Datadog APM Free Plan 2026: What's Included & What's Not
Honest breakdown of the free tier limits and features
Datadog APM costs Free to $41 per month as of June 2026, with 5 plans available including a free tier. Plans: Free (free), Pro at $18/month, Enterprise at $27/month, DevSecOps Pro at $27/month, and DevSecOps Enterprise at $41/month. Pricing depends on your chosen tier, contract length, and negotiated discounts.
Use the interactive pricing calculator to estimate your exact cost based on team size and requirements.
- Free tier: Yes
Datadog APM offers 5 pricing tiers: Free, Pro, Enterprise, DevSecOps Pro, DevSecOps Enterprise. A free plan is available. Paid plans include Pro at $18/Per host, per month, Enterprise at $27/Per host, per month, DevSecOps Pro at $27/Per host, per month.
Yes, Datadog APM offers a forever free plan as of June 2026. The free tier includes 0 features with limits on usage. Paid plans start at $18/Per host, per month (Pro). Pricing verified from 1 sources by CostBench.
Datadog APM's free plan is available indefinitely with no time limit.
What's Included in the Free Plan
You'll Need to Upgrade When...
- You exceed the user limit
- You need features like advanced automation
- You require premium support or SLA guarantees
- You need to remove branding or watermarks
- You need advanced integrations or API access
Hidden Restrictions on Free Plan
- Datadog APM branding may appear on your content or communications
- Support is limited to community forums or email with longer response times
- Export options may be restricted or include watermarks
- API access is typically limited or not available
- Advanced reporting and analytics require paid plans
Free vs Paid: Which Do You Need?
Free Plan is Enough If...
- You're an individual or very small team
- You need only basic features
- You don't mind usage limits
- Branding on output is acceptable
- Community support is sufficient
You Need Paid If...
- Your team is growing beyond limits
- You need advanced features
- Professional branding is required
- You need priority support
- Integrations/API access is critical
Free vs Pro Plan Comparison
| Free $0 | Pro $18/Per host, per month | |
|---|---|---|
| Features | 0 included | 0+ included |
| Support | Community/Email | Priority Support |
| Branding | Datadog APM branding | Your branding |
| Best For | Individuals | Growing teams |
Frequently Asked Questions
01 Is Datadog APM free?
Yes, Datadog APM offers a forever free plan with 0 core features included. However, there are limits on users and features that may require upgrading.
02 What's included in Datadog APM's free plan?
Datadog APM's free plan includes: . Key limits include basic usage caps.
03 What's NOT included in Datadog APM's free plan?
The free plan excludes: advanced features, premium support, and higher limits. You'll also have Datadog APM branding and limited support options.
04 When should I upgrade from Datadog APM's free plan?
Consider upgrading when: you hit user or storage limits, need features like advanced automation, require premium support, or want to remove branding. The cheapest paid plan starts at $18/Per host, per month.
05 Is Datadog APM's free plan really free forever?
Yes, Datadog APM's free plan is available indefinitely with no time limit. However, feature and usage limits may restrict what you can do without upgrading to a paid plan.