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Logging · head to head

Datadog Logs vs Elastic

Datadog Logs logo

Datadog Logs

Logging

Log Management and Analytics

From
$0.1/per GB ingested per month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Elastic logo

Elastic

Logging

Search AI powered by Elasticsearch

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Datadog Logs complex, multi-tiered pricing model based on ingestion, indexing, and storage; can become expensive at scale; Elastic no specific pricing amounts published on pricing page; customer must contact sales or start trial
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Datadog Logs and Elastic actually diverge.

Attributes where Datadog Logs and Elastic differ
AttributeDatadog LogsElastic
Starting price$0.1/per GB ingested per monthOn request
Pricing modelusage-basedUnknown
PlatformsCloud (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, Oracle Cloud)Web
Founded2010Unknown

Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Logging).

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 Logs

  • Log ingestion
  • Full-text search
  • Custom dashboards
  • Log-based metrics
  • API
  • Webhooks
  • REST
  • Web support

Only in Elastic

Nothing recorded that Datadog Logs does not also cover.

What people use each for

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

Datadog Logs

  • Centralised log aggregation and analysisnot Elastic
  • Multi-source log correlation with metrics and tracesnot Elastic
  • Root cause analysis and troubleshootingnot Elastic
  • Security monitoring and threat detectionnot Elastic

Elastic

  • Building ecommerce search experiences with vector databases and AInot Datadog Logs
  • Monitoring application performance and resolving infrastructure issues at scalenot Datadog Logs
  • Investigating security incidents across distributed cloud infrastructurenot Datadog Logs
  • Analyzing customer support logs to identify recurring issuesnot Datadog Logs

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Datadog Logs

  • Complex, multi-tiered pricing model based on ingestion, indexing, and storage; can become expensive at scale
  • Ingestion pricing of $0.10/GB can accumulate rapidly for high-volume logging environments

Elastic

  • No specific pricing amounts published on pricing page; customer must contact sales or start trial
  • Three deployment models (Cloud Hosted, Cloud Serverless, Self-managed) have different pricing structures

Pricing, plan by plan

Datadog Logs

$0.1/per GB ingested per month

No published plan breakdown. See the Datadog Logs review.

Elastic

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Elastic review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Datadog Logs if

  • You need log ingestion.
  • You work on Cloud (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, Oracle Cloud).
  • You also want full-text search.
Datadog Logs review

Choose Elastic if

Nothing in the data separates Elastic from Datadog Logs on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

Elastic review

Questions people ask

Is Datadog Logs or Elastic better?
Neither clearly leads. Datadog Logs starts at $0.1/per GB ingested per month and Elastic at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Datadog Logs or Elastic?
Datadog Logs starts at $0.1/per GB ingested per month and Elastic at On request.
Does Datadog Logs or Elastic run on more platforms?
Datadog Logs runs on Cloud (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, Oracle Cloud). Elastic runs on Web.
What is Datadog Logs best used for?
Datadog Logs is most often used for centralised log aggregation and analysis, multi-source log correlation with metrics and traces, root cause analysis and troubleshooting, security monitoring and threat detection. Of those, centralised log aggregation and analysis and multi-source log correlation with metrics and traces are not what Elastic is typically brought in for.
What can Datadog Logs do that Elastic cannot?
Datadog Logs covers Log ingestion, Full-text search, Custom dashboards, Log-based metrics.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Datadog Logs: What pricing options does Datadog offer for log ingestion and processing?

Log ingestion starts at $0.10/GB (annual billing; $0.10 on-demand). Standard indexing costs $1.70 per million events per month (annual; $2.55 on-demand). Flex Storage costs $0.05/million events stored per month (annual; $0.075 on-demand). Flex Logs Starter costs $0.60/million events stored per month (annual; $0.90 on-demand).

Source
Elastic: What are Elastic's deployment pricing options?

Elastic offers three deployment models: Elastic Cloud Hosted (resource-based, pay-as-you-go or prepaid monthly), Elastic Cloud Serverless (usage-based on search/indexing consumption, pay-as-you-go or prepaid), and Self-managed (license-based on nodes and RAM). Actual dollar amounts are not published and require contacting sales or starting a free trial.

Source
Datadog Logs: What retention options are available and how does it affect pricing?

Standard indexing offers 15-day retention with options for 3 to 30+ days. Flex Storage supports flexible retention up to 15 months. Flex Logs Starter includes bundled compute for retention of 3-15 months.

Source
Elastic: Does Elastic Cloud Serverless have feature limitations?

Yes, Elastic Cloud Serverless deployments have 'Most solution and platform capabilities' with some upcoming features not yet available, including traffic filtering, cross-project search, and bring-your-own-key encryption.

Source
Datadog Logs: Is there a cost to forward logs to external systems?

Yes, log forwarding costs $0.25/GB outbound per destination for routing logs to external systems.

Source
Elastic: How can you get Elastic pricing?

Elastic directs customers to start a free trial, contact sales for specific quotes, or visit dedicated pricing pages for individual products (Elasticsearch, Observability, Security).

Source
Datadog Logs: What discounts are available for high-volume customers?

Multi-year and volume discounts are available for customers processing 3B+ events per month.

Source
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