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Software · head to head

Jira vs Datadog

Jira logo

Jira

Software

The #1 software development tool used by agile teams

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Datadog logo

Datadog

Software

Modern monitoring & security

From
$15/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Jira has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Jira free tier strictly limited to 10 users with only 2 GB storage; unsuitable for growing teams; Datadog consumption-based pricing model makes costs hard to predict and can scale quickly
  • They diverge on capability: Jira covers Scrum boards, Datadog covers Infrastructure monitoring.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Jira and Datadog actually diverge.

Attributes where Jira and Datadog differ
AttributeJiraDatadog
Starting priceFree$15/month
Pricing modelfreemiumUnknown
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsCloud, WebWeb, Linux, Windows, macOS
Founded20022010

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 Jira

  • Scrum boards
  • Kanban boards
  • Roadmaps
  • Agile reporting
  • Custom workflows
  • Issue tracking
  • Sprint planning
  • DevOps integration

Only in Datadog

  • Infrastructure monitoring
  • Application performance monitoring
  • Log management
  • Real user monitoring
  • Synthetic monitoring
  • Security monitoring
  • Network monitoring
  • Serverless monitoring

Both cover

  • Slack
  • Jenkins
  • SOC2
  • ISO27001
  • HIPAA

What people use each for

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

Jira

  • Software development teams leveraging AI-powered Rovo for trend analysis and bottleneck identificationnot Datadog
  • Organisations requiring integrated issue tracking, project planning, and team alignment toolsnot Datadog
  • Enterprises with 1,000+ users needing advanced analytics, security controls, and custom deployment optionsnot Datadog

Datadog

  • Infrastructure monitoringnot Jira
  • Application performancenot Jira
  • Security monitoringnot Jira
  • Log analysisnot Jira
  • Cloud monitoringnot Jira

Where each one falls short

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

Jira

  • Free tier strictly limited to 10 users with only 2 GB storage; unsuitable for growing teams
  • Per-seat pricing ($7.91–$14.54/user/month) accumulates significantly for large teams; 50-person team costs £3,955–7,270 monthly
  • Enterprise tier requires annual billing and sales contact; no transparent per-user pricing available
  • Premium features (cross-team planning, advanced automation) available only at $14.54/user/month tier or above

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

Jira

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Jira 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 Jira if

  • You need scrum boards.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Cloud, Web.
  • You also want kanban boards.
Jira review

Choose Datadog if

  • You need infrastructure monitoring.
  • You work on Web, Linux, Windows, macOS.
  • You also want application performance monitoring.
Datadog review

Questions people ask

Is Jira or Datadog better?
Neither clearly leads. Jira 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, Jira or Datadog?
Jira has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Jira and $15/month for Datadog.
Does Jira or Datadog run on more platforms?
Jira runs on Cloud, Web. Datadog runs on Web, Linux, Windows, macOS.
Can I use Jira for free?
Yes. Jira has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Datadog starts at $15/month.
What is Jira best used for?
Jira is most often used for software development teams leveraging ai-powered rovo for trend analysis and bottleneck identification, organisations requiring integrated issue tracking, project planning, and team alignment tools, enterprises with 1,000+ users needing advanced analytics, security controls, and custom deployment options. Of those, software development teams leveraging ai-powered rovo for trend analysis and bottleneck identification and organisations requiring integrated issue tracking, project planning, and team alignment tools are not what Datadog is typically brought in for.
What can Jira do that Datadog cannot?
Jira covers Scrum boards, Kanban boards, Roadmaps, Agile reporting. Datadog covers Infrastructure monitoring, Application performance monitoring, Log management, Real user monitoring. Both handle Slack, Jenkins, SOC2, ISO27001.

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.

Source
Datadog: 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.

Source
Datadog: What integrations does Datadog support?

Datadog offers 1000+ built-in integrations including AWS, Kubernetes, Docker, Azure, GCP, and most major cloud platforms and services.

Source
Datadog: 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.

Source
Datadog: 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
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