Elastic APM vs New Relic: Which is Better in 2026?
Choosing between Elastic APM and New Relic comes down to understanding what each tool does best. This comparison breaks down the key differences so you can make an informed decision based on your specific needs, not marketing claims.
Bottom line: New Relic is our overall pick for DevOps workflows. Pick Elastic APM if you need monitoring.
Short on time? Here's the quick answer
We've tested both tools. Here's who should pick what:
Elastic APM
Application performance monitoring for Elastic Stack
Best for you if:
- • You need monitoring features specifically
- • Elastic APM is application performance monitoring integrated with the Elastic Stack
- • It traces requests, identifies bottlenecks, and correlates errors with logs and metrics
New Relic
Full-stack observability with 50+ monitoring capabilities
Best for you if:
- • You need DevOps features specifically
- • Full-stack observability platform with APM, infrastructure monitoring, and logs
- • Generous free tier: 100GB/month data ingest + 1 full-access user
| At a Glance |  Elastic APM |  New Relic |
|---|---|---|
Starts at | $95/monthCloud Standard | $10/moStandard |
Best For | Monitoring | DevOps |
Rating | - | - |
Choose Elastic APM or New Relic?
Choose Elastic APM if
Application performance monitoring for Elastic Stack
- Part of Elastic Stack
- Good tracing
- Many agents
- Your work is monitoring-shaped, not DevOps-shaped
Choose New Relic if
Full-stack observability with 50+ monitoring capabilities
- Generous free tier
- Full-stack observability
- AI insights
- Budget matters ($10/mo vs $95/month)
- Your work is DevOps-shaped, not monitoring-shaped
| Feature | Elastic APM | New Relic |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing Model | Freemium | Freemium |
| User Rating | ★4.2/5 39 reviews | ★4.4/5 780 reviews |
| Categories | MonitoringLog Management | DevOpsAnalytics |
In-Depth Analysis
Elastic APM
Application performance monitoring for Elastic Stack
Strengths
- +Part of Elastic Stack
- +Good tracing
- +Many agents
- +Correlate with logs
- +Self-hostable
Weaknesses
- -Resource intensive
- -License concerns (SSPL)
- -Complex setup
- -Learning curve
- -Can be expensive
Key features
New Relic
Full-stack observability with 50+ monitoring capabilities
Strengths
- +Generous free tier
- +Full-stack observability
- +AI insights
Weaknesses
- -Complex to set up
- -Data can be expensive
Key features
Pricing: Elastic APM vs New Relic
| Plan | Elastic APM | New Relic |
|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 | Free Free | Free Free |
| Tier 2 | $95 month Cloud Standard | $10 Standard |
| Tier 3 | N/A | $349 Pro |
| Tier 4 | N/A | Enterprise |
Pricing verified from each vendor's public pricing page. Compare in detail on Elastic APM pricing and New Relic pricing.
Who Should Use What?
On a budget?
Both are freemium. Compare plans on their websites.
Go with: Elastic APM
Want the highest-rated option?
Neither has user reviews yet.
Go with: Elastic APM
Value user reviews?
Neither has user reviews yet.
Go with: New Relic
3 Questions to Help You Decide
What's your budget?
Both are freemium. Pricing won't help you decide here.
What's your use case?
Elastic APM is a monitoring tool. New Relic is in DevOps. Pick the category that matches your needs.
How important are ratings?
Neither has user reviews yet.
Key Takeaways
New Relic
- Higher user rating: 4.4/5 vs 4.2/5
- Larger review base (780 reviews)
- Free tier available
- Our pick for this comparison
Elastic APM
- Better fit for monitoring
The Bottom Line
New Relic is our pick.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Elastic APM or New Relic better?
New Relic is rated in our evaluation. Both are freemium.
What are Elastic APM and New Relic used for?
Elastic APM: Application performance monitoring for Elastic Stack. New Relic: Full-stack observability with 50+ monitoring capabilities.
What does Elastic APM cost vs New Relic?
Elastic APM is freemium (free tier + paid plans). New Relic is freemium (free tier + paid plans). Visit their websites for detailed pricing.