Purpose-built synthetic monitoringNot a line item in a $50k contract
Datadog Synthetics is one product inside a platform that costs six figures to run. Yorker is a focused synthetic monitoring tool that costs $29.99/month, emits OTel-native telemetry to any backend, and ships pricing you can read on a public webpage.
Last verified 2026-04-11
# Yorker — flat, predictable
plan $29.99/mo
private_locations included
otel_export included
pricing_page yorkermonitoring.com/pricing
# Datadog Synthetics — pay per run
api_test_run ~$0.012 each (on-demand)
browser_test_run ~$0.018 each (on-demand)
pricing_page ask sales
Why teams switch off Datadog Synthetics
Datadog Synthetics is a line item inside a contract that typically starts at $5–50k/year. Synthetic checks compete with APM, logs, and infrastructure for budget. When costs get squeezed, Synthetics is often the first thing cut — taking your proactive coverage with it.
Yorker emits OTLP to any backend — ClickHouse, Grafana, Honeycomb, Dash0. Datadog Synthetics results stay inside Datadog. If you're moving any part of your observability stack off Datadog, synthetic data doesn't come with you.
Yorker injects W3C traceparent into every check. If your backend uses Datadog APM, those traces still appear in Trace Explorer. If it doesn't, the trace ID is still there — usable by any OTel-aware backend. Datadog's trace correlation requires Datadog APM at both ends.
Yorker's entire pricing — plan fee, per-run consumption, private-location discount, regional tiers — is public at /pricing. Datadog's Synthetics pricing is published at the on-demand rate only; committed pricing requires a sales conversation.
Yorker checks are plain YAML files checked into your repo. Datadog Synthetics supports Terraform and the API, but the browser test format is proprietary — not portable if you leave. Yorker YAML is readable and portable.
Yorker includes private location agents at $29.99/month. Datadog private locations require the Datadog Agent container and count toward your Synthetics usage — another metered cost inside the larger contract.
Feature-by-feature comparison
A narrow table: Datadog's full tier structure is not public without a sales call, so we compare against what can be verified — on-demand pricing and documented capabilities. If you're evaluating an enterprise contract, the committed pricing will be lower than the on-demand rates shown here.
| Capability | Yorker Platform · $29.99/mo | Datadog Synthetics On-demand (no commitment) | Datadog Synthetics Custom contract (ask sales) |
|---|---|---|---|
HTTP / API tests Single-request checks — HTTP, SSL, DNS, TCP, UDP, ICMP, gRPC. | Included in plan | ~$12 per 1,000 runs | Negotiated per run |
Browser tests End-to-end user-journey checks with visual recording. | Included in plan | ~$18 per 1,000 runs | Negotiated per run |
Private locations Run checks from behind your firewall. | Included | Included (agent required) | Included (agent required) |
Multi-step API tests Chained request flows with shared variables. | Phase 2 roadmap | Included | Included |
OpenTelemetry export Native OTLP metrics to any OTel-compatible backend. | Included — OTel-native | Not supported | Not supported |
W3C trace propagation traceparent injected into check requests to link synthetic to APM. | Always on | APM traces only (same Datadog account) | APM traces only (same Datadog account) |
Monitoring as Code Check definitions in source control. | YAML (CLI) | Terraform / API / UI recorder | Terraform / API / UI recorder |
Transparent pricing Public price list — no sales call required. | Full pricing at /pricing | On-demand rates published | — |
Hosted locations Public regions available out of the box. | 14 regions | 15+ regions | 15+ regions |
Pricing and feature claims verified April 11, 2026 against Datadog's public Synthetics documentation (docs.datadoghq.com/synthetics/) and publicly available per-run rate information. On-demand rates (~$12/1k API, ~$18/1k browser) are published; committed rates are negotiated. Yorker platform plan $29.99/mo with full pricing at /pricing. Spot something that's changed? Email [email protected].
The same API test, both tools
A simple HTTP check verifying a JSON API response. Datadog uses a Terraform resource or JSON config; Yorker uses plain YAML.
resource "datadog_synthetics_test" "api_health" {
name = "API health"
type = "api"
subtype = "http"
status = "live"
request_definition {
method = "GET"
url = "https://api.example.com/health"
}
assertion {
type = "statusCode"
operator = "is"
target = "200"
}
}
monitors:
- name: API health
type: http
url: https://api.example.com/health
frequency: 5m
locations: [loc_us_east, loc_eu_west]
assertions:
- type: status_code
value: 200
Datadog also supports a JSON config format and UI-based creation. The Terraform example is the closest to Yorker's code-first approach. Yorker YAML is shorter, has no provider dependency, and works with a yorker deploy without a Terraform state file.
Moving from Datadog Synthetics
We'll do most of the work. Point the importer at your existing check definitions and it emits Yorker YAML with the 80% that translates cleanly, flagging everything it can't auto-convert with inline comments you can review.
yorker import --from datadog ./synthetics-configPoint the importer at your exported Datadog Synthetics config (JSON or Terraform) and it emits Yorker YAML for each check. API tests translate cleanly; browser tests convert Datadog's step format to Playwright; multistep API tests are flagged as TODOs for the Phase 2 importer.
