Splunk suits organisations that want one data platform for security and observability, including a self-hosted option, Splunk Enterprise, and plans based on activity, workload or data ingested with unlimited users. Datadog suits teams that want cloud monitoring as a service, with infrastructure, application, log and security monitoring in one SaaS product. Splunk is now a Cisco company, and Datadog is named a Leader in Gartner's Magic Quadrant for Observability Platforms.
Splunk and Datadog keep meeting on shortlists because both now cover logs, metrics, traces and security. I read Splunk's home, about, plans and trials pages and Datadog's home, product and plans pages to see where each one starts from.
Splunk and Datadog compared
| Splunk | Datadog | |
|---|---|---|
| Company | Splunk, now a Cisco company | Datadog |
| Roots | Machine data since 2003 | Cloud monitoring as a service |
| Deployment | Splunk Cloud Platform or self-managed Splunk Enterprise | SaaS |
| How plans are measured | Activity-based, workload or ingest, unlimited users | Separate plans for each product |
| Security tools | SIEM, SOAR and UEBA | Cloud SIEM and cloud security products |
| Built-in AI | A data platform driven by AI | Bits AI agents and an MCP Server |
| Try it | Free trials with no credit card | Free trial |
Self-hosting is the line that divides them
The clearest practical difference sits on Splunk's trials page. It offers Splunk Cloud Platform as a Splunk-managed service and Splunk Enterprise to run on your own hardware or cloud instance, so data that must stay inside your own environment can. Datadog describes itself as cloud monitoring as a service, so you're sending telemetry to its platform. Splunk also says it lets you choose activity-based, workload or ingest plans with unlimited users, and Cloud Flex lets you move spend across Splunk products without restarting procurement.
Where Splunk is strongest
Splunk has worked with machine data since 2003, and its about page says the name comes from spelunkers exploring a cave. Today it describes itself as supercharged by Cisco, bringing security and observability together on an AI-driven platform. The security side is deep: SIEM, SOAR and UEBA products sit alongside observability. The trials page is generous too, with a free Splunk Observability Cloud edition, Splunk SOAR free for up to 100 actions a day and Splunk On-Call free for 14 days with up to 10 user seats.
Where Datadog is strongest
Datadog's product menu shows how wide a single SaaS platform has become: infrastructure and container monitoring, APM, database monitoring, logs, real user monitoring, session replay, synthetic tests, incident management and workflow automation, with Cloud SIEM and cloud security on top. Its log pipelines advertise 1,000+ vendor-backed integrations, it supports OpenTelemetry, and its Bits AI agents and MCP Server bring AI into investigations. Datadog says it's named a Leader in the Gartner Magic Quadrant for Observability Platforms.
Splunk's family is bigger than its name suggests. It offers AppDynamics, for watching hybrid and on-premises applications, as a 30-day free SaaS trial, and Splunk On-Call for routing incidents. If you run Cisco networking gear, Splunk says you can bring eligible Cisco telemetry into Splunk Cloud Platform at a 0.5x weighted ingest rate. Datadog keeps incident management and workflow automation inside the same platform as its monitoring, so on-call staff don't have to jump between products, which suits a small team.
Questions to answer before a trial
- Must any of your logs stay on your own servers?
- Is security monitoring the main goal, or app performance?
- How much data do you ingest each day, and is it growing?
- How many people need access to dashboards and alerts?
- Which cloud and container platforms do you run on?
Security monitoring only works with good habits behind it, so read my guide to staying safe from cybersecurity threats and these tips to build a strong cybersecurity culture.
My advice on Splunk or Datadog
If security is your main driver, or you need the option to keep data on your own infrastructure, start your shortlist with Splunk and use the free trials to test real log volumes. If you're a cloud-first team that wants monitoring live within days across servers, apps and front end, Datadog's SaaS approach is quicker to roll out. In both cases, estimate your daily data volume before the trial, because that's what drives the size of the bill later.
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Frequently asked questions
Is Splunk owned by Cisco?
Yes. Splunk's home page says Splunk is now a Cisco company, and its about page describes it as supercharged by Cisco.
Can I host Splunk myself?
Yes. Splunk Enterprise runs on your own hardware or cloud instance, while Splunk Cloud Platform is the Splunk-managed service.
Is Datadog SaaS only?
Datadog describes itself as cloud monitoring as a service, and its plans page lists SaaS products.
Does Splunk have a free option?
Splunk offers free trials with no credit card, a free Splunk Observability Cloud edition and Splunk SOAR free for up to 100 actions a day.
Does Datadog support OpenTelemetry?
Yes. Datadog lists OpenTelemetry among its platform capabilities and extensibility options.
