Sysdig is a cloud-native security and monitoring platform built for Kubernetes, containers, hosts, cloud services, and runtime threat detection. Its main products are Sysdig Secure, a CNAPP platform for cloud security, and Sysdig Monitor, a Kubernetes and Prometheus-compatible monitoring platform.
This review explains Sysdig pricing, how Sysdig Secure and Sysdig Monitor are licensed, what drives real-world cost, what users like and dislike, and how Sysdig compares with alternatives such as CubeAPM, Wiz, Datadog, Grafana Cloud, New Relic, Dynatrace and CubeAPM.
What Is Sysdig?
Sysdig is a cloud-native application protection and monitoring platform. It is best known for runtime security, Kubernetes visibility, container security, vulnerability management, cloud security posture management, cloud detection and response, and managed Prometheus-style monitoring.
Sysdig’s security product, Sysdig Secure, focuses on CNAPP use cases such as runtime threat detection, vulnerability prioritization, CSPM, CIEM, compliance, host security, container security, and cloud workload protection. Sysdig’s monitoring product, Sysdig Monitor, focuses on Kubernetes monitoring, custom metrics, dashboards, alerts, PromQL workflows, cloud monitoring, and cost visibility.
Sysdig is strongest for teams running Kubernetes-heavy and cloud-native environments where runtime context matters. It is not just a traditional APM tool, and it is not only a cloud posture scanner. Its main strength is combining cloud-native security with runtime visibility.
Supported Environments, Integrations, and Data Sources
Sysdig supports cloud-native, Kubernetes, container, host, and cloud environments. Its AWS Marketplace profile describes Sysdig as a platform for security, DevOps, and platform teams protecting AWS cloud services, AWS Fargate, Amazon EKS, and Amazon ECS infrastructure and workloads.
Common coverage includes:
| Area | Sysdig support |
| Cloud platforms | AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, hybrid cloud environments |
| Kubernetes | Kubernetes clusters, nodes, containers, workloads, namespaces |
| Containers | Container runtime security, image and workload context |
| Hosts | Physical servers, virtual machines, cloud instances |
| Monitoring data | Prometheus-style metrics, custom metrics, dashboards, alerts |
| Security data | Runtime events, vulnerabilities, compliance findings, cloud logs |
| Serverless/CaaS | AWS Fargate, Google Cloud Run, and similar container service environments should be clarified in the quote |
Key Features of Sysdig
Sysdig Secure is the security side of the platform. It covers CNAPP, runtime threat detection, vulnerability management, CSPM, CIEM, compliance, container security, host security, and cloud detection and response. Sysdig’s pricing page lists Secure as a product priced around hosts, compute instances, and cloud log-based detections.
Sysdig’s runtime security positioning is built around real-time visibility into cloud-native workloads. Its container and Kubernetes security page highlights real-time visibility into containers and Kubernetes activity.
This is one of Sysdig’s clearest differentiators. Runtime detection can show what is happening inside running workloads, instead of relying only on static posture checks or image scans.
Sysdig Secure helps teams identify and prioritize vulnerabilities across cloud-native environments. Gartner review excerpts mention Sysdig being useful for detecting vulnerabilities and compliance violations.
Sysdig includes cloud security posture management and cloud infrastructure entitlement management as part of its cloud-native security coverage. These capabilities help teams identify misconfigurations, risky permissions, and cloud exposure paths.
Sysdig Secure supports compliance use cases across cloud-native environments. Users on Gartner mention compliance violation detection as one of the useful areas.
Sysdig Monitor is the observability side of the platform. It provides Kubernetes monitoring, dashboards, alerts, custom metrics, PromQL-based workflows, managed Prometheus-style monitoring, and Kubernetes cost visibility. Sysdig’s Monitor page highlights dashboards, alerts, cost optimization, and affordable custom metrics.
Sysdig Monitor uses time-series billing for custom metrics. Sysdig documentation says time-series billing applies only to time series generated by custom metrics and helps users understand usage and overages.
This matters because Kubernetes and Prometheus environments can generate high-cardinality metrics. Sysdig’s documentation explains that cardinality is the number of unique time series associated with a metric, and each combination of labels and label values can produce a separate time series.
