale quickly; Envoy licensed under Apache License 2.0 per the project's GitHub repository (envoyproxy/envoy LICENSE); as a CNCF graduated project it has no paid tier or vendor price to compare

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Datadog and Envoy actually diverge.

Attributes where Datadog and Envoy differ
AttributeDatadogEnvoy
Starting price$15/monthFree
Pricing modelUnknownopen-source
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, Linux, Windows, macOSWeb
Founded2010Unknown

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 Datadog

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

Only in Envoy

Nothing recorded that Datadog does not also cover.

What people use each for

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

Datadog

  • Infrastructure monitoringnot Envoy
  • Application performancenot Envoy
  • Security monitoringnot Envoy
  • Log analysisnot Envoy
  • Cloud monitoringnot Envoy

Envoy

No use cases recorded yet. See the Envoy review.

Where each one falls short

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

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

Envoy

  • Licensed under Apache License 2.0 per the project's GitHub repository (envoyproxy/envoy LICENSE); as a CNCF graduated project it has no paid tier or vendor price to compare
  • Envoy is a proxy that runs alongside each application instance, per envoyproxy.io, requiring a sidecar or edge deployment model rather than a single centralized install

Pricing, plan by plan

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

Envoy

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Envoy review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Datadog if

  • You need infrastructure monitoring.
  • You work on Web, Linux, Windows, macOS.
  • You also want application performance monitoring.
Datadog review

Choose Envoy if

  • You want to start without paying.
Envoy review

Questions people ask

Is Datadog or Envoy better?
Neither clearly leads. Datadog starts at $15/month and Envoy at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Datadog or Envoy?
Envoy has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $15/month for Datadog and Free for Envoy.
Does Datadog or Envoy run on more platforms?
Datadog runs on Web, Linux, Windows, macOS. Envoy runs on Web.
Can I use Envoy for free?
Yes. Envoy has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Datadog starts at $15/month.
What is Datadog best used for?
Datadog is most often used for infrastructure monitoring, application performance, security monitoring, log analysis. Of those, infrastructure monitoring and application performance are not what Envoy is typically brought in for.
What can Datadog do that Envoy cannot?
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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