So far, we've examined the best alternatives for Datadog, Honeybadger, Sentry, and New Relic. In this post, we'll compare Scout with five leading application performance monitoring (APM) tools.

To begin, we'll look at how we (AppSignal) compare to Scout before comparing it head-to-head with Honeybadger, Sentry, New Relic, and Datadog.

1. AppSignal

AppSignal delivers a powerful monitoring toolkit designed to streamline application performance tracking and optimization. Its intuitive interface presents key metrics in a clear, actionable way, making it easy to convert metric data into valuable performance insights for your app.

Regarding cost, AppSignal offers transparent, scalable pricing plans without feature paywalls, so that teams of any size can monitor their applications with peace of mind.

Our support exceeds what most APMs typically offer, with free expert support available to all customers on all plans. We also advocate for the developer community by sponsoring meetups and conferences and shipping delicious Dutch stroopwafels to new customers worldwide.

• Founded: 2012
• Supports: Ruby, Elixir, Node.js, Python, Front-end Javascript
• G2 Rating: 4.8/5
• Plans start from: $23 per month

AppSignal's Monitoring Toolkit

• Error Tracking: Stay updated with error tracking across deployments and immediate notifications for new incidents.
• Performance Monitoring: Gain app performance insights and identify slow requests and functions.
• Host Monitoring: Dive into detailed hardware performance data, including CPU, disk, and network activity.
• Anomaly Detection: Set up alerts for unusual activity such as memory spikes, increased response times, and increased error rates.
• Uptime Monitoring: Monitor your application's availability with minutely checks and alerts for downtime.
• Metric Dashboards: Centralize your metrics on dashboards you can customize to fit your needs. AppSignal auto-generates dashboards for popular languages and libraries like MongoDB and PostgreSQL.
• Log Management: With our user-friendly log management tool, you can easily move from log entries to performance insights, error reports, and beyond.
• Simple Pricing: Benefit from clear, flexible pricing that promises no hidden costs or surprise overages.

Why Monitor with AppSignal?

Developers say they love AppSignal for its intuitive interface, no-nonsense pricing, and proactive approach to application monitoring. Our simple UI converts complex performance data into clear, actionable insights.

Switching to a larger or smaller plan is simple, and our business add-ons include affordable options like long-term log storage or a Business Associate Agreement (BAA) without the need for an expensive, overly complicated enterprise plan.

We are able to maintain graphs, dashboards and statistics ... in an easy and seamless way.

We can better analyze performance problems [and] track down where issues arise all within a tool.

We have easily integrated AppSignal with our Rails application and since then we are constantly using the tool to track down metrics.

Matteo G, Verified G2 Reviewer

AppSignal: Key Points to Consider

AppSignal holds a 4.8 out of 5 stars rating on G2. If you're thinking about switching from Scout to AppSignal, review the pros and cons below.

Pros

• Straightforward, Budget-Friendly Plans: AppSignal's pricing is easy to understand, helping customers avoid hidden costs or surprises.
• Seamless User Experience: With an intuitive dashboard and simple setup, AppSignal enables users to get started with monitoring quickly and efficiently.
• Comprehensive Default Support: AppSignal comes equipped with ready-to-use integrations, making it simple to monitor essential stack components without extensive configuration.
• A Free Plan: Scout provides a low-usage free plan. However, AppSignal offers a 30-day free trial period — longer than Scout’s 14-day trial — allowing potential customers more time to experience its value before committing.

Cons

• Limited Mobile Monitoring: While AppSignal offers comprehensive monitoring support for Ruby, Elixir, Node.js, Python, and front-end JavaScript apps, it does not offer monitoring for iOS or Android applications.
• No PHP Support: AppSignal does not currently support PHP, so customers cannot switch from Scout to AppSignal for their PHP-based applications.

Comparing Scout to AppSignal

Having examined AppSignal's pros and cons, let's examine how its features compare to Scout.

2. Honeybadger

• Founded: 2012
• Supports: Ruby, Elixir, Python, Go, Front-end Javascript, PHP, Crystal, Java, Clojure, Cocoa
• G2 Rating: 4.5/5
• Plans start from: $39 per month

Honeybadger Core Features

• Error Tracking: Track and get alerted for errors raised by your application.
• Performance Insights: Monitor performance to identify slow functions, requests, and more.
• Extensive Platform Support: Honeybadger can monitor thirteen different programming languages, perfect for teams working with diverse stacks.
• Mobile Error Tracking: Provides error monitoring for Cocoa-based MacOS and iOS apps, as well as Java for Android applications.

Why Monitor with Honeybadger?

Honeybadger supports a wide range of popular languages, libraries, and frameworks and offers complimentary customer support, much like AppSignal. Users consistently highlight Honeybadger's user-friendly interface and its effectiveness in quickly identifying the underlying causes of issues.

