New Relic vs Dynatrace for Database Monitoring (2026)

Quick verdict

Short answer

Choose New Relic if your databases are PostgreSQL, MySQL or SQL Server, you want to start free or pay as you go without an annual commitment, and only a few people need full platform access. Choose Dynatrace if you also need Oracle, MariaDB or SAP HANA in the same platform, want health scores, lock and deadlock detection and inventory views for databases, and your organisation can sign an annual spend commitment in exchange for unlimited users. For either, database monitoring is one part of a wider observability purchase; if databases are all you need, a dedicated monitor is often simpler.

How we know: This comparison is research-based: database monitoring features, supported engines, collection methods, deployment and pricing models were checked against New Relic's and Dynatrace's official pricing pages and documentation on 7 November 2026. We have not connected either platform to our own databases, so nothing here is a measured result.

New Relic is a SaaS observability platform covering APM, infrastructure, logs, browser, mobile and more, with data stored in a US or EU data centre. Its database feature, query performance monitoring, was announced as generally available on 22 July 2025 for MySQL, PostgreSQL and Microsoft SQL Server, self-hosted or on Amazon RDS and Aurora. It works through New Relic's on-host integrations and, according to New Relic, does not require APM agents. See our New Relic profile.

Dynatrace is an observability and security platform. Its Databases app relies on database extensions that run on customer-run ActiveGate groups and connect remotely to each database server, with OneAgent on hosts adding resource context. The documentation names PostgreSQL, MySQL, Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle, MariaDB and SAP HANA. Data lands in Grail, Dynatrace's data lakehouse. Dynatrace also documents a separate Dynatrace Managed product built around a Managed Cluster; this comparison covers the SaaS platform. See our Dynatrace profile.

Side by side

Aspect	New Relic	Dynatrace
Platform	SaaS observability (US or EU data centre)	SaaS observability; separate Dynatrace Managed product
Engines with query-level monitoring	PostgreSQL, MySQL, Microsoft SQL Server	PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQL Server, Oracle, MariaDB, SAP HANA (documented vendors)
Collection	On-host integrations with the infrastructure agent; APM agents not required	Database extensions on ActiveGate groups connecting remotely; OneAgent for host metrics
Query analysis	Slowest queries, execution counts, disk I/O, slow query samples, execution plans	Statement analysis ranked by time, CPU, disk or waits, with execution plans on request
Waits and locking	Top wait events, wait trends, blocking sessions	Blocking queries and deadlock detection
Health and inventory	Query performance dashboard per database	Composite health score, health alerts, database, table and index explorer, unmonitored database detection
Pricing model	GB ingested beyond 100 GB free, plus core and full platform users; compute-based option	Dynatrace Platform Subscription: annual minimum commitment drawn down at rate-card prices
Users	Basic users free; core USD 49; full platform users priced per user	Unlimited seats, no per-user fees
Free option	Free tier: 100 GB a month, one full platform user	15-day free trial
Main trade-off	Easy start and no commitment, but three engines and per-user costs	More engines and database views, but an annual commitment and ActiveGate infrastructure

Key differences

Engine coverage

New Relic's query performance monitoring is documented for three engines: PostgreSQL, MySQL and Microsoft SQL. New Relic has other database integrations, but query-level analysis for Oracle or MongoDB is not part of this feature as documented. That covers many application stacks, but not organisations with Oracle or SAP estates.

Dynatrace's Databases documentation names PostgreSQL, MySQL, MSSQL, Oracle, MariaDB and HanaDB among supported vendors. If you run Oracle or SAP HANA next to open source engines and want them in one observability platform, Dynatrace covers more of that estate out of the box.

How data is collected

New Relic uses its on-host integrations, which run with the infrastructure agent wherever the database is reachable. On PostgreSQL the integration reads pg_stat_statements, so the extension must be installed. Only queries above a response-time threshold are sent, which keeps ingest down but can hide very fast, very frequent queries unless you lower it.

Dynatrace assigns one or more ActiveGate groups to connect remotely to each database server. ActiveGate needs a direct network connection to the database host, and databases that need extra components, such as JDBC drivers, need them on every designated ActiveGate. You create a monitoring user with access to system views, performance metrics and schemas. So Dynatrace asks for more infrastructure up front (the ActiveGates), while New Relic asks for an agent near each database.

What you see for databases

New Relic's query performance dashboard has three tabs: Query analysis (databases, average execution time, execution counts, top wait events, slowest queries, disk I/O and blocking sessions), Query details (slow query samples and execution plan metrics) and Wait time analysis (wait event totals and counts, wait trends per instance and the queries behind significant waits).

Dynatrace's Databases app adds more operational views: a composite health score per instance, health alerts and early warning signals, statement performance analysis with execution plans, blocking queries and deadlocks, explorer views for databases, tables and indexes with schema visualisation, prebuilt alert templates by vendor and recommendations that flag outdated extensions and unmonitored databases. Data is stored in the default_database_monitoring Grail bucket, which can be access-restricted by policy, useful where query text is sensitive.

Pricing models and who pays for users

New Relic charges for data and people. Ingest beyond the free 100 GB a month is billed per GB, and users are billed by type: basic users are free, core users cost USD 49 a month, and full platform users are priced per user by edition. Enabling query monitoring adds events, and therefore ingest. There is no annual commitment on Standard or Pro pay as you go.

