Technology · head to head
Envoy vs Datadog
Envoy
Technology
An open source edge and service proxy, designed for cloud-native and AI-native applications
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Envoy has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Envoy licensed under Apache License 2.0 per the project's GitHub repository (envoyproxy/envoy LICENSE); as a CNCF graduated project it has no paid tier or vendor price to compare; Datadog consumption-based pricing model makes costs hard to predict and can scale quickly
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Envoy and Datadog actually diverge.
Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Technology).
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 Envoy
Nothing recorded that Datadog does not also cover.
Only in Datadog
- Infrastructure monitoring
- Application performance monitoring
- Log management
- Real user monitoring
- Synthetic monitoring
- Security monitoring
- Network monitoring
- Serverless monitoring
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Envoy
No use cases recorded yet. See the Envoy review.
Datadog
- Infrastructure monitoringnot Envoy
- Application performancenot Envoy
- Security monitoringnot Envoy
- Log analysisnot Envoy
- Cloud monitoringnot Envoy
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Envoy
- Licensed under Apache License 2.0 per the project's GitHub repository (envoyproxy/envoy LICENSE); as a CNCF graduated project it has no paid tier or vendor price to compare
- Envoy is a proxy that runs alongside each application instance, per envoyproxy.io, requiring a sidecar or edge deployment model rather than a single centralized install
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
Pricing, plan by plan
Envoy
FreeNo published plan breakdown. See the Envoy review.
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
Which should you pick?
Choose Datadog if
- You need infrastructure monitoring.
- You work on Web, Linux, Windows, macOS.
- You also want application performance monitoring.
Questions people ask
- Is Envoy or Datadog better?
- Neither clearly leads. Envoy starts at Free and Datadog at $15/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Envoy or Datadog?
- Envoy has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Envoy and $15/month for Datadog.
- Does Envoy or Datadog run on more platforms?
- Envoy runs on Web. Datadog runs on Web, Linux, Windows, macOS.
- Can I use Envoy for free?
- Yes. Envoy has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Datadog starts at $15/month.
- What can Envoy do that Datadog cannot?
- Datadog covers Infrastructure monitoring, Application performance monitoring, Log management, Real user monitoring.
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.
SourceDatadog: 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.
SourceDatadog: What integrations does Datadog support?
Datadog offers 1000+ built-in integrations including AWS, Kubernetes, Docker, Azure, GCP, and most major cloud platforms and services.
SourceDatadog: 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.
SourceDatadog: 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