If you’re searching for a network monitoring tool that can keep up with hybrid and cloud-first IT environments, Datadog is likely on your shortlist. We’ve spent weeks researching every major IT platform and Datadog is near the top for its feature-rich approach and impressive integrations. For a broader look at your options, check out our best network monitoring tools list.
Our team at TechRadar has deep experience evaluating IT platforms — using, comparing, and stress-testing them in real-world scenarios. LogicMonitor is our pick for the best network monitoring tool of 2025. Its AI-powered suite automates many day-to-day IT workflows, making it a top choice for organizations wanting proactive, hands-off monitoring.
Still, Datadog’s popularity is no accident. It’s a favorite among IT teams for its real-time visibility, rich analytics, and ability to unify monitoring across multi-cloud, hybrid, and on-premises environments. But is it the right fit for your team? Let’s dive in.
Datadog network monitoring: Features
Datadog is one of the most feature-rich platforms in the network monitoring space. It’s packed with tools for real-time analytics, customizable dashboards, anomaly detection, and integrations with over 850 services and devices.
These features are best suited for IT teams managing complex, hybrid, or cloud-native environments who need granular visibility and automation. Everything comes together pretty well, though some users have asked for easier self-remediation and more transparent pricing, especially as data volumes grow.
At its price point, though, you’re paying for depth and breadth. So, if you need only basic monitoring, there are cheaper options.
Infrastructure monitoring
Datadog’s core component gives you a bird’s eye view of servers, cloud instances, containers, and network devices. It auto-discovers resources and collects data from CPUs, memory, disk, and network performance, all visualized in real time.
Network performance monitoring (NPM)
NPM provides deep visibility into your network traffic, showing you which services are talking to each other, where bottlenecks are, and how traffic flows across your environment. You can drill down to individual connections, monitor bandwidth usage, and set up alerts for unusual activity.
Log management
Datadog automatically ingests, parses, and analyzes logs from across your stack. You can search logs in real time, correlate them with metrics and traces, and set up alerts for error spikes or suspicious activity.
Application performance monitoring (APM)
APM traces requests across distributed systems, helping you spot slowdowns, errors, and performance bottlenecks at the code or service level. It supports major programming languages and frameworks.
Synthetic monitoring
This tool simulates user interactions with your apps and connectors, running tests from locations around the world to measure uptime and performance. It’s useful for catching issues before users notice them.
Real user monitoring (RUM)
RUM tracks the actual experience of your users, measuring load times, errors, and engagement in real time. This is important for teams focused on optimizing user-facing applications.
Security monitoring
Datadog’s security suite includes anomaly detection, threat intelligence, and compliance monitoring, helping you spot vulnerabilities and suspicious behavior as it happens.
Integrations and APIs
With support for 850+ integrations, including AWS, Azure, Kubernetes, Chef, Puppet, and more — Datadog can slot into almost any IT environment, making it easy to unify monitoring across tools and platforms.
Datadog network monitoring: Ease of use
Datadog is generally user-friendly, with a modern, intuitive interface and customizable dashboards that make it easy to visualize the metrics that matter most to you. Many users find setup and configuration straightforward, especially compared to older tools like SolarWinds. You can drag and drop widgets, create custom views, and filter data with just a few clicks.
However, the initial setup can feel overwhelming for newcomers. With so many features and integrations, it’s not always clear where to start, and some users report that onboarding documentation could be more beginner-friendly. Once you’re past the learning curve, though, day-to-day use is smooth and efficient.
Datadog also supports accessibility features and offers a REST API for advanced customization and integration with other tools. While the platform is designed to scale with your needs, we’d love to see more guided onboarding for first-time users.
