Quick Overview
- 1#1: Datadog - Datadog provides comprehensive monitoring and analytics for cloud-scale applications, infrastructure, and logs.
- 2#2: Dynatrace - Dynatrace offers AI-powered, full-stack observability for cloud infrastructure and applications.
- 3#3: New Relic - New Relic delivers end-to-end observability across cloud applications, infrastructure, and user experiences.
- 4#4: Splunk - Splunk enables real-time monitoring, analysis, and visualization of machine data from cloud environments.
- 5#5: LogicMonitor - LogicMonitor automates monitoring for hybrid cloud and on-premises infrastructure.
- 6#6: AppDynamics - AppDynamics provides application performance monitoring for cloud-native and traditional environments.
- 7#7: Sumo Logic - Sumo Logic offers cloud-native log management, metrics, and security analytics for infrastructure monitoring.
- 8#8: SolarWinds Observability - SolarWinds Observability unifies monitoring for hybrid cloud infrastructure and applications.
- 9#9: Elastic Observability - Elastic Observability provides unified search and analytics for logs, metrics, and traces in cloud setups.
- 10#10: Grafana Cloud - Grafana Cloud delivers scalable dashboards and monitoring for cloud metrics, logs, and traces.
These tools were selected based on feature depth (e.g., observability capabilities, automation), product reliability, user experience, and cost-effectiveness, ensuring they deliver value across diverse organizational requirements.
Comparison Table
Cloud infrastructure monitoring software is essential for organizations to oversee performance, resolve issues, and optimize operations in evolving digital landscapes. This comparison table examines leading tools including Datadog, Dynatrace, New Relic, Splunk, LogicMonitor, and more, outlining key features, usability, scalability, and integration strengths to help readers find the ideal solution for their needs.
| # | Tool | Category | Overall | Features | Ease of Use | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Datadog Datadog provides comprehensive monitoring and analytics for cloud-scale applications, infrastructure, and logs. | enterprise | 9.6/10 | 9.8/10 | 8.7/10 | 8.2/10 |
| 2 | Dynatrace Dynatrace offers AI-powered, full-stack observability for cloud infrastructure and applications. | enterprise | 9.2/10 | 9.6/10 | 8.1/10 | 8.4/10 |
| 3 | New Relic New Relic delivers end-to-end observability across cloud applications, infrastructure, and user experiences. | enterprise | 9.1/10 | 9.6/10 | 8.2/10 | 7.8/10 |
| 4 | Splunk Splunk enables real-time monitoring, analysis, and visualization of machine data from cloud environments. | enterprise | 8.4/10 | 9.2/10 | 6.8/10 | 7.5/10 |
| 5 | LogicMonitor LogicMonitor automates monitoring for hybrid cloud and on-premises infrastructure. | enterprise | 8.7/10 | 9.2/10 | 8.4/10 | 8.1/10 |
| 6 | AppDynamics AppDynamics provides application performance monitoring for cloud-native and traditional environments. | enterprise | 8.4/10 | 9.1/10 | 7.6/10 | 7.9/10 |
| 7 | Sumo Logic Sumo Logic offers cloud-native log management, metrics, and security analytics for infrastructure monitoring. | enterprise | 8.2/10 | 9.0/10 | 7.5/10 | 7.8/10 |
| 8 | SolarWinds Observability SolarWinds Observability unifies monitoring for hybrid cloud infrastructure and applications. | enterprise | 8.2/10 | 8.6/10 | 7.7/10 | 8.0/10 |
| 9 | Elastic Observability Elastic Observability provides unified search and analytics for logs, metrics, and traces in cloud setups. | enterprise | 8.3/10 | 9.2/10 | 7.1/10 | 8.0/10 |
| 10 | Grafana Cloud Grafana Cloud delivers scalable dashboards and monitoring for cloud metrics, logs, and traces. | enterprise | 8.8/10 | 9.5/10 | 8.0/10 | 8.5/10 |
Datadog provides comprehensive monitoring and analytics for cloud-scale applications, infrastructure, and logs.
Dynatrace offers AI-powered, full-stack observability for cloud infrastructure and applications.
New Relic delivers end-to-end observability across cloud applications, infrastructure, and user experiences.
Splunk enables real-time monitoring, analysis, and visualization of machine data from cloud environments.
LogicMonitor automates monitoring for hybrid cloud and on-premises infrastructure.
AppDynamics provides application performance monitoring for cloud-native and traditional environments.
