New Relic

Basic Information

New Relic is a cloud-based observability platform providing real-time insights into the performance and behavior of digital systems, applications, and infrastructure. Founded in 2008, it offers a suite of products for application performance monitoring (APM), infrastructure monitoring, log management, digital experience monitoring, and more.

• Model/Version: New Relic is a continuously evolving platform. Specific "versions" typically apply to its various agents and features, which receive ongoing updates.
• Release Date: Founded in 2008.
• Minimum Requirements: Requirements are primarily for the agents deployed on monitored systems. These agents generally require minimal resources, with specific operating system and processor architecture compatibility.
• Supported Operating Systems:
  • Linux: 64-bit for x86 architectures, ARM (arm64 including AWS Graviton 2). Specific distributions include Oracle Linux (7.9+), SUSE Linux Enterprise Server (12.5, 15.3, 15.4, 15.5, 15.6), Ubuntu LTS (16.04.x, 18.04.x, 20.04.x, 22.04.x, 24.04.x).
  • Windows: 64-bit for x86 architectures. Includes Windows Server (2016, 2019, 2022, 2025), Windows 10, Windows 11, Windows Azure (OS Family 1, 2, 3), and Windows containers (excluding NanoServer based images).
  • macOS: Both 64-bit x86 and Apple silicon.
  • UNIX-like (Ruby agent): Linux, Solaris, FreeBSD, macOS. Windows is not officially supported for production with the Ruby agent.
• Latest Stable Version: New Relic agents are continuously updated. For instance, the .NET agent supports .NET Core 3.1, and .NET 5.0, 6.0, 7.0, 8.0, and 9.0.
• End of Support Date: New Relic issues End-of-Life (EOL) announcements for specific features, APIs, or older agent versions rather than a single platform EOL. For example, the REST API Keys EOL is March 3, 2025. The NRQL Drop Rules API EOL is January 7, 2026.
• End of Life Date: Similar to End of Support, EOL applies to specific components. For instance, the 'Servers' and 'Alerts' services reached EOL on November 14, 2017.
• License Type: Usage-based pricing model, charging based on data ingest and the number of users. It offers Free, Standard, Pro, and Enterprise tiers.
• Deployment Model: Primarily Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), with agents deployed on customer applications and infrastructure to send performance data to the New Relic cloud platform.

Technical Requirements

New Relic's technical requirements primarily pertain to the agents installed on monitored systems, which are designed to be lightweight and compatible with diverse environments.

• RAM: Specific RAM requirements for agents are generally minimal and depend on the activity of the monitored application or system.
• Processor: Agents support 64-bit x86 architectures on Linux and Windows, and ARM (arm64) on compatible Linux systems. macOS supports both 64-bit x86 and Apple silicon.
• Storage: Agent storage footprint is typically small, used for logs and temporary data.
• Display: Not applicable for agents. The New Relic platform is accessed via a web browser.
• Ports: Agents communicate outbound to New Relic servers on either port 80 or 443.
• Operating System: Compatible with various Linux distributions, Windows Server, Windows desktop versions, macOS, and UNIX-like systems.

Analysis of Technical Requirements

New Relic agents are designed for broad compatibility across major operating systems and processor architectures, including both x86 and ARM. The agents maintain a low resource footprint, ensuring minimal impact on monitored systems. Network connectivity is essential for outbound communication to the New Relic platform, typically over standard HTTP/HTTPS ports. This design facilitates deployment in diverse environments, from traditional data centers to modern cloud-native setups.

Support & Compatibility

New Relic offers extensive support and compatibility across a wide range of technologies, reflecting its role as a comprehensive observability platform.

• Latest Version: The New Relic platform and its agents undergo continuous development and updates. Users are encouraged to keep agents updated to benefit from the latest features and security patches.
• OS Support: Supports a broad array of operating systems for its agents, including various Linux distributions (e.g., Ubuntu LTS, Oracle Linux, SLES), Windows Server versions (2016, 2019, 2022, 2025), Windows 10/11, macOS, and ARM-based Linux systems.
• End of Support Date: EOL policies apply to specific agent versions and features. For example, the .NET agent has an EOL policy, and older Ruby agent versions have specific last fully supported versions. Key API features also have announced EOL dates, such as the REST API Keys (March 3, 2025) and NRQL Drop Rules API (January 7, 2026).
• Localization: While the core platform interface is primarily in English, New Relic provides documentation and some content in multiple languages, suggesting internationalization support.
• Available Drivers/Agents: New Relic provides agents and integrations for numerous programming languages (e.g., .NET, Ruby, Java, Python, PHP), infrastructure components, mobile applications (Android, iOS), cloud services (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud), databases, and more. It supports over 780 integrations.

