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Datadog vs ExpressVPN

Datadog logo

Datadog

Software

Modern monitoring & security

From
$15/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
ExpressVPN logo

ExpressVPN

Software

High-speed, secure, and anonymous VPN service

From
$6.67/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Datadog consumption-based pricing model makes costs hard to predict and can scale quickly; ExpressVPN the App Store listing (seller Expressco Services, LLC) states subscriptions renew automatically unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the billing period, and that any unused portion of a free trial is forfeited on purchase
  • They diverge on capability: Datadog covers Infrastructure monitoring, ExpressVPN covers Lightway protocol.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Datadog and ExpressVPN actually diverge.

Attributes where Datadog and ExpressVPN differ
AttributeDatadogExpressVPN
Starting price$15/month$6.67/month
Pricing modelUnknownsubscription
PlatformsWeb, Linux, Windows, macOSWeb, Desktop, Mobile, Api
Founded20102009

Identical on both: free tier (No), 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 ExpressVPN

  • Lightway protocol
  • TrustedServer technology
  • Network Lock kill switch
  • Split tunneling
  • No activity logs
  • Private DNS
  • Speed test
  • MediaStreamer

What people use each for

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

Datadog

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

ExpressVPN

  • Vpnnot Datadog
  • Privacynot Datadog
  • Streamingnot Datadog

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

ExpressVPN

  • The App Store listing (seller Expressco Services, LLC) states subscriptions renew automatically unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the billing period, and that any unused portion of a free trial is forfeited on purchase
  • The same listing caps a single ExpressVPN subscription at 14 simultaneous device connections

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

ExpressVPN

$6.67/month
  • 1 Month$12.95/month
    • 8 devices
    • 94 countries
    • Unlimited bandwidth
  • 12 Months$6.67/month
    • All features
    • 3 months free
    • Best value
  • 6 Months$9.99/month
    • All features
    • 30-day guarantee

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 ExpressVPN if

  • You need lightway protocol.
  • You work on Web, Desktop, Mobile, Api.
  • You also want trustedserver technology.
ExpressVPN review

Questions people ask

Is Datadog or ExpressVPN better?
Neither clearly leads. Datadog starts at $15/month and ExpressVPN at $6.67/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Datadog or ExpressVPN?
Datadog starts at $15/month and ExpressVPN at $6.67/month.
Does Datadog or ExpressVPN run on more platforms?
Datadog runs on Web, Linux, Windows, macOS. ExpressVPN runs on Web, Desktop, Mobile, Api.
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 ExpressVPN is typically brought in for.
What can Datadog do that ExpressVPN cannot?
Datadog covers Infrastructure monitoring, Application performance monitoring, Log management, Real user monitoring. ExpressVPN covers Lightway protocol, TrustedServer technology, Network Lock kill switch, Split tunneling.

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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