Sysdig Pricing in 2026
Sysdig pricing is quote-based. Sysdig does not publish fixed per-host or per-month prices on its official pricing page. Instead, the pricing page says prices are tailored to each organization and asks buyers to request a quote.
The official pricing page does confirm the main pricing mechanics:
| Product / usage area | Pricing model shown publicly |
| Sysdig Secure | Host-based pricing |
| CSPM | Compute instance-based pricing |
| Cloud log-based detections | Events processed |
| Sysdig Monitor | Host-based or time-series-based pricing |
| Custom metrics | Time-series usage can affect billing |
This means Sysdig pricing depends on the product mix, host count, compute instance count, cloud-log event volume, custom time-series usage, serverless or CaaS usage, support needs, and contract terms.
Sysdig Secure and Sysdig Monitor Pricing Details
Sysdig pricing is quote-based, but its public pricing page explains the main billing units. Secure is tied to hosts, compute instances, and cloud-log events. Monitor can be licensed by host or time-series usage.
| Product | Pricing basis | Covers | What to clarify |
| Sysdig Secure | Hosts | Runtime security, CNAPP, vulnerabilities, compliance, CSPM, CIEM | How is a host counted? |
| CSPM | Compute instances | Cloud posture checks and misconfiguration detection | What counts as a compute instance? |
| Cloud log detections | Events processed | Detection from cloud audit and activity logs | What event volume is included? |
| Sysdig Monitor | Hosts or time series | Kubernetes monitoring, dashboards, alerts, custom metrics | Which metrics are included? |
| Custom metrics | Time-series usage | Prometheus-style custom metrics | What are the limits and overage rates? |
Sysdig Monitor needs extra attention in Kubernetes and Prometheus-heavy environments. High-cardinality metrics can create many unique time series because each label and label-value combination may create a separate series.
Before signing, buyers should ask Sysdig to define host counting, compute-instance counting, included cloud-log events, custom time-series limits, overage rates, serverless/CaaS treatment, support level, retention, and compliance requirements.
How Sysdig Measures Usage
Sysdig uses different pricing units depending on the product and feature.
Sysdig Secure is tied to host-based pricing. A host can typically mean a physical server, virtual machine, cloud instance, or Kubernetes node, but buyers should confirm the exact contract definition with Sysdig.
Sysdig’s pricing page references compute instances for CSPM. This is important for cloud environments where posture management coverage may not map directly to host-based runtime coverage.
Sysdig’s pricing page says cloud log-based detections are priced by events processed. This matters for teams ingesting AWS, Azure, GCP, Okta, GitHub, or other audit and activity logs.
Sysdig Monitor time-series billing applies to custom metrics. Sysdig documentation says time-series billing helps users understand hourly usage and overages, and that it applies only to custom metric-generated time series.
Sysdig documentation explains that cardinality is the number of unique time series associated with a metric. Each label and label-value combination can create another time series, which is why Prometheus-style custom metrics can increase monitoring cost.
What Drives Sysdig Costs?
Sysdig Secure and Sysdig Monitor solve different problems. Secure focuses on CNAPP and runtime security. Monitor focuses on Kubernetes monitoring, managed Prometheus-style metrics, dashboards, alerts, and cost visibility. Buying one product is different from buying both.
Cloud log-based detections are priced by events processed. This can matter for teams with high audit-log volume from AWS CloudTrail, Azure Activity Logs, GCP Audit Logs, Okta, GitHub, and similar sources.
Sysdig Monitor time-series billing applies to custom metrics. High-cardinality Prometheus metrics can increase usage because each label combination can create a unique time series.
AWS Marketplace lists additional usage dimensions for serverless host-hours and CaaS-style coverage. Buyers using AWS Fargate, ECS, EKS, Google Cloud Run, or similar services should confirm how those workloads are billed.
Sysdig’s public pricing page mentions support and service options, but it does not publish separate prices for premium support, onboarding, training, or professional services. These should be clarified during procurement.
