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New Relic vs Datadog

Same-cluster observability peer comparison. Choose New Relic when unified observability billed on ingest + users is the job — not Datadog host packs and not ITSM. Choose Datadog when observability — infrastructure, APM, and logs — is the primary job and you can model module/consumption TCO. Overall: New Relic 8 vs Datadog 8.6. Not hands-on lab tested; confirm live pricing and packaging. Compare published pricing, ITSM, observability, source control, hosting, web data, security, and integrations.

Independently recommendedLast updated Aug 18, 20265 evidence sources10 screenshotsHow we compare

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New Relic

8/10

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

Visit New Relic

VS

Our verdict

Datadog is the stronger overall fit

Same-cluster observability peer comparison. Choose New Relic when unified observability billed on ingest + users is the job — not Datadog host packs and not ITSM. Choose Datadog when observability — infrastructure, APM, and logs — is the primary job and you can model module/consumption TCO. Overall: New Relic 8 vs Datadog 8.6. Not hands-on lab tested; confirm live pricing and packaging.

Datadog is better for

✓ ITSM depth
✓ Observability depth
✓ Source control depth
✓ Hosting panel depth

Tie

• Free plan

Choose New Relic if: Teams that want APM + logs + infra in one ingest bill

Choose Datadog if: SRE/platform teams needing unified infra + APM + logs

See detailed comparison ↓

Stronger overall fit

Datadog

8.6/10

Observability suite — infrastructure, APM, logs, and security signals with consumption/host pricing; Infrastructure Pro from $15/host/mo annual.

Best for

• SRE/platform teams needing unified infra + APM + logs
• Cloud-native orgs with AWS/Azure/GCP estates
• Teams that can model multi-module observability TCO upfront

Starting from $15.00/user/mo

Free plan available

New Relic vs Datadog at a glance

Criterion-level leaders from verified research.

Full scorecard →

Scorecard preview

Criterion leaders based on verified research — open the Scorecard tab for evidence detail.

Starting pricingDepends
New Relic
Datadog
Free planTie
New Relic
Datadog
User / licence minimumDepends
New Relic
Datadog
ITSM depthDatadog
New Relic
Datadog
Observability depthDatadog
New Relic
Datadog

Which It Development is better for you?

Quick picks based on fit — not a universal ranking.

→ New Relic
Teams that want APM + logs + infra in one ingest bill
Pick New Relic for Teams that want APM + logs + infra in one ingest bill.
→ New Relic
Orgs that can live with 1–5 Standard full users
Pick New Relic for Orgs that can live with 1–5 Standard full users.
→ New Relic
Buyers comparing usage-based observability to Datadog hosts
Pick New Relic for Buyers comparing usage-based observability to Datadog hosts.
→ Datadog
SRE/platform teams needing unified infra + APM + logs
Pick Datadog for SRE/platform teams needing unified infra + APM + logs.
→ Datadog
Cloud-native orgs with AWS/Azure/GCP estates
Pick Datadog for Cloud-native orgs with AWS/Azure/GCP estates.
→ Datadog
Teams that can model multi-module observability TCO upfront
Pick Datadog for Teams that can model multi-module observability TCO upfront.

The biggest differences

Where the products diverge most clearly on verified criteria.

ITSM depth
Datadog wins
New Relic
Trails Datadog on this criterion
Datadog
Datadog leads on ITSM depth (9/10 vs 10/10). Landscape or cluster fit from vendor documentation.
Observability depth
Datadog wins
New Relic
Trails Datadog on this criterion
Datadog
Datadog leads on observability depth (9/10 vs 10/10). Landscape or cluster fit from vendor documentation.
Source control depth
Datadog wins
New Relic
Trails Datadog on this criterion
Datadog
Datadog leads on source control depth (9/10 vs 10/10). Landscape or cluster fit from vendor documentation.
Hosting panel depth
Datadog wins
New Relic
Trails Datadog on this criterion
Datadog
Datadog leads on hosting panel depth (9/10 vs 10/10). Landscape or cluster fit from vendor documentation.
Web data / proxy depth
Datadog wins
New Relic
Trails Datadog on this criterion
Datadog
Datadog leads on web data / proxy depth (9/10 vs 10/10). Landscape or cluster fit from vendor documentation.
Security & admin
Datadog wins
New Relic
Trails Datadog on this criterion
Datadog
Datadog leads on security & admin (8/10 vs 9/10). Landscape or cluster fit from vendor documentation.

Which should you choose?

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

Choose Datadog if

SRE/platform teams needing unified infra + APM + logs
Cloud-native orgs with AWS/Azure/GCP estates
Teams that can model multi-module observability TCO upfront

Related comparisons

Alternatives to consider

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
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