Softwr

Logging · head to head

Datadog vs Retrace

Datadog logo

Datadog

Logging

Modern monitoring & security

From
$15/month
Free plan
No
Visit DatadogFull review
Retrace logo

Retrace

Logging

Application Performance Monitoring and Logs

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Visit RetraceFull review

The short version

  • Datadog is a monitoring and security platform for cloud applications.
  • Retrace is free; Datadog starts at $15/mo.
  • Only Datadog lists infrastructure monitoring; only Retrace lists error detection.
  • Where Datadog falls short: consumption-based pricing model makes costs hard to predict and can scale quickly.
  • Where Retrace falls short: end of Life scheduled for March 31, 2027; the product is being discontinued.
  • Prices and features on this page were last checked on 13 November 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Datadog and Retrace actually diverge.

Attributes where Datadog and Retrace differ
AttributeDatadogRetrace
Starting price$15/monthFree
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, Linux, Windows, macOSWeb, Windows, API
Founded20102012

Identical on both: category (Logging).

Not yet recorded: pricing model for Datadog.

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
  • Real user monitoring
  • Synthetic monitoring
  • Security monitoring
  • Network monitoring
  • Serverless monitoring
  • AWS

Only in Retrace

  • Application performance tracking
  • Error detection
  • Code profiling
  • Performance baselines
  • API
  • Webhooks
  • REST
  • Web support

Both cover

  • Log management

What people use each for

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

Datadog

  • Infrastructure monitoringnot Retrace
  • Application performance
  • Security monitoringnot Retrace
  • Log analysisnot Retrace
  • Cloud monitoringnot Retrace

Retrace

  • Log monitoringnot Datadog
  • Application performance
  • Security analyticsnot Datadog
  • Troubleshootingnot Datadog

Both are used for application performance, on those jobs the choice comes down to price and fit rather than capability.

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

Retrace

  • End of Life scheduled for March 31, 2027; the product is being discontinued
  • Costs escalate quickly with per-server billing model, expensive at scale
  • User interface and dashboard criticisms; UI is outdated and difficult to use
  • Logging latency; logs can take time to appear and are not instant
  • Less mature support for Node.js, Python, and newer ecosystems
  • Reporting issues where process restarts provide only timeline without root cause data
  • Reliability concerns; monitoring has stopped collecting traces with no warning

Pricing, plan by plan

Datadog

$15/month
  • Infrastructure Monitoring$15/mo
    • Host monitoring
    • Basic dashboards
  • APM$31/mo
    • Application performance monitoring
    • Trace collection
  • Log Management$0.1/gb
    • Log indexing
    • Search and filter

Retrace

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Log management
    • Application performance tracking
    • Error detection

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 Retrace if

  • You need application performance tracking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Windows, API.
  • You also want error detection.
Retrace review

Questions people ask

Is Datadog or Retrace better?
Neither clearly leads. Datadog starts at $15/month and Retrace at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Datadog or Retrace?
Retrace has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $15/month for Datadog and Free for Retrace.
Does Datadog or Retrace run on more platforms?
Datadog runs on Web, Linux, Windows, macOS. Retrace runs on Web, Windows, API.
Can I use Retrace for free?
Yes. Retrace 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 security monitoring are not what Retrace is typically brought in for.
What can Datadog do that Retrace cannot?
Datadog covers Infrastructure monitoring, Application performance monitoring, Real user monitoring, Synthetic monitoring. Retrace covers Application performance tracking, Error detection, Code profiling, Performance baselines. Both handle Log management.

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
Retrace: What does Retrace monitor?

Retrace provides application performance monitoring (APM), centralized log management, error tracking, code profiling, and real user monitoring (RUM). It aggregates logs from applications and servers in one place.

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
Retrace: What programming languages does Retrace support?

Retrace supports .NET, .NET Core, PHP, Node.js, Ruby, Python, and Java applications. Support for Node.js, Python, and newer ecosystems is noted as less mature.

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
Retrace: Is Retrace being discontinued?

Yes. Retrace will reach End of Life on March 31, 2027. Users should plan to migrate to alternative solutions.

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
Retrace: What databases and services does Retrace integrate with?

Retrace supports SQL Server, Oracle, PostgreSQL, MySQL, Redis, MongoDB, Elasticsearch, and cloud platforms like AWS and Azure.

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
Share

Related pages

More on Datadog

More on Retrace

Keep looking

Other head to heads