Sysdig User Reviews
Sysdig has review visibility across Gartner Peer Insights, PeerSpot, G2, Capterra, and Software Advice.
| Review source | Rating shown publicly | Review count shown publicly |
| Gartner Peer Insights / Sysdig CNAPP vendor-reported summary | 4.8/5 | 287 ratings as of January 2026 |
| PeerSpot, Sysdig Secure | 8.2/10 | Multiple enterprise reviews |
| G2, Sysdig Secure | 4.8/5 | 111 reviews |
| Capterra / Software Advice | 4.4/5 | 7 reviews |
What Users Like
Users praise Sysdig for visibility into cloud-native and containerized environments. Gartner review snippets describe Sysdig Secure as strong for cloud security monitoring, compliance management, and containerized environments.
Gartner review excerpts mention Sysdig being useful for detecting vulnerabilities, compliance violations, and cost-saving opportunities.
G2’s review summary says users praise Sysdig Secure for real-time threat detection and visibility across cloud-native environments.
Sysdig is repeatedly positioned around Kubernetes, containers, and runtime insights. Its container and Kubernetes security page highlights deep real-time visibility into Kubernetes and container activity.
What Users Criticize
⚠️ Disclaimer
The following points reflect public user-review themes from review platforms. They should be treated as user feedback, not universal limitations of Sysdig.
Some G2 reviewers mention feature limitations, which suggests buyers should validate whether Sysdig covers their exact security, monitoring, reporting, and workflow needs before signing.
Complexity is another repeated review theme. Sysdig is built for cloud-native security and Kubernetes environments, so setup, policy tuning, integrations, and day-to-day use may require experienced platform or security engineers.
Some users mention missing features. This does not mean Sysdig lacks core CNAPP capabilities, but it does mean teams should test specific requirements such as reporting, dashboards, integrations, automation, and alert workflows during evaluation.
G2 also highlights difficult learning as a review theme. Teams new to Kubernetes security, runtime detection, or Prometheus-style monitoring may need onboarding time before they get full value from the platform.
Sysdig Alternatives: How It Compares to Competitors
Sysdig vs CubeAPM
Sysdig Secure is a cloud-native security platform for CNAPP, runtime threat detection, vulnerability management, CSPM, CIEM, and compliance. CubeAPM is not a replacement for Sysdig Secure. CubeAPM fits the observability layer: APM, logs, metrics, traces, dashboards, OpenTelemetry-native data collection, and self-hosted vendor-managed deployment.
| Category | Sysdig | CubeAPM |
| Main use case | Cloud-native security and Kubernetes monitoring | APM and observability |
| Deployment | SaaS / enterprise cloud platform | Self-hosted, vendor-managed |
| Pricing model | Quote-based, host/event/time-series driven | $0.15/GB ingestion |
| Security coverage | CNAPP, runtime detection, CSPM, CIEM | Not a CNAPP replacement |
| Best for | Runtime Kubernetes security | Lower-cost OpenTelemetry-native observability |
CubeAPM is a strong option when the team’s problem is observability cost, telemetry ownership, traces, metrics, logs, dashboards, and APM. Sysdig remains the better fit when the core requirement is runtime cloud security.
Sysdig vs New Relic
New Relic is a broader observability platform for APM, infrastructure monitoring, logs, errors, browser monitoring, mobile monitoring, synthetics, and dashboards. Sysdig is more focused on cloud-native security, runtime threat detection, Kubernetes security, and managed Prometheus-style monitoring. New Relic’s pricing is mainly based on data ingest and users, with 100 GB/month free and paid ingest starting at $0.40/GB for Original Data on Standard.
| Category | Sysdig | New Relic |
| Main use case | Cloud-native security and Kubernetes monitoring | Full-stack observability and APM |
| Pricing model | Quote-based, host/event/time-series driven | Data ingest + user pricing |
| Logs | Security and cloud-event workflows | Native log ingestion |
| Runtime security | Strong CNAPP/runtime focus | Not a CNAPP-first platform |
| Best for | Kubernetes security teams | Teams needing APM, logs, metrics, and traces |
Choose Sysdig if the main requirement is runtime Kubernetes security, vulnerability management, CSPM, CIEM, and cloud-native threat detection. Choose New Relic if the team needs broad application observability with native logs, APM, infrastructure monitoring, and user experience monitoring.
