Comparison · Updated May 2026

The honest Datadog alternativefor teams that don't want to budget around per-host pricing.

Q: Why is SecureNow cheaper than Datadog?

Datadog charges per host and per feature, then adds separate products for logs, APM, security, and AI assistance. SecureNow is packaged around two operating modes: Firewall Only for blocking and rate limits, or Full SOC for the dedicated telemetry instance plus AI investigations and response workflows.

Q: Does SecureNow replace Datadog APM?

Yes for most teams. SecureNow uses OpenTelemetry (the same standard Datadog now supports), so your traces, spans, latency histograms, and error rates work exactly the same. The difference is we add a real-time firewall and AI forensics layer that Datadog only sells as separate ASM/Bits AI add-ons.

Q: Is migrating from Datadog hard?

If you already use OpenTelemetry, you can point telemetry at SecureNow. If you use the Datadog agent, run `npm install securenow@latest`, `npx securenow login`, and add `-r securenow/register` to your start command. Supported app paths include Express, Fastify, NestJS, Koa, Hapi, Next.js, Nuxt 3, and Vite.

Q: Will my Datadog dashboards transfer?

Dashboards don't transfer (different query languages), but most popular charts have one-click equivalents in SecureNow. We include a Datadog-style starter dashboard so the muscle memory carries over.

Q: Is there a free trial?

Yes - every new account starts with a 3-day full-product free trial and no payment requirement. During the trial, firewall, telemetry, alerting, forensics chat, AI investigations, human review, and automation are enabled. When the trial ends, those workflows pause until you choose Firewall Only or Full SOC.

Q: What about logs and metrics retention?

Full SOC lets you choose the dedicated instance size and retention settings for traces, logs, and metrics, then adds the AI investigation meter. Firewall Only does not include logging, tracing, monitoring, dashboards, or AI investigations.

SecureNow gives you everything most engineering teams actually use Datadog for - distributed traces, logs, errors - plus a real-time IP firewall and AI-powered forensics during trial and on Full SOC. Start with the full product for 3 days, then choose Firewall Only or Full SOC.

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Trusted by indie devs, SOC teams, and startups migrating off Datadog because the bill grew faster than the company.

3–10×

Cheaper for typical mid-sized SaaS workloads (per-TB beats per-host once you hit scale).

≤ 5 min

Time to first trace + first blocked malicious IP. npm install securenow@latest, npx securenow login, and one preload flag.

0 lock-in

Pure OpenTelemetry — point your collector somewhere else any time. No proprietary DSL or agent.

SecureNow vs Datadog — feature matrix

Feature	Datadog	SecureNow	Notes
APM (traces, latency, errors)			OpenTelemetry under the hood — no proprietary agent.
Logs			Auto-captured via the same `-r securenow/register` preload.
Real-time IP firewall (built-in)			Datadog markets ASM but enforcement still depends on your WAF.
AI-powered incident forensics	Add-on (Bits AI)	Trial + Full SOC	AI investigations and response workflows are enabled during trial and on Full SOC.
No-payment trial	14-day trial	3-day full-product trial	SecureNow starts without a credit card; firewall, ingestion, AI workflows, and automation pause only when the trial ends.
Pricing model	Per-host + per-feature	Firewall Only or Full SOC	Firewall-only starts at $99/mo; Full SOC uses dedicated instance sizing plus AI investigation usage.
Dedicated telemetry instance	Shared SaaS		Full SOC runs on a selected instance size with retention controls.
Setup time	Hours (agent install, integrations)	<= 5 min	`npm install securenow@latest`, `npx securenow login`, then one preload.
Lock-in	Custom DDog agent + DSL	Pure OpenTelemetry — portable

Pricing - the actually-honest version

Datadog

• APM: $0.07–$0.31 per host / hour
• Logs: $0.10/GB ingest + $1.70/M indexed events
• ASM: $17/host/month (extra)
• Bits AI assistant: extra
• Custom metrics, RUM, synthetics — all separate line items

A 30-host deployment with logs + ASM + APM pencils out to ~$2.5–4k/month before you touch a dashboard.

SecureNow

• 3-day full-product free trial with no payment required.
• Firewall Only: $99/month for blocking, IP intelligence refresh, and rate limits.
• Full SOC: dedicated logs, traces, metrics, dashboards, alerting, retention controls, AI investigations, human review, and response workflows.
• Choose instance size and retention before paying for observability plans.

The packaging follows the job: block only, observe everything, or add AI response work.

Migrating from Datadog in an afternoon

1. Install. npm install securenow@latest
2. Preload. Add -r securenow/register to your start command, or npx securenow init for Next.js / Nuxt.
3. Sign in. npx securenow login - pick or create the app you're migrating.
4. Verify. npx securenow doctor checks collector reachability, span emission, and firewall sync.
5. Cancel Datadog.Or run them side-by-side for a week to compare. We're fine either way.

FAQ

Why is SecureNow cheaper than Datadog?

Datadog charges per host and per feature, then adds separate products for logs, APM, security, and AI assistance. SecureNow is packaged around two operating modes: Firewall Only for blocking and rate limits, or Full SOC for the dedicated telemetry instance plus AI investigations and response workflows.

Does SecureNow replace Datadog APM?

Yes for most teams. SecureNow uses OpenTelemetry (the same standard Datadog now supports), so your traces, spans, latency histograms, and error rates work exactly the same. The difference is we add a real-time firewall and AI forensics layer that Datadog only sells as separate ASM/Bits AI add-ons.

Is migrating from Datadog hard?

If you already use OpenTelemetry, you can point telemetry at SecureNow. If you use the Datadog agent, run `npm install securenow@latest`, `npx securenow login`, and add `-r securenow/register` to your start command. Supported app paths include Express, Fastify, NestJS, Koa, Hapi, Next.js, Nuxt 3, and Vite.

Will my Datadog dashboards transfer?

Dashboards don't transfer (different query languages), but most popular charts have one-click equivalents in SecureNow. We include a Datadog-style starter dashboard so the muscle memory carries over.

Is there a free trial?

Yes - every new account starts with a 3-day full-product free trial and no payment requirement. During the trial, firewall, telemetry, alerting, forensics chat, AI investigations, human review, and automation are enabled. When the trial ends, those workflows pause until you choose Firewall Only or Full SOC.

What about logs and metrics retention?

Full SOC lets you choose the dedicated instance size and retention settings for traces, logs, and metrics, then adds the AI investigation meter. Firewall Only does not include logging, tracing, monitoring, dashboards, or AI investigations.

Related comparisons & guides

Stop budgeting around your APM bill.

Start with the full SecureNow experience for 3 days, then choose the plan that matches the job: Firewall Only or Full SOC.

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