If you’re evaluating New Relic Synthetics for synthetic monitoring software, the three strongest independent alternatives in our editorial ranking are Checkly, Datadog Synthetic Monitoring, Pingdom. Each has a different best-fit buyer — the right choice depends on team size and workflow, not on which has the loudest review-site presence.
Why New Relic Synthetics sometimes isn’t the right pick: Modern engineering teams wanting Playwright (Checkly preferred), buyers wanting deepest AI features (Dynatrace preferred), or those concerned about Francisco Partners post-acquisition product investment trajectory. See full “worst for” verdict →
9 New Relic Synthetics alternatives
| Rank | Product | Best for | Target size | Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Checkly | Engineering teams (10-2,000 engineers) who treat synthetics as part of the SDLC, want Playwright-native authoring, and prefer monitoring-as-code over recorder UIs. | 10-2,000 | ● Transparent |
| #2 | Datadog Synthetic Monitoring | Mid-market and enterprise (200-10,000+ employees) already on Datadog APM, RUM, and logs who want unified synthetic monitoring in the same platform. | 200-100,000+ | ● Transparent |
| #3 | Pingdom | SMB and mid-market teams (under 500 employees) wanting simple uptime + transaction monitoring with public status pages and minimal setup. | 1-500 | ● Transparent |
| #4 | AlertSite | API-heavy teams already using SoapUI/ReadyAPI who want to reuse API tests as synthetic monitors, plus enterprise teams needing strong SLA reporting. | 100-10,000 | ○ Quote-only |
| #5 | Catchpoint | Enterprise digital-experience teams (500-100,000+ employees) at global SaaS, CDN providers, content-delivery, and consumer internet companies where network-path visibility is mission-critical. | 500-100,000+ | ○ Quote-only |
| #6 | Uptrends | Mid-market teams (50-2,000 employees) wanting transparent published pricing, mature browser/transaction monitoring, and a recorder-led authoring model. | 50-2,000 | ● Transparent |
| #7 | Site24x7 | SMB and mid-market teams (5-500 employees) wanting one IT monitoring tool for synthetic + server + network + APM at a single low price point. | 5-500 | ● Transparent |
| #8 | Dynatrace Synthetic Monitoring | Enterprise SRE teams (500-100,000+ employees) already on the Dynatrace platform who want synthetic monitoring tied into Davis AI root-cause analysis. | 500-100,000+ | ○ Quote-only |
| #9 | ThousandEyes | Cisco-anchored enterprises (1,000-100,000+ employees) needing network-path visibility, BGP/DNS analysis, and synthetic monitoring as one signal in a broader Cisco observability fabric. | 1,000-100,000+ | ○ Quote-only |
Which alternative for which buyer
Checkly
Modern code-first synthetic monitoring built on Playwright.
Engineering teams (10-2,000 engineers) who treat synthetics as part of the SDLC, want Playwright-native authoring, and prefer monitoring-as-code over recorder UIs.
Non-engineering buyers (marketing teams, compliance teams) who need a point-and-click recorder, or organizations wanting full observability convergence in one vendor.
Datadog Synthetic Monitoring
Premium synthetic monitoring inside the Datadog observability platform.
Mid-market and enterprise (200-10,000+ employees) already on Datadog APM, RUM, and logs who want unified synthetic monitoring in the same platform.
Cost-conscious teams, code-first engineering teams (Checkly preferred), or anyone wanting standalone synthetics without committing to the Datadog platform.
Pingdom
Legacy uptime monitoring brand inside SolarWinds.
SMB and mid-market teams (under 500 employees) wanting simple uptime + transaction monitoring with public status pages and minimal setup.
Modern engineering teams wanting code-first authoring (Checkly preferred), enterprise procurement teams still cautious post-SUNBURST, or buyers wanting tight APM/observability integration.
AlertSite
SmartBear-owned synthetic monitoring for API and web.
API-heavy teams already using SoapUI/ReadyAPI who want to reuse API tests as synthetic monitors, plus enterprise teams needing strong SLA reporting.
Modern engineering teams wanting Playwright-native authoring (Checkly preferred), or buyers wanting transparent published pricing.
Catchpoint
Enterprise digital-experience monitoring with the deepest global node footprint.
Enterprise digital-experience teams (500-100,000+ employees) at global SaaS, CDN providers, content-delivery, and consumer internet companies where network-path visibility is mission-critical.
SMB and mid-market under 500 employees, cost-conscious teams (Checkly 90% cheaper), or buyers wanting transparent pricing.
Uptrends
Mid-market synthetic monitoring inside the ITRS Group portfolio.
Mid-market teams (50-2,000 employees) wanting transparent published pricing, mature browser/transaction monitoring, and a recorder-led authoring model.
Modern engineering teams wanting code-first authoring (Checkly preferred), or Fortune 500 buyers wanting Catchpoint-grade network-path analysis.
Related editorial
Last updated 2026-05-10. Rankings reflect editorial judgment based on the published Top 10 Synthetic Monitoring Software for 2026. We accept no vendor payments. Found something inaccurate? Tell us.