Dynatrace sells the Dynatrace Platform Subscription: an annual minimum spend, not published, drawn down at rate-card prices across all capabilities, with on-demand usage at the same rates after the commitment is used and no per-user fees. The Databases documentation does not itemise how database extension usage is metered, so ask Dynatrace for that figure. In our view, New Relic is easier to start and to keep small, while Dynatrace's model rewards organisations that will use many capabilities with many users.

Pricing and licensing

New Relic. Listed on newrelic.com/pricing in November 2026 (prices shown with a dollar sign): the Free tier includes 100 GB of data ingest a month, unlimited basic users and one full platform user, with no credit card. Ingest beyond 100 GB costs $0.40 per GB (Original) or $0.60 per GB (Data Plus) on Standard and Pro, plus $0.05 per GB for the EU data centre. Core users are $49 per month. Full platform users are $10 for the first and $99 for each additional (up to five) on Standard; $349 per user per month with an annual commitment or $418.80 pay as you go on Pro; Enterprise by quote. Compute-based pricing is offered through sales. Example: 400 GB of Original ingest in a month on Standard with two full platform users lists at (400 - 100) x $0.40 + $10 + $99 = $229.

Dynatrace. Listed on dynatrace.com/pricing in November 2026: the Dynatrace Platform Subscription requires an annual minimum commitment (amount not published), with unlimited seats. Sample rate-card prices: Foundation and Discovery $7 per host per month, Infrastructure Monitoring $29 per host per month, Full-Stack Monitoring $58 per month per 8 GiB host, and log ingest $0.20 per GiB. A 15-day free trial is available. Database extension consumption is not itemised on the pricing page; get a quote for your database count.

Pricing checked on the vendors' official pages on 7 November 2026. Prices change; confirm before buying.

Where each one leads

New Relic strengths

Free tier with 100 GB of ingest a month and one full platform user
Pay as you go without an annual commitment on Standard and Pro
Query monitoring works without APM agents
Wait time analysis and blocking sessions for PostgreSQL, MySQL and SQL Server
Public per-GB and per-user prices

Dynatrace strengths

Covers Oracle, MariaDB and SAP HANA as well as PostgreSQL, MySQL and SQL Server
Health score, deadlock detection and table and index inventory per database
Unlimited seats with no per-user fees
Access-restricted Grail bucket for database monitoring data
Remote collection, so no agent is installed on the database host itself

Limitations

New Relic limitations

Query-level monitoring documented for three engines only
Full platform user fees can dominate cost for larger teams
Queries below the response-time threshold are not sent by default
SaaS only; monitoring data leaves your network

Dynatrace limitations

Annual minimum commitment, not published
ActiveGate groups with network access to every database are required
Database extension consumption is not itemised on the public pricing page
Heavy to adopt only for database monitoring

When to choose each

Choose New Relic if

Your databases are PostgreSQL, MySQL or SQL Server
You want to start free or pay monthly without a commitment
A small number of engineers need full platform access
You already use New Relic APM or infrastructure monitoring

Choose Dynatrace if

You run Oracle, MariaDB or SAP HANA alongside other engines
Many people across teams need access without per-user fees
You are standardising on one enterprise observability platform with an annual budget
You want health scores, deadlock detection and inventory views for databases

When neither is right

A DBA team mainly needs SQL Server depth: see Redgate Monitor vs SQL Sentry and SQL Sentry vs SolarWinds DPA.
You want per-database-host pricing and broader query-level engine coverage including MongoDB: see Datadog vs New Relic.
You want open source tools you host: see Prometheus vs Datadog and pganalyze vs Percona PMM.
You are unsure whether you need APM or a database monitor: see Database monitoring vs APM.

Final recommendation

Bottom line

Both platforms place database data next to application and infrastructure telemetry; the differences are scope and commercial model. New Relic suits teams on PostgreSQL, MySQL and SQL Server that want a free start, monthly flexibility and useful query, wait and plan detail, as long as the number of full platform users stays modest. Dynatrace suits larger organisations with Oracle or SAP HANA in the mix, many users and an annual observability budget, and it offers richer database health and inventory views at the cost of ActiveGate infrastructure and a commitment. Model both against your real ingest, host and user numbers before deciding.

Frequently asked questions

Does New Relic monitor Oracle query performance?

Not through query performance monitoring as documented in November 2026, which covers PostgreSQL, MySQL and Microsoft SQL Server. Dynatrace's Databases documentation lists Oracle among supported vendors.

Does Dynatrace charge per user?

No. Dynatrace's pricing page says the Dynatrace Platform Subscription includes unlimited seats with no per-user fees. You commit to an annual minimum spend consumed at rate-card prices.

Is there a free version of either?

New Relic has a free tier with 100 GB of ingest a month, unlimited basic users and one full platform user. Dynatrace offers a 15-day free trial rather than a free tier.

Do I need to install anything on the database server?

For New Relic, the on-host integration runs with the infrastructure agent on a host that can reach the database. For Dynatrace, database extensions run on ActiveGate groups that connect remotely, so nothing runs on the database host itself, though OneAgent adds host metrics where installed.

Sources

Checked November 2026.

How we research comparisons: our editorial method.