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Datadog vs Malwarebytes

Datadog logo

Datadog

Technology

Modern monitoring & security

From
$15/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Malwarebytes logo

Malwarebytes

Security & Cybersecurity

Protects every device, everywhere

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Malwarebytes 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; Malwarebytes free version limited to on-demand scanning and removal; no real-time protection
  • They diverge on capability: Datadog covers Infrastructure monitoring, Malwarebytes covers Malware detection & removal.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Datadog and Malwarebytes actually diverge.

Attributes where Datadog and Malwarebytes differ
AttributeDatadogMalwarebytes
Starting price$15/monthFree
Pricing modelUnknownfreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, Linux, Windows, macOSWindows, macOS, iOS, Android
CategoryTechnologySecurity & Cybersecurity
Founded20102008

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 Malwarebytes

  • Malware detection & removal
  • Ransomware protection
  • Real-time protection
  • Anti-exploit
  • Anti-phishing
  • Browser Guard
  • VPN
  • Brute Force Protection

What people use each for

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

Datadog

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

Malwarebytes

  • Budget-conscious users performing manual scans via free versionnot Datadog
  • Organisations needing real-time malware and ransomware protection via Premium subscriptionnot Datadog
  • Users combining antivirus with privacy via Premium plus Privacy VPN bundlenot 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

Malwarebytes

  • Free version limited to on-demand scanning and removal; no real-time protection
  • Upgrade requires purchase of Malwarebytes Premium for automatic protection
  • Privacy VPN add-on requires separate subscription or bundle with Premium

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

Malwarebytes

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Malwarebytes 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 Malwarebytes if

  • You need malware detection & removal.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, macOS, iOS, Android.
  • You also want ransomware protection.
Malwarebytes review

Questions people ask

Is Datadog or Malwarebytes better?
Neither clearly leads. Datadog starts at $15/month and Malwarebytes at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Datadog or Malwarebytes?
Malwarebytes has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $15/month for Datadog and Free for Malwarebytes.
Does Datadog or Malwarebytes run on more platforms?
Datadog runs on Web, Linux, Windows, macOS. Malwarebytes runs on Windows, macOS, iOS, Android.
Can I use Malwarebytes for free?
Yes. Malwarebytes 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 Malwarebytes is typically brought in for.
What can Datadog do that Malwarebytes cannot?
Datadog covers Infrastructure monitoring, Application performance monitoring, Log management, Real user monitoring. Malwarebytes covers Malware detection & removal, Ransomware protection, Real-time protection, Anti-exploit.

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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