AppDynamics vs New Relic
Compare AppDynamics and New Relic on features, pricing, and buyer fit using the same researched criteria.
AppDynamics
Cisco APM / observability — Infrastructure from ~$6/vCPU/mo; Premium (infra+apps) from $33/vCPU/mo annual; Enterprise $50/vCPU; often Cisco EA quote. Does not outrank Datadog 8.6.
Best for
- • Cisco-aligned estates that will model vCPU Premium $33 (not $6 infra-only) as APM TCO
- • APM buyers comparing AppDynamics to Dynatrace DPS and Datadog modules
- • Teams already in a Cisco EA who will not self-serve Datadog tiles
Starting from $33.00/user/mo
No free plan
VS
Our verdict
There is no universal winner between AppDynamics and New Relic. Choose AppDynamics when Cisco-aligned estates that will model vCPU Premium $33 (not $6 infra-only) as APM TCO. Choose New Relic when Teams that want APM + logs + infra in one ingest bill. Criterion scores come from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments and first-party research — not hands-on lab testing.
AppDynamics is better for
- ✓ Security & admin
New Relic is better for
- ✓ Starting pricing
- ✓ Free plan
Tie
- • Integrations
Choose AppDynamics if: Cisco-aligned estates that will model vCPU Premium $33 (not $6 infra-only) as APM TCO
Choose New Relic if: Teams that want APM + logs + infra in one ingest bill
New Relic
Observability — Free 100 GB ingest + 1 full user; Standard from $10 first full user then $99; data $0.40/GB after 100 GB; Pro $349/full user annual.
Best for
- • Teams that want APM + logs + infra in one ingest bill
- • Orgs that can live with 1–5 Standard full users
- • Buyers comparing usage-based observability to Datadog hosts
Starting from $10.00/user/mo
Free plan available
AppDynamics vs New Relic at a glance
Criterion-level leaders from verified research.
Scorecard preview
Criterion leaders based on verified research — open the Scorecard tab for evidence detail.
- Starting pricingNew Relic
AppDynamics
New Relic
- Free planNew Relic
AppDynamics
New Relic
- User / licence minimumDepends
AppDynamics
New Relic
- IntegrationsTie
AppDynamics
New Relic
- Security & adminAppDynamics
AppDynamics
New Relic
Which It Development is better for you?
Quick picks based on fit — not a universal ranking.
- → AppDynamics
Best for security & admin
AppDynamics leads on security admin (9/10 vs 8/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.
- → New Relic
Best for starting pricing
New Relic publishes a lower researched starting floor ($10/mo vs $33/mo for AppDynamics). Confirm currency, renewals, and add-ons — not a total TCO winner.
- → New Relic
Best for free plan
AppDynamics does not research a free plan; New Relic researches a free plan.
The biggest differences
Where the products diverge most clearly on verified criteria.
Starting pricing
New Relic winsAppDynamics
Trails New Relic on this criterion
New Relic
New Relic publishes a lower researched starting floor ($10/mo vs $33/mo for AppDynamics). Confirm currency, renewals, and add-ons — not a total TCO winner.
Free plan
New Relic winsAppDynamics
Trails New Relic on this criterion
New Relic
AppDynamics does not research a free plan; New Relic researches a free plan.
Security & admin
AppDynamics winsAppDynamics
AppDynamics leads on security admin (9/10 vs 8/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.
New Relic
Trails AppDynamics on this criterion
Which should you choose?
Choose AppDynamics if
- Cisco-aligned estates that will model vCPU Premium $33 (not $6 infra-only) as APM TCO
- APM buyers comparing AppDynamics to Dynatrace DPS and Datadog modules
- Teams already in a Cisco EA who will not self-serve Datadog tiles
Choose New Relic if
- Teams that want APM + logs + infra in one ingest bill
- Orgs that can live with 1–5 Standard full users
- Buyers comparing usage-based observability to Datadog hosts
Related comparisons
Alternatives to consider
Datadog
Observability suite — infrastructure, APM, logs, and security signals with consumption/host pricing; Infrastructure Pro from $15/host/mo annual.
Dynatrace
Enterprise observability — Dynatrace Platform Subscription (DPS) annual commit + rate card. Full-Stack list unit ~$58/mo per 8 GiB host; 15-day trial. No per-seat SKU.
Splunk Observability Cloud
Splunk Observability Cloud — Infrastructure Monitoring from $15/host/mo annual; App & Infra $60/host; End-to-End $75/host; free up to 15 hosts. Not Splunk Platform/SIEM ingest.
Honeycomb
High-cardinality event/trace observability — Free; Pro from $150/mo; Enterprise custom. Does not outrank Datadog 8.6.
How we compare
A short look at the comparison process. Full methodology
1
Collect
Collect official product information, pricing, and product evidence.
2
Normalize
Map evidence to the same category evaluation criteria for both products.
3
Compare
Evaluate both products against identical criteria — ties and depends are allowed.
4
Explain
Show why each product wins, loses, or ties, with evidence behind the outcome.
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- Independent criterion outcomes
- No invented scores or prices
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