Datadog network monitoring: Pricing
Plan | Starting price (paid annually) | What’s included |
|---|---|---|
Infrastructure Monitoring | $15 per host/month | Core metrics, dashboards, 850+ integrations |
APM | $31 per host/month | Distributed tracing, service maps, code profiling |
Log Management | $0.10 per GB ingested | Log ingestion, search, analytics |
Network Performance | $5 per host/month | Network traffic analysis, flow monitoring, device health |
Synthetic Monitoring | $5 per 10,000 API tests | API and browser tests, uptime checks |
Real User Monitoring | $2 per 10,000 sessions | End-user experience metrics, session replay |
Security Monitoring | $0.20 per GB analyzed | Threat detection, compliance monitoring |
Database Monitoring | $21 per host/month | Database performance, query analytics |
Continuous Profiler | $8 per host/month | Code profiling, performance optimization |
Incident Management | $15 per user/month | Incident tracking, collaboration tools |
CI Visibility | $5 per 25,000 test runs | CI/CD pipeline monitoring, job analytics |
Datadog’s pricing is modular and can add up quickly as you layer on more features or monitor more hosts. While the entry price for network monitoring is competitive, costs for log ingestion, APM, and other advanced features can become significant for large environments.
The flexibility to pick and choose modules is great, but budgeting can be tricky. Compared to competitors like LogicMonitor, Datadog is often pricier at scale, though it offers more control over what you pay for.
Datadog network monitoring: Customer support
Datadog’s customer support is generally responsive and knowledgeable, with 24/7 availability for most plans. Users can access support via email, chat, or ticketing, and there’s a robust knowledge base and active community forums. Enterprise customers get priority support, including a dedicated account manager and faster response times.
But, some users have reported mixed experiences, especially with lower-tier plans or complex billing issues. A few customers mention delays in getting detailed technical answers or feeling like their concerns weren’t fully addressed. For mission-critical environments, we recommend opting for enterprise support to ensure the fastest resolution times.
Datadog network monitoring: Alternatives
Datadog is a leader in network monitoring, but it’s not the only option. It’s best suited for mid-sized to large IT teams managing hybrid or cloud-first environments who need deep analytics and extensive integrations. If you’re a smaller business or just need basic monitoring, you might find Datadog’s cost and complexity overkill.
Top competitors include LogicMonitor for its AI-powered automation and intuitive interface, Dynatrace for AI-driven anomaly detection, and Nagios or Zabbix for IT teams who want open-source options. That said, Datadog’s main edge is its unified, cloud-native approach and real-time analytics. But if you value simplicity or lower costs, it’s worth comparing alternatives.
Datadog network monitoring: Final verdict
Datadog brings a powerful, unified approach to network monitoring, with real-time analytics, deep integrations, and customizable dashboards. It’s a top choice for IT teams that need to monitor complex, hybrid, or cloud-native environments and want to correlate network data with logs, traces, and application metrics.
However, cost and complexity can be drawbacks, especially for smaller teams or those new to monitoring platforms. If you need the most advanced features and can invest in setup and training, Datadog is a strong contender. For simpler needs or tighter budgets, other platforms may offer better value.
FAQs
What types of environments can Datadog monitor?
Datadog supports on-premises, cloud, and hybrid environments, with integrations for AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, and more. It’s designed to provide unified visibility across all your infrastructure.
Is Datadog suitable for small businesses?
While Datadog can be used by businesses of any size, its pricing and feature set are best suited for mid-sized to large organizations with complex monitoring needs. Smaller teams may find the cost and learning curve steep.
Can Datadog alert me to network issues in real time?
Yes, Datadog provides real-time alerts for network performance issues, outages, and anomalies. You can customize alert thresholds and receive notifications via email, Slack, PagerDuty, and other channels.
Does Datadog offer a free trial?
Datadog typically offers a 14-day free trial for new users, allowing you to test core features and integrations before committing to a paid plan.
How does Datadog compare to LogicMonitor?
LogicMonitor is our top pick for 2025, thanks to its AI-powered automation and revamped UI. Datadog offers more granular analytics and integrations but can be more expensive and complex to set up. Both are excellent, but LogicMonitor is better for teams wanting automation while Datadog excels in analytics and customization.