Sysdig vs Dynatrace
Dynatrace is an enterprise observability platform built around application performance monitoring, infrastructure monitoring, digital experience monitoring, automation, and AI-assisted root-cause analysis. Sysdig is stronger for runtime cloud-native security and Kubernetes workload protection. Dynatrace’s public pricing lists Full-Stack Monitoring at $58/month per 8 GiB host, billed at $0.08 per hour per host, and Infrastructure Monitoring at $0.04 per hour for any size host.
| Category | Sysdig | Dynatrace |
| Main use case | Runtime CNAPP and Kubernetes monitoring | Enterprise full-stack observability |
| Pricing model | Quote-based host/event/time-series pricing | Consumption-based host pricing |
| APM | Not the core product category | Strong APM and service mapping |
| Automation | Runtime detection and policy workflows | Strong Davis AI root-cause analysis |
| Best for | Cloud-native security teams | Large teams needing automated observability |
Choose Sysdig if cloud-native security, runtime detection, and Kubernetes risk visibility are the main priorities. Choose Dynatrace if the team needs deep APM, automated dependency mapping, digital experience monitoring, and AI-assisted root-cause analysis across a large enterprise environment.
Sysdig vs Wiz
Sysdig and Wiz are often compared in CNAPP evaluations, but they approach the market differently. Sysdig is stronger in runtime visibility and Kubernetes workload context. Wiz is widely known for agentless cloud visibility, cloud inventory, posture management, and attack path analysis.
| Category | Sysdig | Wiz |
| Main approach | Runtime-first cloud security | Agentless-first cloud security |
| Runtime visibility | Strong | More limited unless using runtime add-ons |
| Deployment model | Agent-based for deep runtime coverage | Agentless-first |
| Kubernetes focus | Strong | Strong cloud posture, less runtime-centered |
| Best for | Teams needing runtime workload context | Teams wanting fast cloud visibility |
Choose Sysdig if runtime Kubernetes and container detection are central. Choose Wiz if agentless cloud posture visibility and fast deployment are the main priorities.
Sysdig vs Datadog
Datadog is a broader SaaS observability platform with infrastructure monitoring, APM, logs, RUM, synthetics, security monitoring, cloud SIEM, and hundreds of integrations. Sysdig is more specialized around cloud-native security, runtime threat detection, Kubernetes security, and Prometheus-style monitoring.
| Category | Sysdig | Datadog |
| Main use case | Runtime cloud security and Kubernetes monitoring | Full-stack SaaS observability |
| APM | Not the core product category | Strong APM product |
| Logs | Security/event workflows | Native log management |
| Runtime security | Strong CNAPP/runtime focus | Security products available |
| Best for | Kubernetes security teams | Broad DevOps observability teams |
Choose Sysdig if runtime cloud-native security is the core use case. Choose Datadog if the primary need is full-stack SaaS observability across applications, infrastructure, logs, RUM, and synthetics.
Sysdig vs Grafana Cloud
Grafana Cloud is strongest for metrics, logs, traces, dashboards, and Prometheus/Grafana workflows. Sysdig Monitor overlaps with Kubernetes monitoring and custom metrics, but Sysdig Secure adds runtime security and CNAPP capabilities that Grafana Cloud does not replace.
| Category | Sysdig | Grafana Cloud |
| Main use case | Cloud-native security and Kubernetes monitoring | Open-source-style observability SaaS |
| Metrics | Sysdig Monitor custom metrics | Prometheus/Mimir-style metrics |
| Logs/traces | Not the main positioning | Loki and Tempo ecosystem |
| Security | CNAPP and runtime security | Not a CNAPP replacement |
| Best for | Security-led Kubernetes visibility | Observability-led engineering teams |
Choose Sysdig for security-led Kubernetes visibility. Choose Grafana Cloud for observability-led teams that want dashboards, metrics, logs, and traces with strong open-source compatibility.
Is Sysdig the Right Choice?
Sysdig Works Best For
Sysdig is a strong fit for teams running Kubernetes in production and needing visibility into containers, workloads, hosts, and runtime behavior.
Sysdig is strongest when runtime detection matters. If the team needs to understand what workloads are actually doing in production, Sysdig is more relevant than posture-only tools.
