Azure Monitor
Azure Monitor: A broad Azure monitoring service for metrics, logs, traces, alerts, and hybrid environments. Ranked #12 of 32 in Infrastructure Monitoring by our editors (8.3/10); pricing: Paid; best for azure-centric infrastructure teams.
At a glance
- Editor score8.3 / 10
- PricingPaid
- Best forAzure-centric infrastructure teams
- Free planNo
- Facts checked23 Sep 2026
Where it wins
- Covers metrics, logs, traces, events, VMs, Kubernetes, and Prometheus
- Combines Log Analytics, KQL, diagnostics, dashboards, and alerts
- Extends monitoring across hybrid and multicloud environments through Azure Arc
Where it doesn't
- Consumption-based pricing can be harder to forecast than fixed plans
- Azure-focused integrations may be less suitable for non-Azure-first teams
- The broad feature set can require planning across multiple monitoring components
Our verdict on Azure Monitor
Azure Monitor is Microsoft's cloud observability service for applications, infrastructure, networks, and hybrid environments. It collects metrics, logs, traces, and events from Azure resources, virtual machines, guest operating systems, containers, databases, networking, and custom sources. Teams can also monitor Kubernetes and Prometheus metrics, with Linux and Windows coverage and agentless monitoring available. It is aimed at infrastructure and application teams operating Azure, hybrid, multicloud, or on-premises environments through Azure Arc.
Pricing is consumption-based rather than organized around fixed per-host plans. Costs vary by usage, region, agreement, and feature, so Azure Monitor suits teams that can manage variable telemetry consumption. The service does not have a free plan. Its monitoring scope spans collection and analysis through response: Log Analytics and KQL centralize logs, Metrics Explorer supports interactive investigation, and alerts can use metric and log signals. Dashboards, workbooks, Grafana visualizations, autoscale, the Azure Monitor Agent, and data collection rules add operational controls around the telemetry.
Azure Monitor fits most naturally into the Microsoft ecosystem. Integrations include Azure Arc, Azure Kubernetes Service, Azure Managed Grafana, Microsoft Sentinel, Microsoft Defender for Cloud, Azure Automation, Logic Apps, and the Azure portal. That breadth supports teams that want monitoring connected to security, automation, visualization, and Azure resource management. Teams seeking a focused tool with simple fixed pricing may prefer a narrower alternative. Azure-centric organizations, especially those managing hybrid or multicloud infrastructure alongside Azure workloads, should find the service's range a strong match.
Your product? Our editors can test Azure Monitor in depth and publish a review, labelled as paid · from $149/mo →
Azure Monitor pricing
Azure Monitor fact sheet
| Free plan | No |
|---|---|
| Paid from | Not verified |
| Included hosts | Not verified |
| VM monitoring | Yes |
| Service monitoring | No |
| Metrics retention | Custom |
| Deployment model | Cloud |
| OS coverage | Linux and windows |
| Agentless monitoring | Yes |
| Deployment | Cloud |
| Platforms | Web |
| Support | Docs |
| Built for | Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise (editorial estimate) |
| Pricing | Paid (source) |
| Website | azure.microsoft.com |
| Facts checked | 23 Sep 2026 |
Alternatives to Azure Monitor
- ZabbixA broad monitoring platform with a free self-hosted edition and flexible deployment options.9.4
- CheckmkA broad hybrid-monitoring platform with free open-source coverage and paid automation tiers.9.3
- Datadog Infrastructure MonitoringBroad infrastructure observability for cloud-native teams, with host-based pricing.9.2
See all Azure Monitor alternatives →
Also Ranked In
Azure Monitor is ranked in 11 of our directories; the 6 strongest besides Infrastructure Monitoring.
Used Azure Monitor? Be the first to review it
The editor score above is our own research. What this page doesn't have yet is a reader's view — what you used Azure Monitor for, what worked and what didn't. No stars are seeded and no review is paid for; an editor reads every one before it appears.
Write a reviewTwo minutes · verified accounts only · read by an editor before it appears
Featured on iTechGuides
Azure Monitor is listed in our Infrastructure Monitoring directory. Add the badge to your site — it links back to this page.
<a href="https://www.itechguides.com/products/azure-monitor/"><img src="https://www.itechguides.com/best/badge/azure-monitor.svg" alt="Featured on iTechGuides" width="230" height="46"></a>
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.
Last updated · How we research and update