New Relic APM, Logs + Infrastructure Monitoring (PAYG with Free Tier)

Our main focus is APM-related functionality, so we were looking for a convenient way to get all the details, as some of them are missing from New Relic  and Grafana . Currently, we are working with Site24x7, where we are getting the information we are looking for in our comfort zone.

We used the Docker  container as the agent in our server, which was split into one agent to collect the client's logs and metrics to see the web vitals, and another metric to collect the server metrics and APM-related traces.

The main benefit we found was the Error Inbox, and having all features available at a single point was very useful for us. The API functionality allows us to get hit counts from external sources, such as APIs or databases, and everything is mapped very clearly. We can overview which components are experiencing response delays, which ones are getting correct responses, and identify any unknown external APIs inside the application. We can investigate why we are getting 400 responses and similar issues.

I reviewed another observability tool, DataDog, and we moved away from New Relic  because the pricing was not convenient and didn't fit our budget. With DataDog, some of the APM  features we were looking for were not available, so we discontinued using both solutions.

Grafana  is helpful, but it requires significant work in adding agents and configuring applications and server metrics. We implemented open-source Grafana, which wasn't convenient regarding APM , and most of the logs and traces related to APM were not what we needed, so we moved to Site24x7.

The Grafana Open Source implementation was done through their vendor. While they provided certain features, when compared to Grafana Cloud, the customized Open Source version wasn't really convenient for us. The only helpful aspect was that we could get server metrics on Grafana Open Source from our servers.

I have been working with New Relic for approximately six months.

New Relic was stable enough, and there were no downtimes or issues.

New Relic offers 400 GB per month free, but that quota was completely used within two weeks for a single server. We have substantial data in our server as our company is a trading financial company. For a single server, it takes around one and a half to two weeks to reach the limit. Additionally, we need to store logs for over five years based on SEBI regulations.

I didn't seek any support help from New Relic, but when I tried to get information regarding the plans, the response was delayed for a week. Other than that, everything was fine.

Positive

We reviewed Grafana and moved to another observability tool. We also evaluated DataDog, but we ultimately moved away from New Relic because the pricing wasn't convenient and didn't fit our budget. We are now using Site24x7 in production.

Implementing the New Relic agent is quite simple, and we were very comfortable with New Relic overall. However, it wasn't convenient based on our budget, which is why we discontinued using it.

The Grafana Open Source implementation wasn't done by ourselves; we worked with their vendor. They explained the features available in Grafana Open Source, and we implemented those solutions. However, compared to Grafana Cloud, the customized Open Source version wasn't really convenient for us.

The Error Inbox and consolidated features at a single point were very useful features. We could get hit counts from external sources, APIs, and databases, with clear mapping of all components. We could monitor response delays, correct responses, and identify unknown external APIs within the application.

We also reviewed DataDog as an observability tool, but we moved away from New Relic due to pricing concerns that didn't fit our budget. With DataDog, some of the APM features we were seeking weren't available, so we discontinued using both solutions.

We had everything in hand with New Relic initially. However, the pricing wasn't convenient for us, so we had to step back from using it.

I primarily focused on the data we were getting from New Relic, without exploring custom dashboards and other features. We were mainly focusing on the metrics and logs needed to trace our applications effectively.

On a scale of one to ten, I would rate New Relic an eight. It's overwhelming from my point of view, and we needed to do some organizing in our New Relic account based on our preferences.

What do you like best about the product?

Best thing what I like about New Relic is their dashboards and also it is compatible with Windows, Linux and Mac operating systems as we have deployed our applications in different platforms. Our distributed system debugging made very easy with the help of new relic and also events are captured in logs which can be traced easily.

What do you dislike about the product?

Only thing I don't like about this is the resource consumption. It needs a lot of resources when you integrate it with other infra for eg: kafka

What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?

New relic is helping us to monitor our whole infrastructure in one place which previously we were doing using splunk agents. Before, we used to find it hard to trace logs because of distributed architecture spring cloud slueth we were using now this made it centralised logging which is really helpful.

What do you like best about the product?

New Relic provides real-time full-stack observability with powerful dashboards, proactive alerting, and seamless integrations. Its intuitive interface, code-level tracing, and built-in log management make troubleshooting faster and easier, offering a comprehensive, scalable, and cost-effective monitoring solution for modern applications.

What do you dislike about the product?

New Relic can be overwhelming for beginners due to its complex setup and steep learning curve. Some users find the pricing model confusing and expensive at scale, and occasional delays in data reporting or UI responsiveness can affect the monitoring experience.

What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?

New Relic helps me monitor application performance and cloud infrastructure in real time, identifying bottlenecks, latency issues, and resource constraints quickly. This improves system reliability, reduces downtime, and speeds up troubleshooting, enabling faster deployments and more informed, data-driven decisions across development and operations teams.

What do you like best about the product?

The best thing about New Relic is having everything in one place. With real-time logs, APM, and infrastructure monitoring, I get a complete view without switching tools. The UI is clean, dashboards are customizable, and setting up alerts is super easy — it catches issues before they escalate.

What do you dislike about the product?

Some integrations are harder to set up than they should be. While New Relic supports a wide range of tools, the documentation can feel outdated or assumes too much prior knowledge. I’ve had to do more troubleshooting than expected just to get basic metrics working.

What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?

New Relic helps me catch issues early by showing real-time performance data and pointing me straight to the problem. It saves time during incidents and often spots issues before users even notice.

What do you like best about the product?

The UI is intuitive and customizable, so teams can easily track the metrics that matter most to them.

What do you dislike about the product?

Depending on the plan, data retention periods might be shorter than needed for long-term analysis unless you pay more.

What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?

Users may experience slow responses, but it’s unclear where the slowdown is.