Datadog is $15/host/mo (Infrastructure). Ticker is a self-hosted alternative at $0.99/mo. Here's when each makes sense.
| Ticker | Datadog | |
|---|---|---|
| Hosting | Self-hosted, your infra | Managed SaaS (cloud only) |
| Data location | Your server, your disk | Datadog's cloud |
| Free tier | 10 metrics, 24h retention | Paid only |
| Pro pricing | $0.99/mo | $15/host/mo (Infrastructure) |
| Dependencies | None (single binary + SQLite) | N/A (managed) |
| Setup time | ~30 seconds | Account signup |
| Dashboard | Built-in at /ui | Cloud dashboard |
| License | BSL 1.1 | Proprietary SaaS |
Ticker is a single Go binary with embedded SQLite. Install it with one command, and you are running in under a minute. Your data stays on your server.
curl -fsSL https://stockyard.dev/ticker/install.sh | sh
Before choosing between Ticker and Datadog, consider what happens when you need to leave. Datadog exports vary in completeness — some fields, some history, some metadata may not come with you. Ticker stores everything in a single SQLite file. Leaving means copying that file. This is not a hypothetical concern: the average team changes tools every 18 to 24 months.
The operational difference is significant. Datadog requires you to trust their infrastructure, their security practices, and their business continuity. Ticker requires you to run a process and keep the data directory backed up. If your server dies, restore the binary and the SQLite file to a new server. The entire recovery procedure fits in a single paragraph because there is nothing else involved.
Moving from Datadog does not have to be all-or-nothing. Some teams run Ticker for new data while keeping Datadog as a read-only archive of historical records. The API makes it straightforward to build a sync script if you need both systems to reflect the same data during a transition period.
Single binary. Free to start. $0.99/mo for Pro.