Software · head to head
Stackdriver vs Datadog Logs
Datadog Logs
Software
Log Management and Analytics
- From
- $0.1/per GB ingested per month
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Stackdriver has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Stackdriver stackdriver is now branded Google Cloud Observability and cloud.google.com/stackdriver redirects to the Observability product page; Datadog Logs complex, multi-tiered pricing model based on ingestion, indexing, and storage; can become expensive at scale
- They diverge on capability: Stackdriver covers Log management, Datadog Logs covers Log ingestion.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Stackdriver and Datadog Logs actually diverge.
| Attribute | Stackdriver | Datadog Logs |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free | $0.1/per GB ingested per month |
| Free tier | Yes | No |
| Platforms | Web, Api | Cloud (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, Oracle Cloud) |
| Founded | 2006 | 2010 |
Identical on both: pricing model (usage-based), 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 Stackdriver
- Log management
- Metrics collection
- Real-time monitoring
- Error reporting
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.
Stackdriver
- Centralised logging, metrics and traces for workloads running on Google Cloudnot Datadog Logs
- Alerting and uptime checks on cloud servicesnot Datadog Logs
- Running managed Prometheus-compatible monitoring at scalenot Datadog Logs
Datadog Logs
- Centralised log aggregation and analysisnot Stackdriver
- Multi-source log correlation with metrics and tracesnot Stackdriver
- Root cause analysis and troubleshootingnot Stackdriver
- Security monitoring and threat detectionnot Stackdriver
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Stackdriver
- Stackdriver is now branded Google Cloud Observability and cloud.google.com/stackdriver redirects to the Observability product page
- Cloud Logging charges $0.50 per GiB ingested, with only the first 50 GiB per project per month free
- Logs kept beyond 30 days cost an extra $0.01 per GiB per month on top of the ingestion charge
- Monitoring metric ingestion starts at $0.2580 per MiB, with only the first 150 MiB per billing account free
- Alerting policies are billed at $0.35 per month for each metric reference in the policy
- Uptime checks cost $0.30 per 1,000 executions and synthetic monitors $1.20 per 1,000 executions, with only 100 synthetic executions per billing account free
- Monitoring read API calls cost $0.50 per million time series returned beyond the first million per billing account
- Log volume is measured before indexing on the actual size of log entries, so verbose logging directly drives cost
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
Stackdriver
Free- FreeFree
- Log management
- Metrics collection
- Real-time monitoring
Datadog Logs
$0.1/per GB ingested per monthNo published plan breakdown. See the Datadog Logs review.
Which should you pick?
Choose Stackdriver if
- You need log management.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Api.
- You also want metrics collection.
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 Stackdriver or Datadog Logs better?
- Neither clearly leads. Stackdriver 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, Stackdriver or Datadog Logs?
- Stackdriver has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Stackdriver and $0.1/per GB ingested per month for Datadog Logs.
- Does Stackdriver or Datadog Logs run on more platforms?
- Stackdriver runs on Web, Api. Datadog Logs runs on Cloud (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, Oracle Cloud).
- Can I use Stackdriver for free?
- Yes. Stackdriver has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Datadog Logs starts at $0.1/per GB ingested per month.
- What is Stackdriver best used for?
- Stackdriver is most often used for centralised logging, metrics and traces for workloads running on google cloud, alerting and uptime checks on cloud services, running managed prometheus-compatible monitoring at scale. Of those, centralised logging, metrics and traces for workloads running on google cloud and alerting and uptime checks on cloud services are not what Datadog Logs is typically brought in for.
- What can Stackdriver do that Datadog Logs cannot?
- Stackdriver covers Log management, Metrics collection, Real-time monitoring, Error reporting. Datadog Logs covers Log ingestion, Full-text search, Custom dashboards, Log-based metrics. Both handle API, Webhooks, REST, Web support.