Sumo Logic offers cloud-native log management, metrics, and security analytics for infrastructure monitoring.
SolarWinds Observability unifies monitoring for hybrid cloud infrastructure and applications.
Elastic Observability provides unified search and analytics for logs, metrics, and traces in cloud setups.
Grafana Cloud delivers scalable dashboards and monitoring for cloud metrics, logs, and traces.
Datadog
enterpriseDatadog provides comprehensive monitoring and analytics for cloud-scale applications, infrastructure, and logs.
Unified Service Map that automatically correlates metrics, traces, logs, and events for instant root cause analysis
Datadog is a comprehensive cloud monitoring and observability platform that provides real-time insights into infrastructure, applications, logs, and security across multi-cloud and hybrid environments. It collects metrics, traces, and logs from thousands of integrations, including AWS, Azure, GCP, Kubernetes, and SaaS apps, enabling unified dashboards, AI-driven alerts, and automated remediation. With advanced analytics and machine learning, it helps DevOps and engineering teams detect anomalies, optimize performance, and ensure reliability at scale.
Pros
- Over 850 native integrations for broad coverage
- Real-time, correlated observability across metrics, traces, and logs
- AI-powered Watchdog for proactive anomaly detection and root cause analysis
Cons
- High costs that scale with usage and volume
- Steep learning curve for advanced customizations
- Risk of alert fatigue without proper tuning
Best For
Large enterprises and DevOps teams managing complex, multi-cloud infrastructures needing full-stack observability.
Pricing
Free tier for basic use; Pro at $15/host/month (infrastructure), $31/host/month (APM); usage-based for logs ($0.10/GB) and custom Enterprise plans.
Dynatrace
enterpriseDynatrace offers AI-powered, full-stack observability for cloud infrastructure and applications.
Davis Causal AI for precise, context-aware root cause determination without manual correlation
Dynatrace is an AI-powered observability platform specializing in full-stack monitoring for cloud infrastructure, applications, microservices, and end-user experiences. It offers automatic discovery and topology mapping across multi-cloud and hybrid environments, providing deep visibility into performance metrics, logs, traces, and events. With its Davis AI engine, Dynatrace delivers causal root cause analysis, anomaly detection, and predictive insights to minimize downtime and optimize resources.
Pros
- AI-driven Davis engine for automated root cause analysis and anomaly detection
- Comprehensive full-stack observability with auto-instrumentation across clouds and Kubernetes
- Seamless scalability and support for complex, dynamic environments
Cons
- High pricing can be prohibitive for smaller organizations
- Steep learning curve for advanced customizations and dashboards
- Occasional over-alerting in highly dynamic environments
Best For
Large enterprises and DevOps teams managing complex, multi-cloud infrastructures requiring proactive, AI-powered monitoring.
Pricing
Usage-based pricing starting at ~$0.10/GB ingested data or $21/host/month for full-stack; custom enterprise quotes typical.
New Relic
enterpriseNew Relic delivers end-to-end observability across cloud applications, infrastructure, and user experiences.
Applied Intelligence AI platform for automated root cause analysis and proactive alerting across full-stack telemetry data
New Relic is a leading observability platform specializing in full-stack monitoring for cloud infrastructure, applications, and user experiences. It collects and analyzes telemetry data including metrics, logs, traces, and events from hosts, containers, Kubernetes, serverless functions, and major cloud providers like AWS, Azure, and GCP. The platform enables proactive issue detection, root cause analysis, and performance optimization through customizable dashboards, AI-driven insights, and correlated views across the entire stack.
Pros
- Comprehensive multi-cloud and hybrid infrastructure support with deep integrations
- Powerful AI/ML capabilities via Applied Intelligence for anomaly detection and incident management
- Highly customizable dashboards, alerting, and querying with unlimited data retention
Cons
- Pricing can escalate quickly with high data volumes
- Steep learning curve for advanced configurations and custom queries
- Occasional UI lag and query performance issues at massive scale
Best For
Enterprises with complex, multi-cloud environments needing unified observability across infrastructure and applications.
Pricing
Freemium with 100GB/month free ingest; usage-based beyond that at ~$0.30/GB, plus user-based tiers (Standard $99/user/mo, Full $349/user/mo, Pro custom).
Splunk
enterpriseSplunk enables real-time monitoring, analysis, and visualization of machine data from cloud environments.
