Splunk Observability Cloud vs Datadog: pricing
Observability pricing · Pricing snapshot: June 2026
On headline entry cost, Splunk Observability Cloud has the lower headline entry cost (Infra from $15/host/mo; APM ~$60+/host). Splunk Observability Cloud bills per host (Infra from $15/host/mo; APM ~$60+/host) and Datadog bills per host (APM from $31/host/mo (annual)). Only Datadog has a permanent 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.
Splunk Observability Cloud vs Datadog side by side
| Factor | Splunk Observability Cloud | Datadog |
|---|---|---|
| Company | Splunk (Cisco) | Datadog, Inc. |
| Pricing model | Per-host for Infra/APM tiers + per-GB or per-credit for logs; metric/trace/session volume add-ons | Per-host (Infra & APM) + per-GB ingested (Logs) + per-session (RUM); modular, products billed separately and stacked |
| Primary billing | Per host | Per host |
| Headline price | Infra from $15/host/mo; APM ~$60+/host | APM from $31/host/mo (annual) |
| Free tier? | No | Yes |
| Free tier detail | 14-day free trial of Splunk Observability Cloud; no 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 | APM, Infrastructure & metrics, Log management, RUM, Distributed tracing | APM, Infrastructure & metrics, Log management, RUM, Distributed tracing, Error tracking |
Sources: Splunk (Cisco) pricing · Datadog, Inc. pricing.
Per-signal rates
Where the two overlap, here is the rate each charges per signal:
| Signal | Splunk Observability Cloud | Datadog |
|---|---|---|
| APM | ~$60/host (App+Infra) to $75 end-to-end; APM ~$150-175/host at higher tiers | $31/host/mo |
| Infrastructure & metrics | from $15/host/mo (annual) | $15/host/mo |
| Log management | Ingest plans ~$8,100/yr (5 GB/day) and up | $0.10/GB ingest + $1.27/M events indexed (15-day) |
| RUM | Per-session add-on | RUM $1.50/1K sessions; Session Replay +$1.80/1K |
| Distributed tracing | Bundled in APM (full-fidelity) | Bundled in APM |
Cheaper for small vs cheaper for scale
Small / starting out: Datadog wins - it has a permanent free tier. On headline cost, Splunk Observability Cloud has the lower headline entry cost (Infra from $15/host/mo; APM ~$60+/host).
At scale: Splunk Observability Cloud (full-fidelity (nosample) tracing keeps every trace) versus Datadog (single pane of glass across infra, apm, logs, rum and more). Remember Splunk Observability Cloud bills per host 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, Splunk Observability Cloud has the lower headline entry cost (Infra from $15/host/mo; APM ~$60+/host). But price is only part of the story. Read each full breakdown - Splunk Observability Cloud and Datadog - and model your real workload in the cost calculator.
Frequently asked questions
Is Splunk Observability Cloud or Datadog cheaper?
On headline entry cost, Splunk Observability Cloud has the lower headline entry cost (Infra from $15/host/mo; APM ~$60+/host). But the two use different models - Splunk Observability Cloud bills per host 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.
Splunk Observability 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. Splunk Observability Cloud has no permanent free tier (14-day free trial of Splunk Observability Cloud; no 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.
Splunk Observability Cloud vs Datadog: how do the billing models differ?
Splunk Observability Cloud: Per-host for Infra/APM tiers + per-GB or per-credit for logs; metric/trace/session volume add-ons. 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