SigNoz vs Datadog

Self-host swap-in for Datadog. · Self-host Datadog · SigNoz on os-alt

SigNoz is one of the open-source self-host replacements for Datadog — license MIT, 20min docker-compose to stand up, and $20 vps (4gb ram minimum) for a small fleet; clickhouse is the heavy part. Compare against Datadog's $15-23/host/mo for Pro/Enterprise APM, plus per-GB log charges below.

	SigNozopen-source	Datadogpaid SaaS
Category	Observability (metrics + logs + traces + APM)	Observability (metrics + logs + traces + APM)
License / pricing	`MIT`	$15-23/host/mo for Pro/Enterprise APM, plus per-GB log charges
Starting price	$0 self-host	$15/user/mo
GitHub	SigNoz/signoz ★ 26.9k · last commit todayalive	closed source
Setup time	20min docker-compose	SaaS — sign up + bill
Monthly cost	$20 VPS (4GB RAM minimum) for a small fleet; ClickHouse is the heavy part.	from $15/user/mo ($15-23/host/mo for Pro/Enterprise APM, plus per-GB log charges)

Switching from Datadog to SigNoz

SigNoz speaks OpenTelemetry natively. Replace the Datadog agent on each host with the OTel collector pointed at SigNoz; ship traces and metrics in the same shapes you already use. Existing Datadog dashboards need to be rebuilt — there is no auto-import.

Full step-by-step migration guide →

Good fit for: Teams already on (or willing to move to) OpenTelemetry that want unified traces + metrics + logs in one UI.
Weak at: RUM, synthetic monitoring, and the Datadog-style alerting DSL are missing or thinner.

Other open-source self-host alternatives to Datadog

Grafana stack (Mimir + Loki + Tempo)
AGPL-3.01-2h to wire up the LGTM stack via docker-compose; multi-day to do it production-grade$20-40 VPS for a small setup; cost scales with retention (S3 / object store strongly recommended).
Uptrace
AGPL-3.030min docker-compose$10-20 VPS for a small fleet; ClickHouse + Postgres backend.

SigNoz also replaces

Honeycomb— Distributed tracing / observability
New Relic— APM / observability platform

In a terminal? npx os-alt datadog prints Datadog's self-host options — how the CLI works →

FAQ

Is SigNoz a free alternative to Datadog?

Yes — SigNoz is open source under MIT. Self-host cost: $20 VPS (4GB RAM minimum) for a small fleet; ClickHouse is the heavy part.. Datadog starts at $15/user/mo ($15-23/host/mo for Pro/Enterprise APM, plus per-GB log charges).

How long does SigNoz take to set up vs Datadog?

Self-hosting SigNoz: 20min docker-compose. Datadog is a hosted SaaS — sign up and you're in.

What is SigNoz good at, and what is it weak at?

Good fit for: Teams already on (or willing to move to) OpenTelemetry that want unified traces + metrics + logs in one UI.. Weak at: RUM, synthetic monitoring, and the Datadog-style alerting DSL are missing or thinner..