SignalFlow streaming analytics for real-time, functional computations on high-cardinality metrics
Splunk is a powerful data platform that collects, indexes, and analyzes machine-generated data from cloud infrastructures, providing deep visibility into logs, metrics, and traces across AWS, Azure, GCP, and hybrid environments. It excels in real-time monitoring, alerting, and root cause analysis for infrastructure performance, security, and operations. Through Splunk Observability Cloud, it offers unified dashboards, AI-driven insights, and scalable observability for complex distributed systems.
Pros
- Extensive integrations with major cloud providers and tools
- Advanced analytics with machine learning for anomaly detection
- Highly scalable for petabyte-scale data volumes
Cons
- Steep learning curve due to proprietary SPL query language
- High costs based on data ingestion volume
- Resource-intensive setup and management
Best For
Large enterprises with complex, multi-cloud infrastructures requiring advanced observability and analytics.
Pricing
Ingestion-based pricing for Splunk Cloud/Observability; typically $1.50-$2.50 per GB/month ingested, with enterprise minimums starting at $10,000+/month.
LogicMonitor
enterpriseLogicMonitor automates monitoring for hybrid cloud and on-premises infrastructure.
LM Envision AIOps platform for dynamic baselining and predictive analytics
LogicMonitor is a SaaS-based unified observability platform designed for monitoring hybrid IT environments, including cloud infrastructure from AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud, as well as on-premises systems. It offers automated discovery, full-stack visibility, and AI-driven insights to detect anomalies, predict issues, and enable root cause analysis. The platform supports customizable dashboards, alerting, and integrations for comprehensive infrastructure performance management.
Pros
- Comprehensive multi-cloud and hybrid monitoring with automated discovery
- AI-powered AIOps for anomaly detection and root cause analysis
- Highly customizable dashboards and alerting rules
Cons
- Pricing can be expensive for smaller teams or low-device counts
- Steep learning curve for advanced configuration and custom modules
- Limited out-of-the-box support for some niche applications
Best For
Mid-sized to large enterprises managing complex hybrid cloud infrastructures that require proactive, AI-enhanced monitoring.
Pricing
Quote-based subscription pricing, typically starting at $15-25 per device/month with volume discounts and minimum commitments; no public tiers.
AppDynamics
enterpriseAppDynamics provides application performance monitoring for cloud-native and traditional environments.
Cognito AI engine for automated, full-stack root cause analysis linking infra issues to business outcomes
AppDynamics, now part of Cisco, is an enterprise-grade observability platform specializing in application performance monitoring (APM) with robust cloud infrastructure capabilities. It provides full-stack visibility into servers, containers, Kubernetes clusters, networks, and cloud services across AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, and hybrid environments. AI-driven analytics like Cognito detect anomalies, trace issues, and correlate business impacts in real-time.
Pros
- Comprehensive full-stack monitoring including infra, apps, and user experience
- AI-powered Cognito for proactive anomaly detection and root cause analysis
- Strong auto-discovery and mapping for multi-cloud and Kubernetes environments
Cons
- Expensive pricing model unsuitable for SMBs
- Complex agent deployment and configuration
- Steeper learning curve compared to lighter-weight tools
Best For
Large enterprises managing complex, hybrid/multi-cloud infrastructures with heavy APM needs.
Pricing
Custom enterprise licensing based on hosts/apps monitored; typically starts at $3,000+/month for mid-scale deployments.
Sumo Logic
enterpriseSumo Logic offers cloud-native log management, metrics, and security analytics for infrastructure monitoring.
Cloud SIEM with integrated security analytics and ML-driven threat detection
Sumo Logic is a cloud-native SaaS platform specializing in log management, metrics monitoring, and full-stack observability for cloud infrastructure and applications. It collects and analyzes machine data from sources like AWS, Azure, Kubernetes, and on-premises systems, providing real-time insights, alerting, and security analytics powered by machine learning. The platform enables teams to detect anomalies, troubleshoot issues, and ensure compliance across hybrid environments.
Pros
- Powerful log search and analytics with SQL-like querying
- Machine learning for automated anomaly detection and root cause analysis
- Seamless multi-cloud and container support including Kubernetes
Cons
- Steep learning curve for advanced queries and setup
- High costs for high-volume data ingestion
- Pricing model can be complex and unpredictable
Best For
Enterprises with large-scale, multi-cloud infrastructures needing deep log analytics and security monitoring.
