As Kubernetes adoption grows, so does the complexity and cost of observing containerized workloads. Leading observability platforms like New Relic, Datadog, and Dynatrace offer powerful tooling, but often at enterprise price points. Randoli, a Kubernetes-native observability solution, takes a different approach—one that dramatically reduces costs without compromising visibility or performance.
This article compares annual observability costs across three deployment scales: 20 nodes, 100 nodes, and 300 nodes. We highlight the underlying architectural differences that make Randoli more cost-effective and explain how its Federated Control Plane and in-cluster analytics reshape the economics of monitoring Kubernetes workloads.
Executive Summary: Annual Observability Costs by Vendor
| Scenario |
Randoli |
New Relic |
Datadog |
Dynatrace |
| 20 Nodes |
~$7.5K + $600 egress |
~$43.2K–$60K + $2.7K |
~$54K–$78K + $2.7K |
~$72K–$90K + $2.7K |
| 100 Nodes |
~$37K + $2.4K egress |
~$216K–$300K + $13.5K |
~$270K–$390K + $13.5K |
~$360K–$450K + $13.5K |
| 300 Nodes |
~$111K + $7.2K egress |
~$648K–$900K + $40.5K |
~$810K–$1.17M + $40.5K |
~$1.08M–$1.35M + $40.5K |
Why the Cost Difference? Federated Architecture Matters
Randoli's advantage isn't just pricing transparency—it's architectural. Unlike legacy platforms that require constant data export to centralized clouds, Randoli operates a Federated Control Plane that orchestrates telemetry collection without pulling all raw data out of the cluster.
This architectural model reduces:
- Egress costs: Data remains in-cluster until explicitly needed, cutting cloud transfer fees.
- Data volume: Randoli retrieves only the slices of telemetry required for analysis.
- Latency: On-demand access means you can inspect issues without maintaining an always-on data pipeline.
In-Cluster Log Analysis: Faster, Safer, Cheaper
Randoli's in-cluster log analysis capability avoids sending logs to the cloud. Instead, logs are queried and filtered inside the Kubernetes cluster.
This provides:
- Lower cost: Logs aren't ingested into a paid cloud-tier unless necessary.
- Improved performance: On-cluster querying reduces round-trip latency.
- Enhanced security: Data stays within your infrastructure, aligning with zero-trust practices
Cost Breakdown by Scenario
🔹 20 Kubernetes Nodes (2,000 containers, 2,000 GB logs/month, 250 GB spans)
| Feature / Metric |
Randoli |
New Relic |
Datadog |
Dynatrace |
| Kubernetes Monitoring | $0.04/node/hr (~$576/mo) | $0.35/GB ingest + CU | $15/node/mo | ~$69/host/mo |
| Data Ingestion | $0.10/GB | $0.30–$0.50/GB | $0.10–$1.27/GB | Included |
| APM | Included | ~$13.89/10K CUs/mo | $31/host/mo | Included |
| Distributed Tracing | Included | Included | Additional | Included |
| Custom Metrics | Included | Counted in ingest | $5 per 100 | Unlimited |
| User Seats | Included | $99/user/mo | $15–$60/user/mo | ~$75/user/mo |
| Free Tier | Free trial only | 100 GB + 1 user | 5 hosts free | Free trial only |
| Cloud Egress Cost | $0.10/GB → 500 GB = $50 | $0.10/GB → 2250 GB = $225 | $0.10/GB → 2250 GB = $225 | $0.10/GB → 2250 GB = $225 |
| Monthly Price | ~$625 + $50 egress | ~$3.6K–$5K + $225 | ~$4.5K–$6.5K + $225 | ~$6K–$7.5K + $225 |
| Annual Price | ~$7.5K + $600 egress | ~$43.2K–$60K + $2.7K | ~$54K–$78K + $2.7K | ~$72K–$90K + $2.7K |
🔹 100 Kubernetes Nodes (10,000 containers, 10,000 GB logs/month, 1,250 GB spans)
| Feature / Metric |
Randoli |
New Relic |
Datadog |
Dynatrace |
| Kubernetes Monitoring | ~$2,880/mo | $0.35/GB ingest + CU | $15/node/mo | ~$69/host/mo |
| Data Ingestion | $0.10/GB | $0.30–$0.50/GB | $0.10–$1.27/GB | Included |
| APM | Included | ~$13.89/10K CUs/mo | $31/host/mo | Included |
| Distributed Tracing | Included | Included | Additional | Included |
| Custom Metrics | Included | Counted in ingest | $5 per 100 | Unlimited |
| User Seats | Included | $99/user/mo | $15–$60/user/mo | ~$75/user/mo |
| Free Tier | Free trial only | 100 GB + 1 user | 5 hosts free | Free trial only |
| Cloud Egress Cost | $0.10/GB → 2000 GB = $200 | $0.10/GB → 11250 GB = $1125 | $0.10/GB → 11250 GB = $1125 | $0.10/GB → 11250 GB = $1125 |
| Monthly Price | ~$3.1K + $200 egress | ~$18K–$25K + $1.1K | ~$22.5K–$32.5K + $1.1K | ~$30K–$37.5K + $1.1K |
| Annual Price | ~$37K + $2.4K egress | ~$216K–$300K + $13.5K | ~$270K–$390K + $13.5K | ~$360K–$450K + $13.5K |
🔹 300 Kubernetes Nodes (30,000 containers, 30,000 GB logs/month, 3,750 GB spans)
| Feature / Metric |
Randoli |
New Relic |
Datadog |
Dynatrace |
| Kubernetes Monitoring | ~$8,640/mo | $0.35/GB ingest + CU | $15/node/mo | ~$69/host/mo |
| Data Ingestion | $0.10/GB | $0.30–$0.50/GB | $0.10–$1.27/GB | Included |
| APM | Included | ~$13.89/10K CUs/mo | $31/host/mo | Included |
| Distributed Tracing | Included | Included | Additional | Included |
| Custom Metrics | Included | Counted in ingest | $5 per 100 | Unlimited |
| User Seats | Included | $99/user/mo | $15–$60/user/mo | ~$75/user/mo |
| Free Tier | Free trial only | 100 GB + 1 user | 5 hosts free | Free trial only |
| Cloud Egress Cost | $0.10/GB → 6000 GB = $600 | $0.10/GB → 33750 GB = $3375 | $0.10/GB → 33750 GB = $3375 | $0.10/GB → 33750 GB = $3375 |
| Monthly Price | ~$9.2K + $600 egress | ~$54K–$75K + $3.4K | ~$67.5K–$97.5K + $3.4K | ~$90K–$112.5K + $3.4K |
| Annual Price | ~$111K + $7.2K egress | ~$648K–$900K + $40.5K | ~$810K–$1.17M + $40.5K | ~$1.08M–$1.35M + $40.5K |
Conclusion
Randoli demonstrates that observability can be powerful and cost-effective. By rethinking where and how telemetry is processed—in-cluster, on-demand, federated—it offers a sustainable model for scaling observability with your Kubernetes footprint.
As organizations look to reduce cloud spend without sacrificing operational insight, Randoli provides a compelling alternative to traditional platforms. If you're operating Kubernetes at scale, the numbers speak for themselves.
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