Splunk vs Datadog Security -- SIEM & Security Analytics Compared
Datadog Security excels when security and observability need to live in one platform, offering unmatched context for cloud-native threat detection. Splunk is the more mature SIEM with deeper security analytics, but lacks Datadog's native integration between infrastructure monitoring and security operations.
Choose Datadog Security if you want security and observability unified in one platform for cloud-native environments. Choose Splunk if you need a full-featured enterprise SIEM with advanced analytics, SOAR, and the broadest ecosystem.
| Feature | Datadog Security | Splunk |
|---|---|---|
| SIEM Maturity | Growing, cloud-focused SIEM | Industry-leading mature SIEM |
| Observability Integration | Native (same platform) | Separate Splunk Observability product |
| Cloud Security Posture | Built-in CSPM and CWS | Requires add-ons |
| On-Premises Support | Limited | Strong on-prem deployment options |
| Detection Rules | OOTB rules with MITRE mapping | Extensive security content library |
| Application Security | Built-in ASM and code security | Limited native application security |
| Query Language | Datadog query syntax | SPL (more powerful for analytics) |
| Deployment Speed | Fast via existing Datadog agents | Longer deployment and tuning cycle |
Common questions about choosing between Splunk and Datadog Security.
Datadog Security excels when security and observability need to live in one platform, offering unmatched context for cloud-native threat detection. Splunk is the more mature SIEM with deeper security analytics, but lacks Datadog's native integration between infrastructure monitoring and security operations.
Choose Datadog Security if you want security and observability unified in one platform for cloud-native environments. Choose Splunk if you need a full-featured enterprise SIEM with advanced analytics, SOAR, and the broadest ecosystem.
Datadog Security pricing: From $0.20/GB analyzed (Cloud SIEM) / Custom enterprise. Splunk pricing: From $1,800/year (workload pricing) / Enterprise custom. Datadog Security's pricing model is per-gb analyzed + per-host for additional modules, while Splunk uses workload-based or ingest-based pricing.
Yes, you can migrate from Splunk to Datadog Security. The migration process depends on your specific setup and the features you use. Both platforms offer APIs that can facilitate automated migration. Consider running both tools in parallel during the transition to ensure zero downtime.
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