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Logging · head to head

Datadog Logs vs Elasticsearch Service

Datadog Logs logo

Datadog Logs

Logging

Log Management and Analytics

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

Elasticsearch Service

Logging

Managed Elasticsearch Cloud Service

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Elasticsearch Service has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Datadog Logs complex, multi-tiered pricing model based on ingestion, indexing, and storage; can become expensive at scale; Elasticsearch Service the 99.95 percent monthly uptime SLA applies only to the Platinum and Enterprise subscription tiers
  • They diverge on capability: Datadog Logs covers Log ingestion, Elasticsearch Service covers Scalability.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Datadog Logs and Elasticsearch Service actually diverge.

Attributes where Datadog Logs and Elasticsearch Service differ
AttributeDatadog LogsElasticsearch Service
Starting price$0.1/per GB ingested per monthFree
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsCloud (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, Oracle Cloud)Web, Api
Founded20102011

Identical on both: pricing model (usage-based), 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
  • Custom dashboards
  • Log-based metrics

Only in Elasticsearch Service

  • Scalability
  • High availability
  • Security

Both cover

  • Full-text search
  • API
  • Webhooks
  • REST
  • Web support
  • Api support

What people use each for

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

Datadog Logs

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

Elasticsearch Service

  • Managed Elasticsearch without running the clusternot Datadog Logs
  • Log and observability data storage and searchnot Datadog Logs
  • Full-text search behind an applicationnot Datadog Logs
  • Deployments needing a specific cloud region across AWS, Azure or GCPnot 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

Elasticsearch Service

  • The 99.95 percent monthly uptime SLA applies only to the Platinum and Enterprise subscription tiers
  • Serverless does not yet support traffic filtering, cross-project search or bring-your-own-key encryption
  • Serverless runs on AWS, GCP and Azure only, against 60 regions for the hosted option
  • Per-unit prices are not published; hosted is resource-based and serverless usage-based

Pricing, plan by plan

Datadog Logs

$0.1/per GB ingested per month

No published plan breakdown. See the Datadog Logs review.

Elasticsearch Service

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Full-text search
    • Scalability
    • High availability

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 custom dashboards.
Datadog Logs review

Choose Elasticsearch Service if

  • You need scalability.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Api.
  • You also want high availability.
Elasticsearch Service review

Questions people ask

Is Datadog Logs or Elasticsearch Service better?
Neither clearly leads. Datadog Logs starts at $0.1/per GB ingested per month and Elasticsearch Service at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Datadog Logs or Elasticsearch Service?
Elasticsearch Service has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $0.1/per GB ingested per month for Datadog Logs and Free for Elasticsearch Service.
Does Datadog Logs or Elasticsearch Service run on more platforms?
Datadog Logs runs on Cloud (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, Oracle Cloud). Elasticsearch Service runs on Web, Api.
Can I use Elasticsearch Service for free?
Yes. Elasticsearch Service has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Datadog Logs starts at $0.1/per GB ingested per month.
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 Elasticsearch Service is typically brought in for.
What can Datadog Logs do that Elasticsearch Service cannot?
Datadog Logs covers Log ingestion, Custom dashboards, Log-based metrics. Elasticsearch Service covers Scalability, High availability, Security. Both handle Full-text search, API, Webhooks, REST.

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
Elasticsearch Service: What pricing models does Elasticsearch Service offer?

Elasticsearch Service offers Hosted pricing based on resources (monthly or prepaid options) and Serverless pricing based on usage (monthly or prepaid options). Specific rates are not published on this page.

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
Elasticsearch Service: Is a free trial available for Elasticsearch Service?

Yes, Elasticsearch Service offers a free trial. Users can start a trial by registering at cloud.elastic.co/registration, though the specific trial duration is not published on the landing page.

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
Elasticsearch Service: Does Elasticsearch Service support automatic scaling and cost management?

Yes. Elasticsearch Service includes searchable snapshots to reduce cold data costs, data tiering to keep hot data fast while reducing storage costs, and autoscaling to optimize resource utilization.

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
Elasticsearch Service: What encryption options does Elasticsearch Service provide?

Elasticsearch Service supports Bring Your Own Key (BYOK) encryption and PrivateLink for secure data routing, though explicit data ownership terms are not specified on this page.

Source
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