Honeybadger helps developers get real-time notifications about failures in APIs through messaging platforms like Slack. It makes developers' lives easy by monitoring application uptime. It is easy to integrate into all major programming languages like Python, Golang, Java, JavaScript etc. It has a clean user interface which gives a complete backtrace of errors. It also provides info about the number of occurrences of that error.

Krati B, Verified G2 Reviewer

Honeybadger: Key Points to Consider

On G2, Honeybadger holds an impressive 4.5 out of 5-star rating. If you're considering a switch from Scout to Honeybadger, here are some key pros and cons to keep in mind.

Pros

• Messaging Platform Integrations: Honeybadger allows integration with platforms like Slack, so customers can receive notifications through their preferred channels.
• Framework and Library Compatibility: Honeybadger provides broader language support than Scout, giving developers the ability to monitor diverse applications.
• Breadcrumb Feature: Honeybadger's breadcrumb functionality streamlines error tracking, enabling developers to debug and resolve issues faster.

Cons

• Limited Freemium Tier: Honeybadger offers a freemium tier with limited usage, similar to Scout, but it is restricted to a single user, making it challenging for teams on free plans to scale.
• Pricing: While Honeybadger plans offer fewer requests than Scout at the same price point, they come with a more extensive feature set.
• Usage Paywalls: Honeybadger offers more features than Scout, but some features, like Uptime Checks and Check-ins, are limited based on the plan, so it's important to evaluate your needs before selecting a plan.

Comparing Scout to Honeybadger

Having examined Honeybadger in detail, let's compare its features directly with Scout.

3. Sentry

• Founded: 2008
• Supports: 22+ libraries and frameworks, including, Ruby, Elixir, Python, and Go.
• G2 Rating: 4.5/5
• Plans start from: $26 per month

Sentry Core Features

• Extensive Language Compatibility: Sentry supports a wide range of programming languages, making it a great choice for teams managing diverse tech stacks.
• Streamlined Error Detection: Enables developers to quickly identify and resolve application errors.
• In-depth Performance Analytics: Offers detailed insights into your application's performance to optimize efficiency.
• User Session Replay: Record and review user sessions to gain deeper insights into the root causes of issues.

Why Monitor with Sentry?

With its extensive language support, Sentry is ideal for teams working with a variety of tech stacks.

Sentry is one of the most useful tool[s] we used for error detection and monitoring. It's very easy to integrate in[to] our project, and helps us to identify edge cases and bugs when they happen. The alerting feature is also well proportioned: you are getting alerts when the number of errors is escalating, and periodic review emails, which avoid spamming your inbox on every single error. Lastly, the transaction feature allows [you] to easily detect slow endpoints in your web app.

Verified G2 Review

Sentry: Key Points to Consider

Sentry has a rating of 4.5/5 stars on G2 . If you're thinking about transitioning to Sentry, consider these key pros and cons.

Pros

• Broad Language Support: Sentry offers support for more than 20 programming languages, covering all the languages Scout supports — including Ruby, Python, and PHP. This makes it a flexible option for developers working across different tech stacks.
• Detailed Error Insights: Clear, actionable error reports make troubleshooting faster and more efficient, helping developers focus on building rather than debugging.
• Mobile Monitoring Made Easy: With mobile app monitoring included, developers get end-to-end visibility for their applications across platforms.

Cons

• Error Limits Can Be Tight: A recurring bug can quickly eat up your error limits, making it harder to stay on top of more urgent issues without upgrading your plan.
• Paywall on Features: Many advanced features are locked behind the business plan, which can make Sentry a more expensive choice compared to its competitors.
• Learning Curve for New Users: Some of Sentry's more advanced features and setup steps can feel overwhelming, especially for developers migrating from simpler tools.

Comparing Scout to Sentry

Now that we've explored the pros and cons of Sentry, we can compare it directly to Scout for a more clear-cut comparison.

4. New Relic

• Founded: 2007
• Supports: Ruby, Python, Go, Node.js, PHP, .NET, Java
• G2 Rating: 4.3/5
• Pricing: Starts based on usage, such as 100 GB of free data per month, with additional data priced at $0.35/GB.

New Relic Core Features

• Session Replay: Gain insights by replaying sessions to understand user interactions.
• Web Performance Insights: Monitor critical page performance metrics to ensure a smooth user experience.
• SAP Integration: Supports integration with SAP for enterprise-level monitoring.
• Cloud Monitoring: New Relic offers monitoring for major cloud services like Azure, Google Cloud, and AWS.

Why Monitor with New Relic?

New Relic is an excellent choice for hobbyists who wish to take advantage of the free tier and large enterprises managing complex cloud infrastructures. However, startups, scaleups, and small businesses might find its pricing less affordable than other solutions.

New Relic has saved countless hours in debugging and diagnosing issues with our applications and stack. The insights provided are unparalleled and have enabled us to drastically improve customer experience while reducing needed developer hours.

