Best Node.js Monitoring Tools Compared (2025 Update)
Introduction
With multiple monitoring tools available, choosing the right one can be challenging. In this 2025 update, we compare the best Node.js monitoring tools based on features, ease of use, and pricing to help you make the best decision.
What to Look for in a Node.js Monitoring Tool
Before diving into the tools, here are the key factors to consider:
- Real-time monitoring – Captures CPU, memory, event loop performance.
- Error tracking & logging – Helps diagnose issues quickly.
- Alerts & notifications – Proactively warns about performance bottlenecks.
- Scalability – Should handle high traffic & large applications.
- Ease of setup & integration – Should work seamlessly with Node.js.
Now, let’s explore the top monitoring tools for Node.js in 2025.
1. Watchlog (Best for Real-time & Lightweight Monitoring ✅)
Overview: Watchlog is a lightweight, real-time monitoring tool designed specifically for Node.js applications. It offers low-latency tracking, customizable dashboards, and smart alerts for detecting anomalies instantly.
Key Features:
- Real-time performance tracking (CPU, memory, event loop delay)
- Customizable alerts via Slack, email, or webhook
- Intuitive dashboard with detailed analytics
- Seamless integration with Node.js frameworks
- Free for the first month
- Monitor PM2 applications(Pm2 Integration) with per-app requests per minute, memory usage, and CPU usage
- Send custom metrics with Watchlog npm package
How to Send Custom Metrics with Watchlog (Step-by-Step)
Step 1: Install the Agent on Your Server
Replace your-api-key and your-server with your actual Watchlog API key and server from the Dashboard.
sudo apiKey="your-api-key" server="your-server" bash -c "$(curl -L https://watchlog.io/ubuntu/watchlog-script.sh)"
Step 2: Install watchlog-metric Package
npm install watchlog-metric
Step 3: Send Custom Events
const watchlog = require("watchlog-metric");
// Send Metric: Increments a stat by a value (default is 1)
watchlog.increment("Your_metric");
watchlog.increment("Your_metric", 75);
Best For: Developers and companies needing fast and lightweight monitoring with full control over their data.
Pricing: Free for the first month & paid plans for advanced features.
2. New Relic (Best for Enterprise-level Full-Stack Monitoring)
Overview: New Relic provides full-stack observability and AI-powered insights for large-scale applications.
Key Features:
- AI-powered root cause analysis
- Transaction tracing for backend debugging
- Infrastructure & Kubernetes monitoring
- Supports frontend, backend, and database monitoring
Best For: Enterprises and teams managing large, distributed applications.
Pricing: Starts at $99/month per user, with free tier available.
3. Datadog (Best for Cloud-based Performance & Security Monitoring)
Overview: Datadog is a cloud-based solution that combines performance monitoring, security analysis, and logging in a single platform.
Key Features:
- Customizable dashboards with interactive analytics
- Error tracking with distributed tracing
- Security & anomaly detection
- Supports multi-cloud & microservices monitoring
Best For: Teams using multi-cloud infrastructure & DevOps workflows.
Pricing: Starts at $15/month per host, with additional costs for add-ons.
4. Prometheus + Grafana (Best for Open-source & Customizable Monitoring)
Overview: Prometheus is an open-source monitoring system, while Grafana provides beautiful visualizations for metrics.
Key Features:
- Time-series data collection & alerting
- Highly customizable dashboards with Grafana
- Ideal for self-hosted, large-scale monitoring
Best For: Developers & teams needing highly customizable, open-source monitoring.
Pricing: Free (self-hosted), requires manual setup.
5. AppDynamics (Best for AI-Powered Business Performance Monitoring)
Overview: AppDynamics (by Cisco) offers AI-powered insights for monitoring Node.js applications.
Key Features:
- Business transaction monitoring
- Smart AI-driven anomaly detection
- Automated performance baselining
- Cloud & hybrid deployment support
Best For: Enterprises needing AI-based monitoring & business analytics.
Pricing: Custom enterprise pricing.
Comparison Table
Conclusion: Which Node.js Monitoring Tool Should You Choose?
If you need a real-time, lightweight solution → Go for Watchlog. ✅
For full enterprise monitoring → New Relic is your best bet.
For DevOps teams using cloud infrastructure → Choose Datadog.
For self-hosted open-source monitoring → Use Prometheus + Grafana.
For AI-powered business insights → AppDynamics is a great choice.
No matter your choice, monitoring is essential to keep your Node.js applications fast, stable, and scalable. Start monitoring today and prevent performance issues before they impact your users! 🚀