Grafana Cloud vs Datadog: pricing
Observability pricing · Pricing snapshot: June 2026
On headline entry cost, Grafana Cloud has the lower headline entry cost (Free tier, then Pro from $19/mo + usage). Grafana Cloud bills per gb / usage (Free tier, then Pro from $19/mo + usage) and Datadog bills per host (APM from $31/host/mo (annual)). Both have a free tier. The real winner depends on your host count, data volume and team size. Pricing snapshot: June 2026 - verify current pricing on the vendor's site before relying on these figures.
Data as of June 2026.
Grafana Cloud vs Datadog side by side
| Factor | Grafana Cloud | Datadog |
|---|---|---|
| Company | Grafana Labs | Datadog, Inc. |
| Pricing model | Usage-based: per active metric series + per-GB for logs/traces/profiles + per active user + flat platform fee | Per-host (Infra & APM) + per-GB ingested (Logs) + per-session (RUM); modular, products billed separately and stacked |
| Primary billing | Per GB / usage | Per host |
| Headline price | Free tier, then Pro from $19/mo + usage | APM from $31/host/mo (annual) |
| Free tier? | Yes | Yes |
| Free tier detail | Free forever: 10K active metric series, 50 GB logs, 50 GB traces, 50 GB profiles, 3 users, 14-day retention. | Free plan: Infrastructure for up to 5 hosts with 1-day metric retention; 14-day free trial of the full platform. |
| Covers | APM, Infrastructure & metrics, Log management, RUM, Distributed tracing | APM, Infrastructure & metrics, Log management, RUM, Distributed tracing, Error tracking |
Sources: Grafana Labs pricing · Datadog, Inc. pricing.
Per-signal rates
Where the two overlap, here is the rate each charges per signal:
| Signal | Grafana Cloud | Datadog |
|---|---|---|
| APM | $19/mo platform + $8 per active visualization user | $31/host/mo |
| Infrastructure & metrics | 10K free, then $6.50 per 1,000 active series | $15/host/mo |
| Log management | 50 GB free, then ~$0.45/GB | $0.10/GB ingest + $1.27/M events indexed (15-day) |
| RUM | Usage-based (counts toward signal meters) | RUM $1.50/1K sessions; Session Replay +$1.80/1K |
| Distributed tracing | 50 GB free, then ~$0.45/GB | Bundled in APM |
Cheaper for small vs cheaper for scale
Small / starting out: Both have a free tier, so try each. On headline cost, Grafana Cloud has the lower headline entry cost (Free tier, then Pro from $19/mo + usage).
At scale: Grafana Cloud (very generous free tier (10k series + 50 gb logs/traces/profiles)) versus Datadog (single pane of glass across infra, apm, logs, rum and more). Remember Grafana Cloud bills per gb / usage and Datadog bills per host, which flips the answer depending on whether you scale by hosts, by data volume or by team size.
Verdict
On headline cost alone, Grafana Cloud has the lower headline entry cost (Free tier, then Pro from $19/mo + usage). But price is only part of the story. Read each full breakdown - Grafana Cloud and Datadog - and model your real workload in the cost calculator.
Frequently asked questions
Is Grafana Cloud or Datadog cheaper?
On headline entry cost, Grafana Cloud has the lower headline entry cost (Free tier, then Pro from $19/mo + usage). But the two use different models - Grafana Cloud bills per gb / usage and Datadog bills per host - so the real winner depends on your host count, data volume and team size. Compare the per-signal table on this page. Pricing snapshot: June 2026.
Grafana Cloud vs Datadog: which for a small team?
For a small team, lean to whichever has the more usable free tier and lower entry price. Grafana Cloud: Free forever: 10K active metric series, 50 GB logs, 50 GB traces, 50 GB profiles, 3 users, 14-day retention. Datadog: Free plan: Infrastructure for up to 5 hosts with 1-day metric retention; 14-day free trial of the full platform.
Grafana Cloud vs Datadog: how do the billing models differ?
Grafana Cloud: Usage-based: per active metric series + per-GB for logs/traces/profiles + per active user + flat platform fee. Datadog: Per-host (Infra & APM) + per-GB ingested (Logs) + per-session (RUM); modular, products billed separately and stacked. Per-host models penalize dense Kubernetes nodes; per-GB/per-event models penalize verbose telemetry. Model your real usage before deciding. Pricing snapshot: June 2026 - verify current pricing on the vendor's site before relying on these figures.
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Last updated: 2026-06-21