What to watch for
- Datadog test IDs don't transfer
Datadog identifies tests by an opaque internal ID (e.g. abc-123-xyz). The importer emits Yorker YAML keyed by the test name, so monitor URLs and alert-routing references tied to Datadog's IDs need a manual re-wire after migration.
- Browser tests use Datadog's recorder format, not Playwright
Datadog browser tests are authored in Datadog's own step format (click, assert, wait, etc.) rather than native Playwright code. The importer converts the step list to equivalent Playwright calls, but complex custom JavaScript steps are flagged with TODOs for review.
- Alert routing from Datadog monitors
Datadog alert routing lives in Datadog Monitors (separate from Synthetics). The importer reads the synthetic-level alert config and emits equivalent Yorker alert rules, but if you have complex monitor composite conditions, those need a manual pass.
- Multi-step API tests need reauthoring
Datadog multistep API tests use a proprietary step model. The importer flags each multistep test as a TODO — they cannot be auto-converted to Yorker's Phase 2 multi-step format, which ships later.
What you keep
Your endpoint list — all check URLs and target hosts carry over to Yorker YAML.
Your alerting contacts — Slack, PagerDuty, and email endpoints are pre-filled in the generated Yorker alert rules.
Your check frequencies and locations — the importer maps Datadog region IDs to Yorker location IDs where equivalents exist.
Your browser test intent — the importer translates Datadog step sequences to Playwright calls so the business logic survives even when the syntax changes.
Where Datadog Synthetics is strongest
No tool is the right answer for every team. Here's where Datadog Synthetics genuinely leads today — if your use case matches, start there.
If your team already runs Datadog for APM, logs, RUM, and infrastructure, Datadog Synthetics correlates synthetic results with every other signal in the same UI — no data movement, no extra integration. That correlated visibility across a single platform is genuinely valuable and hard to replicate outside Datadog.
Datadog's chained API test builder handles complex authenticated flows, variable extraction between steps, and custom assertions across requests. It is polished and well-documented. If multi-step API flows are your primary synthetic use case today, Datadog delivers them now. Yorker ships multi-step API tests in Phase 2.
Datadog's Chrome recorder extension lets non-developers author browser tests by clicking through a flow in a real browser. The generated test script requires no coding and is often accurate enough to run without edits. If your team does not want to write Playwright, that is a genuine advantage. Yorker is code-first.
Frequently asked
How does Yorker's cost compare to Datadog Synthetics?
Yorker is a flat $29.99/month with consumption pricing above the included allowance — pricing is fully published at /pricing. Datadog Synthetics is billed per test run (on-demand ~$12/1,000 API runs, ~$18/1,000 browser runs) and typically rolls into a larger enterprise contract. For teams running more than a handful of checks daily, Datadog's synthetic line item often represents 8–15% of the total contract, far exceeding $29.99/month.
Does Yorker send data to Datadog or require a Datadog account?
No. Yorker emits OTLP telemetry to any backend you configure — ClickStack, Grafana, Honeycomb, Dash0, or any OTLP-compatible destination. If you still use Datadog for APM, you can configure Yorker to send synthetic metrics to an OTLP-to-Datadog forwarder, but Yorker itself has no Datadog dependency.
Does Yorker support OpenTelemetry like Datadog does?
Yorker is OTel-native — every check emits OTLP metrics, traces, and logs. Datadog has OTel ingestion (they accept OTLP from your services) but Datadog Synthetics does not export its own data via OTLP — the synthetic results stay inside Datadog. Yorker does the opposite: synthetic results go wherever your OTLP backend lives.
Can I still use Datadog APM alongside Yorker?
Yes. Yorker injects W3C traceparent into every browser-check request. If your backend reports to Datadog APM, those synthetic-initiated traces appear in Datadog Trace Explorer linked to the originating Yorker run. You get the correlation without paying for Datadog Synthetics.
What happens to my Datadog browser tests when I migrate?
The Yorker importer (planned, epic #811) converts Datadog's step-based browser test format to native Playwright code. Simple click/assert/fill flows convert cleanly; custom JavaScript steps are flagged with TODOs. Most teams report 30–60 minutes of review time per complex test, not hours.
Does Yorker support private locations like Datadog does?
Yes. Yorker private location agents are included in the platform plan ($29.99/month) with a 50% discount on private-location run consumption. They poll outbound-only — no inbound firewall rules required. Datadog private locations require installing the Datadog Agent container in your network and configuring it as a Synthetics location.
Related Reading
How Yorker emits OTLP-native telemetry to any backend — including backends you already use alongside Datadog.
Outbound-only agents, no inbound rules. Included in the platform plan.
Every number, publicly visible. Per-run costs, private-location discount, regional tiers.
Ready to see the price difference?
Start free — full pricing at /pricing, no sales call required. Run your first check in minutes via the CLI or web UI, and see synthetic telemetry land in your OTel backend on the first run.