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Technology · head to head

Datadog vs Fig

Datadog logo

Datadog

Technology

Modern monitoring & security

From
$15/month
Rated
-
F

Fig

Development Tools

IDE-style autocomplete for your existing terminal

From
Free
Rated
-

The short version

  • Only Fig 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; Fig shut down on 1 September 2024. Amazon acquired Fig in August 2023 and folded it into Amazon Q Developer, which now carries the terminal autocomplete

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Datadog and Fig actually diverge.

Attributes where Datadog and Fig differ
AttributeDatadogFig
Starting price$15/monthFree
Pricing modelUnknownfreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, Linux, Windows, macOSWeb
CategoryTechnologyDevelopment Tools
Founded20102020

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).

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 Fig

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 Fig
  • Application performancenot Fig
  • Security monitoringnot Fig
  • Log analysisnot Fig
  • Cloud monitoringnot Fig

Fig

No use cases recorded yet. See the Fig 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

Fig

  • Shut down on 1 September 2024. Amazon acquired Fig in August 2023 and folded it into Amazon Q Developer, which now carries the terminal autocomplete
  • The standalone desktop app is no longer available or supported
  • The completion specs remain open source on GitHub, but the product that consumed them is gone

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

Fig

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Fig 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.

Choose Fig if

  • You want to start without paying.

Questions people ask

Is Datadog or Fig better?
Neither clearly leads. Datadog starts at $15/month and Fig at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Datadog or Fig?
Fig has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $15/month for Datadog and Free for Fig.
Does Datadog or Fig run on more platforms?
Datadog runs on Web, Linux, Windows, macOS. Fig runs on Web.
Can I use Fig for free?
Yes. Fig 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 Fig is typically brought in for.
What can Datadog do that Fig 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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