Datadog Synthetic Monitoring
Synthetic checks correlated with APM traces, logs and infrastructure metrics.
What it is
Datadog Synthetics runs API and recorded browser tests from managed or private locations, and its distinguishing capability is that a failed check links directly to the backend trace, the logs and the host metrics from the same moment. That correlation collapses the gap between 'checkout is broken' and 'this query is timing out'.
Best for
Where it is strong
- Correlation with APM traces and logs makes root-cause analysis dramatically faster.
- Private locations let you monitor internal services behind the firewall.
- Recorded browser tests are authorable by people who do not write code.
Where it falls short
- Only worth it if you are already a Datadog customer; standalone it is expensive.
- Datadog billing complexity is a well-known source of budget surprises.
- The recorder produces tests that are harder to version and review than code.
Pricing
From $5 per 10k API test runs (browser tests are $12 per 1k)
PaidFree tier: 14-day trial.
What drives the bill: Note the different units: Datadog bills API tests per ten thousand runs and browser tests per thousand, so browser tests are roughly 24x the unit cost. A test run is one execution from one location, so multi-location checks multiply. Costs land inside a wider Datadog contract that is rarely small.
Check current pricing on Datadog’s siteFigures are indicative and were last reviewed August 2026. Vendors change pricing often; confirm before you commit.
Works with
What people who use Datadog Synthetic Monitoring say
No reviews of Datadog Synthetic Monitoring yet. If you have used it in anger, yours would be the first.
Alternatives to Datadog Synthetic Monitoring
If Datadog Synthetic Monitoring is not the right fit, these solve the same problem differently.
New Relic Synthetic Monitoring
Monitoring
Scripted browser and API monitors included in New Relic's usage-based platform.
Checkly
Monitoring
Monitoring as code: your Playwright scripts, running against production on a schedule.
Dynatrace
Monitoring
Full-stack observability with automatic dependency mapping and AI root-cause analysis.
Grafana Synthetic Monitoring
Monitoring
k6-powered checks inside Grafana Cloud, alongside your existing dashboards.