Datadog vs VictoriaMetrics: Pricing and Ratings Compared (2026)
Entry prices and free plans as read on each vendor's pricing page, and user ratings as published on review sites, for Datadog and VictoriaMetrics side by side. This page compares data; it is not a hands-on review.
On the data: On the data below the two are close or not directly comparable, so we do not name a winner for this pair.
Short on time? Here's the quick answer
Based on published vendor pricing and features and on public review data, here's who should pick what:
Datadog
Cloud monitoring, security, and AI investigations for DevOps
Best for you if:
- • You want comprehensive platform
VictoriaMetrics
Simple, reliable, and efficient monitoring for everyone, built by engineers for engineers.
Best for you if:
- • You want significantly reduces compute and storage costs compared to alternatives
| At a Glance | ||
|---|---|---|
Starts at | Free plan, paid from $18/host/mo, billed yearly Infrastructure Pro plan | Free plan |
Category | Monitoring Log Management | DevOps Monitoring |
Rating | 4.4/5 G2 4.4 726 reviews | n/a |
Free plan | Yes | Yes |
Watch out for | APM requires Infrastructure Monitoring on the SAME hosts: you cannot buy APM alone. | n/a |
Choose Datadog or VictoriaMetrics?
Choose Datadog if
- You want comprehensive platform
- You want great visualizations
- You work in monitoring, not DevOps
Choose VictoriaMetrics if
- You want significantly reduces compute and storage costs compared to alternatives
- You want exceptional data compression allows for storing more data for longer periods
- You work in DevOps, not monitoring
In-Depth Analysis
Datadog
Cloud monitoring, security, and AI investigations for DevOps
Datadog is the most comprehensive observability platform, infrastructure monitoring, APM, logs, RUM, security, and 750+ integrations in one place.
Watch out
APM requires Infrastructure Monitoring on the SAME hosts: you cannot buy APM alone.
Strengths
- Pro: Comprehensive platform
- Pro: Great visualizations
- Pro: 700+ integrations
Weaknesses
- Con: Complex pricing
- Con: Can be expensive
Key features
VictoriaMetrics
Simple, reliable, and efficient monitoring for everyone, built by engineers for engineers.
VictoriaMetrics offers a highly generous pricing model with its comprehensive free open-source tier, providing powerful monitoring, logging, and tracing capabilities at no cost.
Strengths
- Pro: Significantly reduces compute and storage costs compared to alternatives.
- Pro: Exceptional data compression allows for storing more data for longer periods.
- Pro: High performance for data ingestion and querying, even with massive datasets.
- Pro: Easy to set up and operate, with a single binary and no extra dependencies.
- Pro: Open-source core with strong community support and enterprise options for advanced needs.
Weaknesses
- Con: Specific cons are not explicitly mentioned in the provided text, but as with any complex system, there could be a learning curve for advanced features or self-hosting.
Key features
Plans and prices: Datadog vs VictoriaMetrics
| Tool | Plans and prices | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Datadog |
| datadoghq.com/pricing read Oct 26, 2026 |
| VictoriaMetrics |
| victoriametrics.com read Oct 3, 2026 |
Prices as read on each vendor's own pricing page on the date shown. Plans are listed per tool and are not matched against the other tool's plans: a plan name or price in one column says nothing about the same row in the other. Details on Datadog pricing and VictoriaMetrics pricing.
Key Takeaways
Datadog
- Choose if you want cloud monitoring, security, and AI investigations for DevOps
VictoriaMetrics
- Choose if you want simple, reliable, and efficient monitoring for everyone, built by engineers for engineers
What the data shows
On the data below the two are close or not directly comparable, so we do not name a winner for this pair.
- Only Datadog has a published user rating (4.4/5 from 726 reviews); VictoriaMetrics has none we can show.
- Datadog starts at $18/host/mo, billed yearly; VictoriaMetrics has no public paid plan price on file.
- Both have a free plan.
Criteria: user rating (only above 20 reviews on both sides, gap of 0.2 or more), entry price (only on the same billing basis), free plan. How we rate
Frequently Asked Questions
How do Datadog and VictoriaMetrics compare in 2026?
On the data below the two are close or not directly comparable, so we do not name a winner for this pair. Only Datadog has a published user rating (4.4/5 from 726 reviews); VictoriaMetrics has none we can show. Datadog starts at $18/host/mo, billed yearly; VictoriaMetrics has no public paid plan price on file. Both have a free plan.
What are Datadog and VictoriaMetrics used for?
Datadog: Cloud monitoring, security, and AI investigations for DevOps. VictoriaMetrics: Simple, reliable, and efficient monitoring for everyone, built by engineers for engineers.
What does Datadog cost vs VictoriaMetrics?
Datadog's cheapest paid plan is Infrastructure Pro at $18/host/mo, billed yearly; it also has a free plan. VictoriaMetrics has no public paid-plan price on file. Prices read on the vendors' pricing pages, latest check Oct 26, 2026.
What's the main difference between Datadog and VictoriaMetrics?
Datadog's main strength: comprehensive platform. VictoriaMetrics's main strength: significantly reduces compute and storage costs compared to alternatives.