Cloudcraft vs IcePanel (2026): which should you pick?

Pick Cloudcraft if

• Fits if you already pay for Datadog and want live architecture maps
• Works for cloud engineers who need diagrams that follow infrastructure changes

Look elsewhere if

• Skip it if you don't use Datadog, as there's no separate plan
• Not for you if you want a freeform whiteboard, because it only maps existing infrastructure
• Watch out: logs, cost, security, APM and GPU overlays need the matching Datadog subscription
• Watch out: the diagrams depend on cloud accounts being connected through Datadog first

Pick IcePanel if

• Fits if your engineers document architecture in the C4 style
• Works for teams where product and engineering read the same diagrams

Look elsewhere if

• Pricey if you have several editors: $40 each a month, and $80 each on Scale
• Tight if you stay free: 1 editor and 100 model objects
• Skip it if you want a freeform whiteboard
• Watch out: the monthly-billing price couldn't be read, and Scale is listed for 20 or more editors

Cloudcraft

• Cloudcraft is described as included with Datadog; the pricing page lists no separate paid plan.
• Logs, cost, security, APM and GPU overlays appear only when the matching Datadog subscription is in use.
• It maps existing infrastructure rather than serving as a freeform whiteboard.

IcePanel

• The free plan stops at 100 model objects and 1 editor.
• Pricing is per editor; the pricing page shows the annual-billing figure, and the monthly-billing price could not be read.
• Scale is listed for 20 or more editors and Enterprise for 50 or more.
• It is an architecture-modeling tool, not a freeform whiteboard.

Cloudcraft

Automatic diagrams

Maps are built and kept current from the read-only cloud integrations already connected to Datadog, with no agent needed for cloud accounts.

Multi-cloud coverage

AWS, Azure, Google Cloud and Oracle Cloud accounts, plus on-prem environments such as VMware vSphere, can sit on one diagram.

Overlays

Infrastructure, monitors and observability coverage are included; logs, cost, security, APM and GPU overlays follow the Datadog products you use.

Export and embed

Export diagrams to SVG and PDF, or embed live diagrams in Datadog dashboards.

AI and MCP access

Ask Bits AI questions beside a diagram, or connect agents such as Claude Code and Codex through the Datadog MCP Server.

IcePanel

Shared architecture model

Systems, domains and connections are modeled once and reused across diagrams, so a change in the model shows up everywhere.

C4 model diagrams

The product is built around the C4 model for zooming from system context down to components.

Flows

Step-by-step flows between objects show how requests move through a system; the free plan allows 1 flow per diagram.

Draft future designs

Growth and above can draft future-state designs next to the current model, and record decision records.

API and webhooks

Growth has basic API usage; Scale adds advanced API usage and webhooks for syncing the model with other systems.

Sharing and access

Viewers are unlimited on every plan, and Growth adds protected share links and one SSO domain.

Cloudcraft

• Included with Datadog$0

  Free with any Datadog subscription, including the free tier and trial; unlimited teammates and diagrams.

IcePanel

• Free$0

  1 editor, unlimited viewers and diagrams, up to 100 model objects, 2 tag groups and 1 flow per diagram.

• Growth$40

  per editor / month, billed annually

  Unlimited objects, overlays and flows, domains, draft future designs, basic API, decision records and 1 SSO domain.

• Scale$80

  per editor / month, billed annually

  For 20 or more editors: audit logs, advanced API, webhooks, priority support and unlimited SSO domains.

• EnterpriseCustom

  For 50 or more editors: single-tenant environment, custom data residency, customer encryption keys and a custom domain.