Analysis of Overall Support & Compatibility Status

New Relic demonstrates strong support and compatibility, offering agents for a wide array of operating systems, programming languages, and cloud environments. The continuous update model for its platform and agents ensures ongoing feature enhancements and security. While specific EOL dates exist for older agent versions or particular APIs, these are clearly communicated, allowing users to plan upgrades. The extensive integration ecosystem allows users to monitor diverse technology stacks from a single platform.

Security Status

New Relic prioritizes security, implementing robust measures for data protection, authentication, and compliance.

• Security Features: Includes data encryption in transit and at rest, secure user management, and various compliance certifications. New Relic Security RX provides zero-configuration security insights and helps assess CVE presence.
• Known Vulnerabilities: New Relic actively addresses vulnerabilities in its products and notifies users through security bulletins.
• Blacklist Status: No information found regarding New Relic being on any blacklist.
• Certifications: New Relic holds numerous industry-standard security and compliance certifications:
  • SOC 2 Type 2
  • FedRAMP Moderate (Authority to Operate)
  • HIPAA-compliant and HITRUST Risk-based, 2-year (r2) Certified
  • ISO 27001
  • PCI DSS (configurable for compliance)
  • Cloud Security Alliance (CSA STAR)
  • GDPR and EU Compliance
  • TISAX
• Encryption Support:
  • In Transit: All data is encrypted in transit using industry-standard Transport Layer Security (TLS), with TLS 1.2 or higher required for inbound connections from agents and TLS 1.3 preferred for all domains.
  • At Rest: All data is encrypted at rest using AES-256 block cipher. FIPS 140-2 compliant encryption is available upon request, using hardware modules for key generation and destruction.
• Authentication Methods:
  • Username/password (default)
  • SAML Single Sign-On (SSO) with support for various identity providers (e.g., Ping Identity, Okta, OneLogin, Azure AD).
  • Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) via OTP over SMS, Push Notifications, YubiKey, TOTP, Google Authenticator.
  • SCIM for automated user provisioning from identity providers.
  • System identities for service-to-service authentication using private key-signed JWT or client credentials.
• General Recommendations: New Relic recommends using SAML SSO, adjusting high-security mode settings, and reviewing audit logs to enhance security. Customers are responsible for managing their own accounts, including provisioning and de-provisioning users.

Analysis on the Overall Security Rating

New Relic maintains a strong overall security posture, evidenced by its comprehensive suite of security features and numerous certifications. The platform employs robust encryption for data both in transit and at rest, adhering to industry standards like TLS 1.2+ and AES-256, with FIPS 140-2 compliance options. Multiple authentication methods, including SAML SSO and 2FA, provide flexible and secure access control. The extensive list of compliance certifications (SOC 2, FedRAMP, HIPAA, HITRUST, ISO 27001, PCI DSS, GDPR) demonstrates a commitment to meeting stringent regulatory requirements, making it suitable for organizations with high security and compliance needs.

Performance & Benchmarks

As an observability platform, New Relic's performance relates to its efficiency in collecting, processing, and presenting telemetry data, as well as its own operational efficiency.

• Benchmark Scores: New Relic itself does not typically publish "benchmark scores" in the traditional sense for hardware or software performance. Its value lies in enabling users to benchmark their own applications.
• Real-world Performance Metrics: New Relic's internal operations show significant performance gains. After migrating approximately 64% of its workloads to AWS Graviton-based instances, New Relic achieved a 15-20% improvement in performance efficiency for those migrated workloads.
• Power Consumption: New Relic's internal migration to AWS Graviton instances contributed to a 37% reduction in CO2e for migrated workloads, indicating improved energy efficiency. Integrations like Hardware Sentry allow users to track power consumption of their on-prem infrastructure.
• Carbon Footprint: New Relic reported total carbon emissions of approximately 54,380,000 kg CO2e in 2024. The company has set ambitious climate commitments, aiming for net-zero emissions by 2030, with targets submitted to the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). A key strategy involves transitioning to 100% renewable electricity sourcing by FY2030.
• Comparison with Similar Assets: User reviews indicate New Relic is a powerful tool, excelling in Application Performance Monitoring (APM) and AI-driven anomaly detection. However, some users find its UI overwhelming and its pricing complex compared to competitors. While offering many integrations, some users feel it lags behind certain competitors in this area.

