Can I open-source Datadog?
YES · mature open-source replacementYes. Netdata (73k stars), Uptime Kuma (68k stars), Grafana (65k stars) are mature open-source replacements for Datadog — self-host in one command and stop paying $15/mo.
People still pay for Datadog because monitoring must continue working during the exact outage it reports, which makes independent infrastructure and alert delivery the real product. The recurring cost buys probe geography, clocks, retries, deduplication, sampling, storage, paging, notification delivery, on-call rules, and its own uptime, not just the visible interface.
xhuge integration catalog, global ingestion, correlation, retention, security, and support
xglobal probe network
xphone and SMS delivery
xmassive retention
xadvanced incident response and support
These projects already replace it, free.
NNetdataPer-second real-time monitoring that auto-discovers everything on a node with zero configuration.open source↗GGrafanaThe de-facto open dashboarding platform — visualize metrics, logs, and traces from any source.open source↗PPrometheusPull-based metrics collection and alerting that powers monitoring at half the internet.open source↗What each one is, in full: Netdata · Grafana · Prometheus
all 8 open-source alternatives to Datadog →· no votes, no pay-to-list · just what's real
Datadog pricing
| plan | monthly | annual (per mo) | what you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| infrastructure free | $0 | $0 | Up to 5 hosts; 1-day metric retention |
| infrastructure pro | $18 | $15 | 15-month metric retention; 100 custom metrics/host; 5 containers/host |
| infrastructure enterprise | custom | — | 15-month customizable retention; 200 custom metrics/host; advanced controls |
free tierUp to 5 hosts with 1-day metric retention; other product modules and excess custom metrics are not included
billingon-demand monthly + annual commitment for paid infrastructure monitoring
hidden costsPrice is per host, not per account; containers above the host allocation, custom metrics, logs, APM, profiling, synthetics, RUM, database monitoring, network monitoring and incident tools are separate metered products that can exceed the host fee
verified 2026-08-14 · source ↗
Can I open-source Datadog?
Yes. Netdata replaces Datadog today — self-host it on your own server or machine with no subscription. The full list of open-source alternatives is on this page.
How much does Datadog cost?
Datadog costs about $15/month (Infrastructure Pro, checked 2026-07-31), which is $180 per year. That's what you save by replacing it with open source.
What do I lose by replacing Datadog?
Honestly: huge integration catalog, global ingestion, correlation, retention, security, and support; global probe network; phone and SMS delivery; massive retention; advanced incident response and support. If any of those are load-bearing for you, keep paying.
Is there an open-source alternative to Datadog?
Yes: Netdata (Per-second real-time monitoring that auto-discovers everything on a node with zero configuration.) Grafana (The de-facto open dashboarding platform — visualize metrics, logs, and traces from any source.) Prometheus (Pull-based metrics collection and alerting that powers monitoring at half the internet.) All 8 curated open-source alternatives are at caniopensourceit.online/datadog/alternatives.