Sysdig Secure covers CNAPP, vulnerability management, CSPM, CIEM, compliance, and runtime security. That makes it a good fit for larger teams consolidating cloud-native security workflows.
Sysdig Monitor is relevant for teams that want Kubernetes monitoring, dashboards, custom metrics, alerts, and PromQL workflows.
Sysdig is available through AWS Marketplace and is designed for enterprise buying workflows.
Sysdig May Not Be the Right Fit For
Sysdig does not publish fixed public pricing. Buyers that need immediate price certainty may prefer tools with public plan cards.
Sysdig is not primarily an APM-first platform. Smaller teams that only need application traces, metrics, logs, and dashboards may find a dedicated observability platform easier and cheaper.
Sysdig’s runtime depth depends on workload visibility. Teams that strongly prefer agentless-first cloud posture scanning may prefer Wiz or similar platforms.
Sysdig Monitor time-series billing applies to custom metrics. Teams with high-cardinality Prometheus metrics should model usage carefully before signing.
Conclusion
Sysdig is a strong cloud-native security and Kubernetes monitoring platform. Its clearest strength is runtime visibility across containers, Kubernetes, hosts, and cloud environments. That makes it valuable for teams that need CNAPP, vulnerability management, compliance, runtime threat detection, and cloud workload protection.
The main challenge is pricing transparency. Sysdig does not publish fixed public rates, and final cost can depend on hosts, compute instances, cloud-log events, custom time-series usage, serverless coverage, support needs, discounts, and contract terms.
For security teams, Sysdig is worth evaluating when runtime detection and Kubernetes security are the core requirements. For observability teams mainly trying to reduce APM, metrics, logs, and tracing costs, CubeAPM can be a better fit because it uses predictable $0.15/GB ingestion pricing and runs inside the customer’s own environment. The best approach is to evaluate Sysdig Secure for cloud-native security and CubeAPM or similar tools separately for application observability.
Disclaimer: Pricing, packaging, included entitlements, support terms, and product limits can change. Sysdig pricing is quote-based, and Sysdig does not publish fixed public rates on its official pricing page. The cost examples in this article are editorial estimates based on public pricing mechanics and third-party market data available as of June 2026. Always confirm final pricing, usage limits, discounts, support terms, and contract details directly with Sysdig before purchase.
FAQs
1. How much does Sysdig cost?
Sysdig does not publish fixed public pricing on its official pricing page. Pricing is quote-based and depends on hosts, compute instances, cloud-log events, custom time-series usage, selected products, support, and contract terms.
2. Is Sysdig priced per host?
Sysdig Secure uses host-based pricing, according to Sysdig’s official pricing page. Sysdig also lists compute instance-based pricing for CSPM and event-based pricing for cloud log detections.
3. How is Sysdig Monitor priced?
Sysdig Monitor is available through host-based licensing and time-series-based licensing. Sysdig documentation says time-series billing applies to custom metrics and helps users understand usage and overages.
4. Does Sysdig have a free tier?
Sysdig’s official pricing page does not list a permanent free tier. Buyers should confirm trial availability directly with Sysdig.
5. What drives Sysdig cost?
The biggest cost drivers are host count, product selection, cloud-log event volume, compute instances, custom time-series usage, serverless or CaaS usage, support requirements, and contract terms.
6. Is Sysdig good for Kubernetes?
Yes. Sysdig is especially strong for Kubernetes and container environments. Sysdig’s own materials highlight real-time visibility into containers and Kubernetes, and review snippets also describe it as strong for containerized environments.
7. Is Sysdig an APM tool?
Sysdig Monitor provides Kubernetes monitoring, dashboards, alerts, custom metrics, and Prometheus-style workflows. However, Sysdig is not best understood as a traditional APM-first tool. Its broader strength is cloud-native security and Kubernetes monitoring.
8. What are the best Sysdig alternatives?
The strongest Sysdig alternatives depend on the use case. Wiz is strong for agentless cloud security. Prisma Cloud is strong for broad enterprise CNAPP. Aqua Security is strong for container and workload security. Datadog and Grafana Cloud are stronger for observability. CubeAPM is a strong alternative for teams that need self-hosted, OpenTelemetry-native APM and observability with predictable per-GB pricing.