Pricing
Free tier available; paid plans are usage-based starting at ~$2.85/GB ingested/month for Essentials, up to enterprise tiers with custom pricing for advanced features.
SolarWinds Observability
enterpriseSolarWinds Observability unifies monitoring for hybrid cloud infrastructure and applications.
Entity Intelligence model that automatically maps and correlates relationships across your entire observability data
SolarWinds Observability is a unified full-stack observability platform designed for monitoring cloud, hybrid, and on-premises infrastructure, applications, and user experiences. It aggregates metrics, traces, logs, and events into an entity-based model for correlated insights and root cause analysis. With strong AIOps capabilities, it helps IT teams detect anomalies, predict issues, and optimize performance across multi-cloud environments like AWS, Azure, and Kubernetes.
Pros
- Comprehensive hybrid and multi-cloud support with entity correlation
- Powerful AIOps for automated anomaly detection and root cause analysis
- Extensive integrations with 300+ tools and flexible dashboards
Cons
- Steep learning curve for advanced configurations
- Pricing can escalate with high data volumes
- UI feels dated in some areas compared to newer competitors
Best For
Enterprises with complex hybrid IT environments needing deep visibility and AI-driven insights.
Pricing
Quote-based pricing starting at ~$10/host/month or consumption-based on data ingest; free trial available.
Elastic Observability
enterpriseElastic Observability provides unified search and analytics for logs, metrics, and traces in cloud setups.
Seamless correlation of logs, metrics, and traces in a single searchable platform powered by Elasticsearch
Elastic Observability, built on the Elastic Stack, provides a unified platform for collecting, analyzing, and visualizing logs, metrics, traces, and application performance data from cloud infrastructure and services. It excels in correlating data across hybrid and multi-cloud environments like AWS, Azure, GCP, and Kubernetes for root cause analysis and alerting. With powerful search capabilities via Elasticsearch and Kibana dashboards, it enables deep observability insights at scale.
Pros
- Unified full-stack observability (logs, metrics, APM, synthetics)
- Highly scalable with Elasticsearch backend and extensive cloud integrations
- Advanced AI/ML for anomaly detection and alerting
Cons
- Steep learning curve for Kibana queries and configuration
- Complex usage-based pricing can escalate with data volume
- Resource-intensive for self-hosted deployments
Best For
Large enterprises with high-scale data needs and existing Elastic Stack investments seeking comprehensive observability.
Pricing
Free tier available; paid self-managed plans (Standard to Enterprise) start at ~$0.16/GB ingested, Elastic Cloud managed service is pay-as-you-go based on resources and data volume.
Grafana Cloud
enterpriseGrafana Cloud delivers scalable dashboards and monitoring for cloud metrics, logs, and traces.
Unrivaled interactive dashboarding with plugin ecosystem for infinite customization
Grafana Cloud is a fully managed observability platform designed for monitoring cloud infrastructure through metrics, logs, traces, and synthetic monitoring. It excels in creating highly customizable dashboards and visualizations using open standards like Prometheus for metrics, Loki for logs, and Tempo for traces. The service integrates seamlessly with major cloud providers such as AWS, Azure, GCP, and Kubernetes environments, enabling comprehensive infrastructure observability and alerting.
Pros
- Exceptional dashboard customization and visualization capabilities
- Full observability stack with managed Prometheus, Loki, and Tempo
- Broad integrations with cloud providers and open-source ecosystems
Cons
- Steep learning curve for PromQL/LogQL querying and setup
- Costs can rise quickly with high data ingestion volumes
- Less emphasis on out-of-box AI-driven anomaly detection
Best For
DevOps and SRE teams managing complex, cloud-native infrastructures who prioritize flexible, open-standard observability.
Pricing
Free tier with 10K metrics series, 50GB logs/month; Pro starts at $49/month for 100K series/500GB logs; usage-based billing for advanced plans.
Conclusion
The top cloud infrastructure monitoring tools reviewed excel in their specialized strengths, with Datadog leading as the clear choice for its comprehensive monitoring and analytics across cloud-scale applications, infrastructure, and logs. Dynatrace and New Relic follow as strong alternatives, offering AI-powered insights and end-to-end observability respectively, catering to different needs in the market. Together, they represent the pinnacle of reliable and advanced monitoring solutions for modern environments.
Take the next step in optimizing your infrastructure—explore Datadog first to experience its robust, cloud-native capabilities and set a new standard for performance visibility.
Tools Reviewed
All tools were independently evaluated for this comparison
