Start with Datadog APM (deep tracing, correlated with infrastructure)
Datadog APM at $31/host/month provides deep code-level tracing with automatic service maps and flame graphs. Strongest when you're already using Datadog for infrastructure — APM traces correlate directly with host metrics and logs.
- Recommendation: Datadog, New Relic
Recommended starting points
Based on your constraints, these products typically fit best. Read each decision brief to confirm pricing behavior and limits match your reality.
Datadog
Unified monitoring platform combining infrastructure metrics ($15/host/mo), APM ($31/host/mo), and log management ($0.10/GB/day) with 750+ integrations. Breadth is the selling point; cost compounds as
New Relic
Full-stack observability with consumption-based pricing ($0.30/GB after 100GB free/month). Covers APM, infrastructure, logs, and browser monitoring. The most generous free tier in the category.
Why this recommendation
Datadog APM at $31/host/month provides deep code-level tracing with automatic service maps and flame graphs. Strongest when you're already using Datadog for infrastructure — APM traces correlate directly with host metrics and logs.