Log Management · head to head
ELK Stack vs Datadog Logs
Datadog Logs
Log Management
Log Management and Analytics
- From
- $0.1/per GB ingested per month
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only ELK Stack has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: ELK Stack the free Basic self managed subscription excludes machine learning, alerting, single sign on via SAML or OpenID Connect, LDAP and Active Directory authentication, field and document level security, searchable snapshots and cross cluster replication; Datadog Logs complex, multi-tiered pricing model based on ingestion, indexing, and storage; can become expensive at scale
- They diverge on capability: ELK Stack covers Data visualization, Datadog Logs covers Log ingestion.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which ELK Stack and Datadog Logs actually diverge.
| Attribute | ELK Stack | Datadog Logs |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free | $0.1/per GB ingested per month |
| Pricing model | open-source | usage-based |
| Free tier | Yes | No |
| Platforms | Web, Api | Cloud (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, Oracle Cloud) |
| Founded | 2011 | 2010 |
Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Log Management).
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 ELK Stack
- Data visualization
- Log aggregation
- Time-series analytics
Only in Datadog Logs
- Log ingestion
- Custom dashboards
- Log-based metrics
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.
ELK Stack
- Centralised log search and analytics over Elasticsearchnot Datadog Logs
- Dashboards and visualisation of machine data in Kibananot Datadog Logs
- Self managing a search and observability cluster on your own hardwarenot Datadog Logs
Datadog Logs
- Centralised log aggregation and analysisnot ELK Stack
- Multi-source log correlation with metrics and tracesnot ELK Stack
- Root cause analysis and troubleshootingnot ELK Stack
- Security monitoring and threat detectionnot ELK Stack
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
ELK Stack
- The free Basic self managed subscription excludes machine learning, alerting, single sign on via SAML or OpenID Connect, LDAP and Active Directory authentication, field and document level security, searchable snapshots and cross cluster replication
- Cross cluster operations require the same subscription tier on every cluster involved
- The 99.95 percent monthly uptime SLA applies only to the Platinum and Enterprise subscription tiers
- Three deployment models are priced on three different bases: resource based for Cloud Hosted, usage based for Serverless and licence based on nodes and RAM for self managed
- Elastic Cloud Serverless does not yet support traffic filtering, cross project search or bring your own key
- The pricing page publishes no rate for any tier
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
Pricing, plan by plan
ELK Stack
Free- FreeFree
- Full-text search
- Data visualization
- Log aggregation
Datadog Logs
$0.1/per GB ingested per monthNo published plan breakdown. See the Datadog Logs review.
Which should you pick?
Choose ELK Stack if
- You need data visualization.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Api.
- You also want log aggregation.
Choose Datadog Logs if
- You need log ingestion.
- You work on Cloud (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, Oracle Cloud).
- You also want custom dashboards.
Questions people ask
- Is ELK Stack or Datadog Logs better?
- Neither clearly leads. ELK Stack starts at Free and Datadog Logs at $0.1/per GB ingested per month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, ELK Stack or Datadog Logs?
- ELK Stack has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for ELK Stack and $0.1/per GB ingested per month for Datadog Logs.
- Does ELK Stack or Datadog Logs run on more platforms?
- ELK Stack runs on Web, Api. Datadog Logs runs on Cloud (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, Oracle Cloud).
- Can I use ELK Stack for free?
- Yes. ELK Stack has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Datadog Logs starts at $0.1/per GB ingested per month.
- What is ELK Stack best used for?
- ELK Stack is most often used for centralised log search and analytics over elasticsearch, dashboards and visualisation of machine data in kibana, self managing a search and observability cluster on your own hardware. Of those, centralised log search and analytics over elasticsearch and dashboards and visualisation of machine data in kibana are not what Datadog Logs is typically brought in for.
- What can ELK Stack do that Datadog Logs cannot?
- ELK Stack covers Data visualization, Log aggregation, Time-series analytics. Datadog Logs covers Log ingestion, Custom dashboards, Log-based metrics. Both handle Full-text search, API, Webhooks, REST.