Software · head to head
Fluent Bit vs Datadog Logs
Datadog Logs
Software
Log Management and Analytics
- From
- $0.1/per GB ingested per month
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Fluent Bit has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Fluent Bit fluent Bit ships over 100 built in plugins against more than 1,000 external plugins available for Fluentd, so fewer integrations exist out of the box; Datadog Logs complex, multi-tiered pricing model based on ingestion, indexing, and storage; can become expensive at scale
- They diverge on capability: Fluent Bit covers Log collection, Datadog Logs covers Log ingestion.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Fluent Bit and Datadog Logs actually diverge.
| Attribute | Fluent Bit | 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 | 2015 | 2010 |
Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
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 Fluent Bit
- Log collection
- Lightweight processing
- Data parsing
- Event filtering
Only in Datadog Logs
- Log ingestion
- Full-text search
- Custom dashboards
- Log-based metrics
Both cover
- API
- Webhooks
- REST
- Web support
- Api support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Fluent Bit
- Lightweight log and metric forwarding from containers and edge devicesnot Datadog Logs
- Kubernetes node level log collection with a small memory footprintnot Datadog Logs
- Filtering and enriching telemetry before shipping it to a backendnot Datadog Logs
Datadog Logs
- Centralised log aggregation and analysisnot Fluent Bit
- Multi-source log correlation with metrics and tracesnot Fluent Bit
- Root cause analysis and troubleshootingnot Fluent Bit
- Security monitoring and threat detectionnot Fluent Bit
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Fluent Bit
- Fluent Bit ships over 100 built in plugins against more than 1,000 external plugins available for Fluentd, so fewer integrations exist out of the box
- It is written in C, so extending it beyond the built in plugins means writing C rather than Ruby
- Dependencies are zero only until a plugin requires one
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
Fluent Bit
Free- FreeFree
- Log collection
- Lightweight processing
- Data parsing
Datadog Logs
$0.1/per GB ingested per monthNo published plan breakdown. See the Datadog Logs review.
Which should you pick?
Choose Fluent Bit if
- You need log collection.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Api.
- You also want lightweight processing.
Choose Datadog Logs if
- You need log ingestion.
- You work on Cloud (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, Oracle Cloud).
- You also want full-text search.
Questions people ask
- Is Fluent Bit or Datadog Logs better?
- Neither clearly leads. Fluent Bit 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, Fluent Bit or Datadog Logs?
- Fluent Bit has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Fluent Bit and $0.1/per GB ingested per month for Datadog Logs.
- Does Fluent Bit or Datadog Logs run on more platforms?
- Fluent Bit runs on Web, Api. Datadog Logs runs on Cloud (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, Oracle Cloud).
- Can I use Fluent Bit for free?
- Yes. Fluent Bit has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Datadog Logs starts at $0.1/per GB ingested per month.
- What is Fluent Bit best used for?
- Fluent Bit is most often used for lightweight log and metric forwarding from containers and edge devices, kubernetes node level log collection with a small memory footprint, filtering and enriching telemetry before shipping it to a backend. Of those, lightweight log and metric forwarding from containers and edge devices and kubernetes node level log collection with a small memory footprint are not what Datadog Logs is typically brought in for.
- What can Fluent Bit do that Datadog Logs cannot?
- Fluent Bit covers Log collection, Lightweight processing, Data parsing, Event filtering. Datadog Logs covers Log ingestion, Full-text search, Custom dashboards, Log-based metrics. Both handle API, Webhooks, REST, Web support.