Trevor, B, Verified G2 Reviewer

New Relic: Key Points to Consider

On G2, New Relic holds a rating of 4.3/5 stars. If you're considering transitioning from Scout to New Relic, evaluating the following advantages and drawbacks is important.

Pros

• Freemium Model: The free tier offers basic monitoring features, making it an accessible starting point for many users.
• Easy Setup: Users often highlight the straightforward setup and intuitive onboarding experience.
• Enterprise-Grade SAP Integration: New Relic supports SAP integration, providing robust monitoring options for larger enterprise environments.

Cons

• User-Based Pricing: New Relic's pricing model is based on the number of users you have, which can make it expensive for teams that grow.
• Data Overload: The sheer volume of data generated can sometimes overwhelm users, making it challenging to focus on the most important insights.
• Outdated Documentation: Some users report that New Relic's documentation can be difficult to navigate and is outdated, which may hinder instrumentation.

Comparing Scout to New Relic

Now that we've explored New Relic's features, let's compare it side-by-side with Scout:

5. Datadog

• Founded: 2010
• Supports: 26+ libraries and frameworks, including Ruby, Elixir, Python, and Go.
• G2 Rating: 4.3/5
• Plans start from: $15 per month

Datadog Core Features

• Broad Software Support: Datadog is ideal for teams using language-agnostic stacks, offering support for 26 programming languages.
• Sandbox Environment: Datadog functions as an APM and observability sandbox, allowing advanced users to customize the tool to meet specific needs.
• Extensive Feature Set: Datadog provides a wide range of capabilities, including vulnerability detection within your libraries.

Why Monitor with Datadog?

Datadog is a comprehensive monitoring solution that is well-suited for large organizations with intricate monitoring requirements. Its centralized view and in-depth reporting and analytics make it a preferred choice for data-heavy environments.

Effective communication between different Datadog products, such as APM and Infrastructure, shows detailed traces that I can drill down into to pinpoint the issue.

Sanket G, Verified G2 Review

Datadog: Key Points to Consider

Datadog holds a 4.3/5 rating on G2. Customers evaluating a change from Scout to Datadog should weigh the following pros and cons.

Pros

• Broad Software Support: Datadog is well-suited for teams with language-agnostic setups, supporting over 26 programming languages, including Ruby, Python, and PHP.
• Customizable Sandbox UI: Datadog acts as an APM tool and observability sandbox, offering flexibility for advanced users.
• Comprehensive Features: From vulnerability detection to extensive monitoring capabilities, Datadog provides a broad feature set to support complex environments.

Cons

• Complex Pricing: With over 75 pricing plans, customers may find the billing system confusing, leading to unpredictable costs and unclear invoices.
• Focus on Data Reporting: Datadog's emphasis on metric data can be overwhelming or frustrating for teams looking for a more solution-focused tool.
• Steep Learning Curve: Due to its complex UI and sandbox-style monitoring, new users may struggle to fully utilize Datadog's capabilities.

Comparing Scout to Datadog

Let's compare Datadog's features with Scout:

Choosing the Monitoring Tool That Best Matches Your Needs

Now that you've explored various alternatives to Scout, consider how to choose the best tool for your application monitoring needs. Here are some key factors to help guide your decision:

• Feature Set: Does Scout provide the specific monitoring capabilities your app requires, such as performance tracking, error reporting, and background job monitoring?
• Pricing: How does the pricing factor in against your budget, including both immediate costs and any potential future expenses as your app scales?
• Ease of Use: Is Scout user-friendly for your team, offering an intuitive interface that makes it easy to implement and manage without a steep learning curve?
• Integrations: How well does it integrate with your existing tools and third-party services? Are there any essential integrations your team relies on that must be supported?
• Documentation and Support: Does it offer comprehensive documentation and support resources to ensure successful implementation? Is there a community or team support for troubleshooting and guidance?

Every application monitoring tool has strengths and trade-offs, and what works for one team might not be the best for another. We recommend testing Scout and comparing it against other tools to determine which one best aligns with your needs and monitoring goals.

Why We Think AppSignal is a Great Scout Alternative

This is why we believe AppSignal is an excellent choice if you’re considering migrating from Scout:

• Straightforward Pricing and Relaxed Upgrades: AppSignal’s transparent plans ensure no hidden fees or surprises. Pricing is flexible and upgrades are simple, providing the scalability that your team requires.
• Developer-Centric Design: Built with developers in mind, AppSignal provides powerful monitoring tools to help teams track, troubleshoot, and optimize applications.
• Focused, Actionable Insights: AppSignal provides clear, actionable insights, making it easy to identify performance bottlenecks and issues.

If you’re comparing multiple Scout alternatives, we hope this overview helps you choose the best fit for your development workflow.

If you decide on AppSignal, you can start with a 30-day free trial. For more information or help migrating, feel free to contact the AppSignal team anytime!