Side by side
New Relic Kubernetes Monitoring vs SolarWinds Observability
Both stand on application performance monitoring. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.
New Relic Kubernetes Monitoring covers cluster telemetry, application correlation, and alerting in one integration. Its free tier has a stated ingest allowance, but installation requires a license key and the default configuration uses a privileged sidecar.
Visit New Relic Kubernetes Monitoring
SolarWinds Observability covers multiple monitoring domains in one service, with deployment choices and integrations for common application and database technologies. Its plan structure varies by node, service, database, data volume, checks, or page views, so requirements determine the relevant cost.
Visit SolarWinds ObservabilityThe facts
| New Relic Kubernetes Monitoring | SolarWinds Observability | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | A free trial |
| Open source | Not published | Not published |
| Runs on | Linux, Self-hosted, Web, Windows | API, Linux, Self-hosted, Web, Windows |
| Lowest paid plan | Free or on request | Log Observability: $5 a month |
| Plans published | 4 | 9 |
| Maker | Not published | Not published |
| Website | newrelic.com | solarwinds.com |
| On application performance monitoring | #15 of 36 | #33 of 36 |
New Relic Kubernetes Monitoring: what it does well
- Combines Kubernetes metrics, events, logs, and traces.
- Collects Prometheus metrics through workload service discovery.
- Links application performance data with Kubernetes data.
- Supports predefined and custom Kubernetes alerts.
- Free tier includes 100 GB monthly ingest.
What to know first
- Installation requires a New Relic license key.
- Default setup uses a privileged Infrastructure Agent sidecar.
- Unprivileged mode provides reduced host visibility.
SolarWinds Observability: what it does well
- Unifies logs, metrics, traces, and user data
- OpenTelemetry integrations and direct ingestion
- SaaS and self-hosted deployment options
- 30-day fully functional trial
- Real-user and synthetic monitoring plans
What to know first
- No free plan
- Pricing uses different usage units
- Self-Hosted licensing is subscription-only
- Some plans require annual billing
Alternatives to New Relic Kubernetes Monitoring Alternatives to SolarWinds Observability The whole list