Logz.io vs Datadog: pricing
Observability pricing · Pricing snapshot: June 2026
On headline entry cost, Datadog has a clearer fixed entry price (APM from $31/host/mo (annual)) while Logz.io is usage-based. Logz.io bills per gb / usage (Logs from ~$0.92/GB/day (7-day retention)) 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.
Logz.io vs Datadog side by side
| Factor | Logz.io | Datadog |
|---|---|---|
| Company | Logz.io Ltd. | Datadog, Inc. |
| Pricing model | Per-GB/day for logs (by retention) + per-1,000-time-series/day metrics + per-1M-spans/day traces (Open 360) | 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 | Logs from ~$0.92/GB/day (7-day retention) | APM from $31/host/mo (annual) |
| Free tier? | Yes | Yes |
| Free tier detail | Free trial; community plan with limited daily volume. No large permanent free tier. | Free plan: Infrastructure for up to 5 hosts with 1-day metric retention; 14-day free trial of the full platform. |
| Covers | Log management, Infrastructure & metrics, Distributed tracing | APM, Infrastructure & metrics, Log management, RUM, Distributed tracing, Error tracking |
Sources: Logz.io Ltd. pricing · Datadog, Inc. pricing.
Per-signal rates
Where the two overlap, here is the rate each charges per signal:
| Signal | Logz.io | Datadog |
|---|---|---|
| Log management | ~$0.92/GB/day (7-day) up to ~$1.61/GB/day (30-day) | $0.10/GB ingest + $1.27/M events indexed (15-day) |
| Infrastructure & metrics | $0.40 per 1,000 time-series/day (18-mo retention) | $15/host/mo |
| Distributed tracing | $0.16 per 1M spans/day (10-day retention) | Bundled in APM |
Cheaper for small vs cheaper for scale
Small / starting out: Both have a free tier, so try each. On headline cost, Datadog has a clearer fixed entry price (APM from $31/host/mo (annual)) while Logz.io is usage-based.
At scale: Logz.io (managed open-source stack (elk + prometheus + jaeger), low lock-in) versus Datadog (single pane of glass across infra, apm, logs, rum and more). Remember Logz.io 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, Datadog has a clearer fixed entry price (APM from $31/host/mo (annual)) while Logz.io is usage-based. But price is only part of the story. Read each full breakdown - Logz.io and Datadog - and model your real workload in the cost calculator.
Frequently asked questions
Is Logz.io or Datadog cheaper?
On headline entry cost, Datadog has a clearer fixed entry price (APM from $31/host/mo (annual)) while Logz.io is usage-based. But the two use different models - Logz.io 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.
Logz.io vs Datadog: which for a small team?
For a small team, lean to whichever has the more usable free tier and lower entry price. Logz.io: Free trial; community plan with limited daily volume. No large permanent free tier. Datadog: Free plan: Infrastructure for up to 5 hosts with 1-day metric retention; 14-day free trial of the full platform.
Logz.io vs Datadog: how do the billing models differ?
Logz.io: Per-GB/day for logs (by retention) + per-1,000-time-series/day metrics + per-1M-spans/day traces (Open 360). 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.
More comparisons
Last updated: 2026-06-21