Grafana Labs vs Datadog
Considering a switch from Datadog to a European alternative? Grafana Labs offers full GDPR compliance and EU-only data hosting without the legal uncertainties that come with US-based services. Here's how they compare on features, pricing, and data protection.
Quick Overview
Grafana Labs
EU- Headquarters
- Stockholm, SE
- Pricing
- Free
- Open Source
- Yes
Datadog
USDatadog is a cloud monitoring and analytics platform that provides infrastructure monitoring, application performance management, and log management for DevOps teams.
The Case for Grafana Labs
- Grafana Labs stores all data exclusively in EU, US, under European jurisdiction. Unlike Datadog, which is subject to the US CLOUD Act and FISA Section 702, Grafana Labs cannot be compelled by foreign governments to hand over your data.
- Grafana Labs offers a Data Processing Agreement (DPA) that is fully aligned with GDPR Article 28. There is no legal ambiguity about data transfers or adequacy decisions — your data processor is European, and the law that governs it is European.
- As an open-source solution, Grafana Labs gives you full code transparency. You can verify that the software does what it claims, audit it for security vulnerabilities, and even self-host it for maximum control — something that is simply not possible with Datadog.
- You can try Grafana Labs for free before committing. This makes it easy to evaluate whether it meets your needs alongside — or as a replacement for — Datadog, without any financial risk.
Why Switch to Grafana Labs?
Concerns with Datadog
- US CLOUD Act jurisdiction
- Application logs containing PII stored on US servers
- Infrastructure metrics on US infrastructure
- Sensitive operational data accessible to US authorities
Grafana Labs Compliance
GDPRSOC 2DPA
- Headquarters
- Stockholm, SE
- Data Centers
- EU, US
Get Started
Try Grafana Labs
Open source observability platform for metrics, logs, and traces
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Grafana Labs vs Datadog — FAQ
Is Datadog GDPR compliant?
Datadog may offer GDPR compliance features and EU data residency options, but as a US-headquartered company, it remains subject to the US CLOUD Act and FISA Section 702. These laws can compel US companies to hand over data regardless of where it is stored. The EU-US Data Privacy Framework provides some safeguards, but its predecessors (Safe Harbor and Privacy Shield) were both invalidated by the European Court of Justice. Grafana Labs, as a European company, is not subject to these US laws at all.
How does Grafana Labs compare to Datadog in features?
Grafana Labs offers Dashboards, Metrics (Prometheus/Graphite), Logs (Loki), Traces (Tempo), and 6 more features. While Datadog's ecosystem may be larger due to its market position, Grafana Labs covers the core functionality that most teams need. The trade-off is typically between breadth of integrations (Datadog) and data sovereignty with regulatory certainty (Grafana Labs).
Can I migrate from Datadog to Grafana Labs?
Yes. Most European software providers, including Grafana Labs, offer migration tools or documentation to help you transition from US-based services. Under GDPR Article 20, you have the right to data portability — meaning Datadog must provide your data in a machine-readable format. The migration process varies in complexity depending on your data volume and integrations, but for most teams it can be completed within a few days to a few weeks.