Analysis of the Overall Performance Status

New Relic demonstrates strong internal operational performance, as evidenced by its successful migration to AWS Graviton instances, which yielded notable performance improvements and reduced carbon footprint. The platform is designed for unlimited scalability, capable of ingesting unlimited data from various telemetry sources. Its focus on AI-powered insights aims to provide quick, actionable answers, enhancing the efficiency of problem-solving for users. While user feedback points to its power and comprehensive capabilities, particularly in APM, some find the learning curve steep and the interface potentially overwhelming. New Relic is also actively committed to sustainability, with clear goals for reducing its carbon footprint.

User Reviews & Feedback

User reviews and feedback highlight New Relic's strengths as a comprehensive observability platform, while also pointing out areas for improvement.

• Strengths:
  • Real-time monitoring and detailed analysis.
  • Comprehensive and customizable dashboards, providing a complete view of infrastructure and applications.
  • Effective alerting system, catching issues before they escalate.
  • Full-stack observability, unifying APM, infrastructure monitoring, and logs in one place.
  • Proficiency in Application Performance Monitoring (APM).
  • AI-driven anomaly detection, flagging potential issues proactively.
  • Compatibility with various operating systems, including Windows, Linux, and Mac.
  • Simplifies debugging of distributed systems.
• Weaknesses:
  • Complex setup and a steep learning curve, especially for beginners.
  • Pricing model can be confusing and expensive, particularly at scale, leading to "sticker shock" for some customers.
  • Occasional delays in data reporting or UI responsiveness.
  • Dashboard customization can feel limited compared to some alternatives.
  • Can be resource-intensive on smaller deployments.
  • Some users feel it lags behind competitors in the breadth of integrations.
• Recommended Use Cases:
  • Monitoring entire infrastructure and applications in one place.
  • Application performance monitoring (APM) and troubleshooting.
  • Debugging distributed systems.
  • Identifying and resolving performance issues and errors quickly.
  • Suitable for large-scale deployments and teams with experience in observability tools.

Summary

New Relic is a robust, cloud-based observability platform that offers comprehensive real-time monitoring across applications, infrastructure, and digital experiences. Its strengths lie in its full-stack visibility, powerful APM capabilities, AI-driven insights for anomaly detection, and extensive ecosystem of agents and integrations. The platform provides a unified view, helping engineers quickly identify and resolve issues, thereby improving operational efficiency and reducing mean time to resolution. New Relic also demonstrates a strong commitment to security, holding numerous certifications like SOC 2, FedRAMP, HIPAA, and ISO 27001, and implementing robust encryption and authentication methods. Furthermore, the company is actively pursuing ambitious sustainability goals, aiming for net-zero emissions by 2030, supported by internal initiatives like migrating workloads to energy-efficient cloud instances.

However, user feedback indicates that New Relic can present a steep learning curve and a potentially overwhelming user interface for newcomers. Its usage-based pricing model, while offering flexibility, is sometimes perceived as complex and expensive, particularly as data volumes and user counts scale. Some users also note that while integrations are extensive, certain competitors might offer a broader range, and occasional UI responsiveness issues have been reported.

Overall, New Relic is an excellent choice for enterprises and experienced teams seeking a powerful, all-in-one observability solution with strong security and a commitment to sustainability. It excels in providing deep insights into complex distributed systems and proactive issue detection. Organizations considering New Relic should be prepared to invest in learning its capabilities and carefully manage their data ingestion and user tiers to optimize costs. For those prioritizing comprehensive monitoring, advanced analytics, and robust security, New Relic offers significant value.

The information provided is based on publicly available data and may vary depending on specific device configurations. For up-to-date information, please consult official manufacturer resources.