Datadog Alternative for Uptime Monitoring: Simple & Affordable

Who This Is For

This guide is for engineering teams who:

• Use Datadog and find Synthetics too expensive for simple uptime checks
• Need uptime monitoring but don't need full observability
• Want status pages without adding another Datadog product
• Are evaluating whether Datadog is overkill for their monitoring needs

If you're paying Datadog prices just to know if your website is up, this comparison will help you evaluate alternatives.

Quick Comparison: Wakestack vs Datadog Synthetics

When Wakestack Is Better

1. You Just Need Uptime Monitoring

Datadog is a comprehensive observability platform. If you only need:

• Is my website up?
• Is my API responding?
• Is my SSL certificate valid?

You're paying for a jet when you need a bicycle. Wakestack focuses on uptime monitoring without the complexity.

2. You Want Predictable Pricing

Datadog's synthetic monitoring pricing is complex:

• API tests: $7.20 per 10K test runs
• Browser tests: $12 per 1K test runs
• Private locations: Additional cost

Running 50 monitors every minute = 2.16 million test runs/month = significant cost.

Wakestack Pro: $29/month for 50 monitors, unlimited test runs, 30-second intervals. No math required.

3. You Need Status Pages

Datadog doesn't offer status pages. You'd need to add another tool like Atlassian Statuspage or Better Stack.

Wakestack includes customizable status pages in every plan. One less subscription to manage.

4. You Want Simplicity

Datadog's learning curve is steep. Setting up synthetic monitoring requires:

• Understanding Datadog's concepts
• Configuring monitors
• Setting up alert policies
• Managing integrations

Wakestack: Add URL, set interval, configure alerts. Done in 2 minutes.

5. You Don't Use Datadog's Other Features

If you're not using Datadog APM, logs, or infrastructure monitoring, you're paying for an ecosystem you don't benefit from.

Many teams start with Datadog for one feature and end up locked into a expensive platform they don't fully utilize.

When Datadog Is Better

1. You Need Full Observability

Datadog's strength is correlation across:

• Application performance (APM)
• Logs
• Infrastructure metrics
• Synthetic tests
• Real User Monitoring

If you need to trace a user request from browser to database, Datadog's integrated platform is powerful.

2. You Already Use Datadog

If your team is invested in the Datadog ecosystem with:

• APM instrumented
• Logs flowing
• Dashboards built
• Alerts configured

Adding Synthetics keeps everything in one place. Context switching between tools has its own cost.

3. You Need Advanced Synthetic Testing

Datadog's browser tests can:

• Script complex user journeys
• Test login flows
• Validate checkout processes
• Run in multiple browsers

Wakestack monitors endpoints, not user flows.

4. You Have Enterprise Compliance Requirements

Datadog offers:

• SOC 2 Type II
• HIPAA compliance
• FedRAMP authorization
• Extensive audit logs

Wakestack is building toward enterprise compliance but isn't there yet.

Limitations of Wakestack (Honest Assessment)

• No APM integration: We don't correlate uptime with application traces.
• No log integration: We don't analyze or store logs.
• No browser testing: We can't script complex user journeys.
• Simpler infrastructure monitoring: Our server agent covers basics, not Datadog-level depth.
• Still building enterprise features: Limited SAML, audit logs, compliance certs.

Feature Comparison

Uptime Monitoring

Status Pages

Server/Infrastructure

Platform

Pricing Comparison

For basic uptime monitoring (20 endpoints, 1-min checks):

Datadog:

• 20 endpoints × 60 checks/hour × 24 hours × 30 days = 864,000 API tests
• At $7.20/10K tests = ~$62/month
• No status page included

Wakestack:

• Pro plan: $29/month
• 30-second intervals (2x the checks)
• Status page included

For larger scale (50 endpoints + status page + server monitoring):

Datadog approach:

• Synthetics: ~$150+/month
• Status page tool: ~$30/month
• Total: $180+/month

Wakestack:

• Pro plan: $29/month (all included)

Use Case: Hybrid Approach

Many teams use both tools strategically:

This approach:

• Reduces Datadog costs by removing Synthetics
• Gets status pages included
• Keeps APM correlation where it matters
• Provides clear, simple uptime dashboards

Migration Guide

If replacing Datadog Synthetics:

1. Audit your current monitors

   • Export Synthetic monitor configurations
   • Note which tests are simple vs complex browser tests

2. Sign up for Wakestack at wakestack.co.uk/signup

3. Recreate simple monitors

   • HTTP/HTTPS checks
   • API endpoint monitors
   • TCP port checks

4. Set up your status page

   • Map to customer-facing components
   • Configure subscriber notifications

5. For complex browser tests

   • Keep these in Datadog, or
   • Migrate to a dedicated tool like Checkly

6. Configure alerting

   • Slack, email, PagerDuty integrations
   • Set appropriate thresholds

Decision Framework

Choose Wakestack if:

• ✅ You only need uptime monitoring
• ✅ You want predictable pricing
• ✅ You need status pages
• ✅ You value simplicity
• ✅ You don't use Datadog's APM/logs

Choose Datadog if:

• ✅ You need full observability
• ✅ You're already invested in Datadog
• ✅ You need complex browser testing
• ✅ You require APM correlation
• ✅ You have enterprise compliance needs

Use both if:

• ✅ You use Datadog APM but want cheaper uptime monitoring
• ✅ You need status pages (not available in Datadog)
• ✅ You want clear separation of concerns

Try Wakestack Free

See if Wakestack can simplify your uptime monitoring.

• 5 monitors included free
• Status page included
• Predictable pricing
• No credit card required

Start Your Free Trial →

Questions? Check our pricing page or documentation.

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