Softwr

Technology · head to head

Datadog vs Toggl Track

Datadog logo

Datadog

Technology

Modern monitoring & security

From
$15/month
Rated
-
Toggl Track logo

Toggl Track

Technology

Time tracking that's easy, powerful, and frictionless

From
Free
Rated
-

The short version

  • Only Toggl Track 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; Toggl Track no native invoicing or billing generation despite having billable rates feature
  • They diverge on capability: Datadog covers Infrastructure monitoring, Toggl Track covers One-click time tracking.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Datadog and Toggl Track actually diverge.

Attributes where Datadog and Toggl Track differ
AttributeDatadogToggl Track
Starting price$15/monthFree
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, Linux, Windows, macOSWeb, iOS, Android, Windows, macOS
CategoryTechnologyUnknown
Founded20102006

Identical on both: pricing model (Unknown), 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 Toggl Track

  • One-click time tracking
  • Manual time entry
  • Billable hours tracking
  • Project & client tracking
  • Detailed reports
  • Team timesheets
  • Browser extensions
  • Offline tracking

Both cover

  • Slack

What people use each for

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

Datadog

  • Infrastructure monitoringnot Toggl Track
  • Application performancenot Toggl Track
  • Security monitoringnot Toggl Track
  • Log analysisnot Toggl Track
  • Cloud monitoringnot Toggl Track

Toggl Track

  • Billable hours trackingnot Datadog
  • Project time managementnot Datadog
  • Team productivity analysisnot Datadog
  • Client reportingnot Datadog
  • Payroll processingnot 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

Toggl Track

  • No native invoicing or billing generation despite having billable rates feature
  • No payroll integration, requiring manual data export to payroll systems
  • No GPS tracking or shift scheduling for field teams
  • Anti-surveillance policy limits manager visibility in certain work scenarios

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

Toggl Track

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Up to 5 users
    • Unlimited time tracking
    • Unlimited projects
  • Starter$9/month
    • Billable rates
    • Project estimates
    • Saved reports
  • Premium$18/month
    • Team approvals
    • Profitability reports
    • Project budgets

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 Toggl Track if

  • You need one-click time tracking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, Windows, macOS.
  • You also want manual time entry.

Questions people ask

Is Datadog or Toggl Track better?
Neither clearly leads. Datadog starts at $15/month and Toggl Track at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Datadog or Toggl Track?
Toggl Track has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $15/month for Datadog and Free for Toggl Track.
Does Datadog or Toggl Track run on more platforms?
Datadog runs on Web, Linux, Windows, macOS. Toggl Track runs on Web, iOS, Android, Windows, macOS.
Can I use Toggl Track for free?
Yes. Toggl Track 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 Toggl Track is typically brought in for.
What can Datadog do that Toggl Track cannot?
Datadog covers Infrastructure monitoring, Application performance monitoring, Log management, Real user monitoring. Toggl Track covers One-click time tracking, Manual time entry, Billable hours tracking, Project & client tracking. Both handle Slack.

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
Toggl Track: Does Toggl Track offer a free plan?

Yes, Toggl Track has a permanent free plan supporting up to 5 users with unlimited time tracking, unlimited projects, autotracker, idle detection, Pomodoro timer, calendar integration, and 100+ integrations.

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
Toggl Track: Can I track time offline with Toggl Track?

Yes, Toggl Track supports offline tracking on both mobile apps and desktop app. Entries are stored locally and sync automatically when reconnected to the internet.

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
Toggl Track: Does Toggl Track integrate with invoicing software?

Toggl Track integrates with QuickBooks Online and Xero for accounting, but lacks native invoicing capabilities. Users must export hours to create invoices manually.

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
Toggl Track: What platforms does Toggl Track support?

Toggl Track runs on Web, iOS, Android, Windows, and macOS with browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox, and Edge.

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
Toggl Track: How much does Toggl Track cost for a team?

Toggl Track pricing is $9 per user per month (annual) for Starter plan or $18 per user per month for Premium. Free plan supports up to 5 users.

Source

Related pages

Other head to heads