The best replacement for datatables is jqgrid.

The best alternatives to datatables are rated as following:
★★★★★  jqgrid
★★★★  tablesorter
★★★★  slickgrid
★★★  jtable
★★★  ng-grid
★★★  flexigrid
  displaytag

Your alternative for datatables is not listed? Suggest!
Speaking about datatables, one probably shouldn't forget about bootstrap 3.

Other search terms related to datatables and their ratings are:
★★★★★ bootstrap 3
★ linq
You have in mind a companion for datatables and it is not yet here? Propose!



Google Trends

Scale is based on the average worldwide traffic of datatables in all years. Click on graph for more.
datatables
jqgrid
tablesorter