Head-to-head · Real User Monitoring
Elastic Real User Monitoring vs Amazon CloudWatch RUM
Elastic Real User Monitoring leads on 0 checks, Amazon CloudWatch RUM on 1, and 5 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 6 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.
Our verdict
- Highest scoreElastic Real User Monitoring · 8.7/10
- Free trialonly Elastic Real User Monitoring
- Most featuresAmazon CloudWatch RUM · 5 of 5
Elastic Real User Monitoring scores higher on our rubric for real user monitoring: 8.7 against 7.5 out of 10; our editors rank them #5 and #16.
Amazon CloudWatch RUM offers mobile app monitoring; Elastic Real User Monitoring doesn't. On data retention, Elastic Real User Monitoring gives you 90+ days where Amazon CloudWatch RUM offers 30 days.
Elastic Real User Monitoring is the better fit for elastic-stack teams monitoring web performance. Amazon CloudWatch RUM is the better fit for AWS-centric teams needing broad RUM coverage.
- Elastic Real User Monitoring fits best
Elastic-stack teams monitoring web performance
- Amazon CloudWatch RUM fits best
AWS-centric teams needing broad RUM coverage
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Side by side
| Feature | Elastic Real User Monitoring 8.7/10 Visit ↗ | Amazon CloudWatch RUM 7.5/10 Visit ↗ |
|---|---|---|
| At a glance | ||
| Editor score | 8.7 | 7.5 |
| Ranking | #5 in Real User Monitoring | #16 in Real User Monitoring |
| Best for | Elastic-stack teams monitoring web performance | AWS-centric teams needing broad RUM coverage |
| Pricing model | Paid | Paid |
| Starting price | $0.07/GB usage-based | $0.35/GB usage-based |
| Free plan | — | — |
| Free trial | 14 days | — |
| Deployment | Cloud, Self-hosted | Cloud, Mobile |
| Platforms | Web | Web, iOS, Android |
| Support | Email, Tickets, Phone, Community, Docs | Docs |
| Integrations | 300+ integrations | 3 integrations |
| Built for | Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise | Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise |
| Features Elastic Real User Monitoring 4/5 · Amazon CloudWatch RUM 5/5 | ||
| Core Web Vitals | ✓ | ✓ |
| Mobile app monitoring | — | ✓ (best) |
| Interaction tracking | ✓ | ✓ |
| Geographic breakdown | ✓ | ✓ |
| Error correlation | ✓ | ✓ |
| Specs | ||
| Data retention | 90+ days | 30 days |
| Pricing metric | Custom | Custom |
| Our review | ||
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| Our verdict | Elastic Real User Monitoring captures performance and interaction data from customer-facing web applications through the Elastic APM RUM agent. It is designed for development, SRE, and observability teams that need browser-level visibility… Read the review → |
Amazon CloudWatch RUM monitors real-user experiences across web, Android, and iOS applications. It is suited to AWS-centric teams that need visibility into page loads, Core Web Vitals, app launches, screen loads, crashes, client-side… Read the review → |
Strengths and trade-offs
Elastic Real User Monitoring — where it wins
- Reports Core Web Vitals, page timings, and geographic performance.
- Correlates RUM data with Elastic APM logs, metrics, traces, and errors.
- Tracks JavaScript errors and user interactions in browser applications.
Where it doesn't
- Does not provide mobile app monitoring.
- Pricing is based on telemetry ingestion and retained data.
- Its listed integrations center on Elastic APM, Elasticsearch, and Kibana.
Amazon CloudWatch RUM — where it wins
- Covers web, Android, and iOS application experiences
- Correlates sessions with traces, errors, and journeys
- Provides privacy-masked replay and detailed geographic breakdowns
Where it doesn't
- No free plan; usage charges apply monthly
- Collected RUM data is retained for 30 days
- Pricing varies by AWS Region and usage volume
- Elastic Real User Monitoring8.7/10 · 14-day trial
A focused web RUM option for teams already working in the Elastic stack.
Visit ElasticFull verdict → - Amazon CloudWatch RUM7.5/10 · Paid
Broad web and mobile RUM coverage with usage-based AWS pricing.
Visit AWSFull verdict →
Elastic Real User Monitoring vs Amazon CloudWatch RUM: questions
Which is better for real user monitoring, Elastic Real User Monitoring or Amazon CloudWatch RUM?
Elastic Real User Monitoring scores higher on our rubric for real user monitoring: 8.7 against 7.5 out of 10; our editors rank them #5 and #16.
How do Elastic Real User Monitoring and Amazon CloudWatch RUM compare?
Of the 6 checks we put side by side, Elastic Real User Monitoring leads on none, Amazon CloudWatch RUM on 1, and 5 are level. Mobile app monitoring only on Amazon CloudWatch RUM.
Do Elastic Real User Monitoring and Amazon CloudWatch RUM have a free plan?
Elastic Real User Monitoring: No. Amazon CloudWatch RUM: No.
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All real user monitoring comparisons → · Full ranking →
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Nov 2026
Last updated · How we research and update