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Datadog vs Prometheus + Grafana
Datadog vs Prometheus + Grafana
A side-by-side look at Datadog (the paid SaaS) and Prometheus + Grafana (the open source alternative). Use this page to decide if the switch fits your team and workflow.
| Datadog | Prometheus + Grafana | |
|---|---|---|
| Tagline | Infrastructure and application monitoring. | Open source metrics collection and dashboards. |
| License | Proprietary SaaS | Apache-2.0 / AGPL-3.0 (Grafana) |
| Pricing | From $15/host/month (Infrastructure). | Free to self-host · optional paid hosted plan |
| Self-host option | No | Yes — difficulty 3/5 |
| Hosted cloud available | Yes (only option) | Yes |
| Desktop apps | Varies by product | Web only |
| Mobile apps | Official apps typically available | None official |
Ad slot — between tables
Best for
The industry-standard metrics stack for infrastructure.
Prometheus + Grafana strengths
- De-facto standard metrics stack.
- Massive exporter ecosystem.
- Grafana dashboards are industry standard.
Prometheus + Grafana weaknesses
- No built-in long-term storage by default.
- Alert routing requires Alertmanager learning.
- Not a turn-key APM — more assembly required.
What's the catch with Datadog?
- Notoriously expensive once volume grows.
- Bills can spike unexpectedly.
- Vendor lock-in with proprietary agents.
Still unsure?
Check the full list of alternatives to Datadog: see Datadog alternatives, or learn more about Prometheus + Grafana on its project page.
Recommended reading
When self-hosting goes wrong: seven failure modes and how to avoid them
An honest retrospective on the ways self-hosted setups break — not in theory, but in practice — and the small habits that prevent most of them.
Will the open source project you depend on still exist in three years?
Bus factor, maintainer burnout, funding models, and the signals that separate OSS projects that survive from those that quietly decay.
From SaaS to self-hosted: a 30-day migration playbook
A week-by-week plan to move one service off SaaS and onto your own server without breaking your team's workflow.