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Rahul Patel
Rahul Patel

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I built a free Datadog alternative for Node.js here's what the dashboard looks like

#javascript #node #webdev #opensource

Last month I shared a 1-line observability middleware for Express and Fastify. It logged requests to your console - method, route, status, latency.

Since then, I've added a lot:

  • Auto DB profiling (patches pg, mysql2, mongoose, prisma, knex, sequelize, ioredis, better-sqlite3)
  • A free cloud dashboard at apilens.rest
  • Per-query execution times with masked SQL
  • N+1 query detection
  • Geographic insights + bot detection
  • Real-time live request tailing

Here's what it looks like.

The Dashboard

Overview - KPIs + charts at a glance

Overview dashboard

Total requests, error rate, P95 latency, request volume over time, status distribution, method breakdown - all updating in real-time.

Request Log - every request, fully expanded

Request log with DB queries

Click any request to see the full details: trace ID, IP, user agent, and every database query that request made - with masked SQL, source library, and individual execution times.

Database Performance - catch N+1 queries

Database performance

See which routes make the most DB calls, find your slowest queries, and spot N+1 issues before your users do.

Setup: still 1 line 

npm install auto-api-observe
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Local only (no account needed) 

const express = require('express');
const observe = require('auto-api-observe');

const app = express();
app.use(observe());
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Every request logs structured JSON to your console:

{
  "method": "GET",
  "route": "/api/users/:id",
  "status": 200,
  "latency": 85,
  "latencyMs": "85ms",
  "traceId": "a1b2c3d4-...",
  "dbCalls": {
    "calls": 2,
    "totalTime": 45,
    "queries": [
      { "query": "SELECT * FROM users WHERE id = ?", "source": "pg", "queryTime": 30 },
      { "query": "SELECT * FROM profiles WHERE user_id = ?", "source": "pg", "queryTime": 15 }
    ]
  }
}
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With cloud dashboard 

app.use(observe({
  apiKey: process.env.APILENS_KEY,  // get one free at apilens.rest
}));
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That's it. Data appears in your dashboard within seconds.

Auto DB Instrumentation

This is the feature I'm most proud of. The middleware automatically patches your DB libraries at startup - zero code changes needed.

Supported: pg, mysql2, mongoose, @prisma/client, knex, sequelize, ioredis, better-sqlite3.

It uses prototype monkey-patching + AsyncLocalStorage to track every query per request. You get:

  • Masked SQL strings (values replaced with ?)
  • Per-query execution time
  • Source library name
  • Total time and call count per request

When you see dbCalls.calls: 47 on a single endpoint - you've got an N+1 problem. No guesswork.

How it compares

Feature auto-api-observe Datadog New Relic Sentry
Setup 1 line 30+ min 30+ min 15+ min
Dependencies 0 50+ 40+ 30+
Auto DB profiling 8 libraries Custom setup Custom setup No
N+1 detection Built-in No No No
Price Free (beta) $23/host/mo $0.30/GB $26/mo

What's in the dashboard

  • Overview - KPIs, request volume, latency percentiles, status/method distribution, heatmap
  • All Requests - paginated log with search, filters, expandable DB query details
  • Routes - per-route breakdown (calls, avg latency, P95, errors)
  • Errors - 4xx/5xx timeline, top error routes, filterable error log
  • Slow Requests - latency distribution histogram
  • Database - N+1 detector, slowest queries, source distribution
  • Traces - distributed trace waterfall
  • Live Tail - real-time SSE stream with filters
  • Geographic - country breakdown, bot detection, rate abuse
  • Usage - daily quota tracking
  • Alerts - email/Slack notifications

All free during beta. No credit card.

Try it 

npm install auto-api-observe
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Zero dependencies. TypeScript-first. MIT license. 44 tests.

Would love feedback - what features would you want next?

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