SigNoz vs Netdata
Both are free/open-source alternatives to Datadog. Here's how they stack up — verified facts, no spin.
SigNoz
An OpenTelemetry-native, single-app Datadog alternative.
SigNoz brings metrics, traces, and logs into one open-source application built natively on OpenTelemetry, so you get APM-style visibility without per-host SaaS pricing.
Netdata
Real-time, per-second monitoring with zero-config auto-discovery.
Netdata delivers high-resolution, real-time metrics with automatic discovery and minimal configuration, ideal for fast, granular infrastructure visibility on your own machines.
Side by side
| SigNoz | Netdata | |
|---|---|---|
| Sovereignty Score | 88 | 85 |
| Open source | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hostable | Yes | Yes |
| Local-first | Yes | Yes |
| License | MIT (core) | GPL-3.0 |
| Pricing | Free / self-host; optional managed cloud | Free / self-host; optional paid cloud |
SigNoz edges it on the Sovereignty Score, but the right pick depends on the trade-offs below.
SigNoz
Strengths
- +One app for traces, metrics, and logs
- +OpenTelemetry-native
- +Purpose-built as a Datadog replacement
Trade-offs
- −Younger ecosystem than Grafana
- −Self-hosting needs a datastore to operate
Netdata
Strengths
- +Per-second resolution out of the box
- +Auto-discovers most services
- +Very low setup effort
Trade-offs
- −Less of a long-term query store than Prometheus
- −Best paired with other tools for logs/traces
More Datadog head-to-heads
Facts verified 2026-07-04. Licenses and pricing change — spotted something out of date? That's a correction we want.