# Checkly as a Datadog Synthetics Alternative

**Source**: https://www.checklyhq.com/datadog-alternative/

**Reviewed**: 2026-09-02

> Checkly is a focused Datadog Synthetics alternative for teams that want native Playwright browser checks, API monitoring, and heartbeat monitoring in a TypeScript and Git workflow. It complements rather than replaces full-stack observability.

## Choose Checkly when

- Developers want browser and API monitors in the same code workflow as the application.
- Existing Playwright tests should run locally, in CI, and as production monitors without a rewrite.
- Monitoring changes should be reviewed in pull requests and deployed through CI.
- The team already has logs, metrics, or APM and needs a focused outside-in signal.

## Choose Datadog when

Datadog is the better fit when the primary requirement is one suite for infrastructure metrics, logs, APM, security, incident management, and synthetics. Checkly does not replace those full-stack capabilities and does not provide real user monitoring.

## Checkly facts

- Category: synthetic monitoring and continuous testing.
- Browser runtime: native Playwright, including multi-file Playwright Check Suites.
- Configuration: TypeScript/JavaScript, Terraform, or Pulumi.
- Locations: 22 public locations plus private locations.
- Failure evidence: Playwright traces, screenshots, console and network logs, with OpenTelemetry traces when configured.

## Evaluation method

Compare the products against the workflow and coverage you actually need: monitor ownership, browser runtime, check frequency, failure evidence, private-network reach, and full-stack breadth. Confirm Datadog capabilities and prices against Datadog's current official documentation.

## Sources

- [Checkly synthetic monitoring documentation](https://www.checklyhq.com/docs/detect/synthetic-monitoring/overview/)
- [Checkly monitoring as code documentation](https://www.checklyhq.com/docs/concepts/monitoring-as-code/)
- [Checkly pricing](https://www.checklyhq.com/pricing/)
- [Datadog Synthetics documentation](https://docs.datadoghq.com/synthetics/)
- [Datadog pricing](https://www.datadoghq.com/pricing/)
- [Datadog migration guide](https://www.checklyhq.com/switch/datadog/)