Datadog vs Splunk Observability Cloud: Pricing Comparison (2026)
Datadog starts at $18/mo. Splunk Observability Cloud starts at Free. Splunk Observability Cloud is $18/mo cheaper on the entry tier than Datadog.
See price history: Datadog · Splunk Observability Cloud
The dominant cloud observability platform (metrics, logs, traces, APM), publicly traded (DDOG), ~$45B market cap. Positioned as the alternative to New Relic + Splunk + PagerDuty stitched together. Distinctive for its notorious usage-based pricing that has surprised engineering teams with 6-figure monthly bills (Coinbase's leaked contract was ~$65M/year in 2022). Priced by seat + host + volume across 20+ meters. Popular with engineering teams; feared by finance teams.
Splunk Observability Cloud is Cisco-owned enterprise observability with three quote-based pricing models: Entity (per-host, predictable), Ingest (per data volume, unlimited searches), and Workload (aligned to search patterns). Includes Infrastructure Monitoring, APM, Digital Experience Analytics, Log Observer, and IT Service Intelligence in one platform. No public list prices — all deals go through sales. 14-day free trial available. Acquired by Cisco in 2024.
All plans compared
| # | Plan | Datadog monthly | Datadog annual | Splunk Observability Cloud monthly | Splunk Observability Cloud annual |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Free / Entity Pricing | 0 | 0 | custom | custom |
| 2 | Infrastructure Pro / Ingest Pricing | 18 | 15 | custom | custom |
| 3 | Infrastructure Enterprise / Workload Pricing | 27 | 23 | custom | custom |
What each is best for
The dominant cloud observability platform (metrics, logs, traces, APM), publicly traded (DDOG), ~$45B market cap. Positioned as the alternative to New Relic + Splunk + PagerDuty stitched together. Distinctive for its notorious usage-based pricing that has surprised engineering teams with 6-figure monthly bills (Coinbase's leaked contract was ~$65M/year in 2022). Priced by seat + host + volume across 20+ meters. Popular with engineering teams; feared by finance teams.
Splunk Observability Cloud is Cisco-owned enterprise observability with three quote-based pricing models: Entity (per-host, predictable), Ingest (per data volume, unlimited searches), and Workload (aligned to search patterns). Includes Infrastructure Monitoring, APM, Digital Experience Analytics, Log Observer, and IT Service Intelligence in one platform. No public list prices — all deals go through sales. 14-day free trial available. Acquired by Cisco in 2024.
At a glance
| Datadog | Splunk Observability Cloud | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | — |
| Entry price | $18/mo | Free |
| Enterprise available | Yes | Yes |
| Pricing model | Per Usage | Per Usage |
| Last verified | August 26, 2026 | August 27, 2026 |
| Full pricing | View full pricing | View full pricing |
Pricing last verified August 27, 2026. Tracked daily.