SECURITY
2025 Comparison

Splunk vs Datadog Certification

Compare Splunk and Datadog observability platform certifications.

Side-by-Side Comparison
Salary Insights
Expert Verdict

Splunk Core Certified Power User

Splunk

Difficulty
Intermediate
Duration75 minutes
Cost$130 USD
Valid For3 years
Salary Range$95,000 - $140,000

Datadog Fundamentals

Datadog

Difficulty
Foundational
DurationSelf-paced
CostFree
Valid ForN/A
Salary Range$105,000 - $150,000
Detailed Comparison

Feature-by-Feature Breakdown

Compare all aspects of these certifications side by side

FeatureSplunk Core Certified Power UserDatadog Fundamentals
ProviderSplunkDatadog
Difficulty Level
Intermediate
Foundational
Exam Duration75 minutesSelf-paced
Exam Cost$130 USDFree
Exam FormatMultiple choiceCourse + assessment
PrerequisitesSplunk User certificationNone
Validity Period3 yearsN/A
Ideal ForSOC analysts and IT operationsDevOps engineers
Salary Range$95,000 - $140,000$105,000 - $150,000
Coverage Areas

What Each Certification Covers

Key topics and domains covered in each exam

Splunk Core Certified Power User Focus Areas

  • SPL
  • Reports
  • Dashboards
  • Data Models
  • Alerts

Datadog Fundamentals Focus Areas

  • Metrics
  • Logs
  • APM
  • Infrastructure
  • Dashboards
Expert Verdict

Our Recommendation

Splunk for enterprise SIEM; Datadog for modern observability.

Choose Splunk Core Certified Power User

Choose Splunk for enterprise security and log analytics.

Choose Datadog Fundamentals

Choose Datadog for cloud-native observability and APM.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is better: Splunk Core Certified Power User or Datadog Fundamentals?

Splunk for enterprise SIEM; Datadog for modern observability.

What are the salary differences between Splunk Core Certified Power User?

Splunk Core Certified Power User typically offers salaries around $95,000 - $140,000, while Datadog Fundamentals offers $105,000 - $150,000.

Which certification should I get first?

Choose Splunk for enterprise security and log analytics. Choose Datadog for cloud-native observability and APM.

How long does it take to prepare for these certifications?

Preparation time varies based on experience. Most candidates spend 4-12 weeks studying, depending on their background and the certification difficulty level.

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