Best Azure Monitor Alternatives in 2026
The top Azure Monitor alternatives are Zabbix, Checkmk and Datadog Infrastructure Monitoring: 15 infrastructure monitoring our editors would look at instead of Azure Monitor, in our ranking order.
Azure Monitor: A broad Azure monitoring service for metrics, logs, traces, alerts, and hybrid environments. Where it falls short: consumption-based pricing can be harder to forecast than fixed plans.
Switching from Azure Monitor? For most infrastructure monitoring buyers the best Azure Monitor alternative is Zabbix, built for broad, flexible infrastructure monitoring. On a budget, Sematext Monitoring starts at $2.80/device/mo. Site24x7 Server Monitoring offers the most included hosts (2 hosts).
Why People Look for an Azure Monitor Alternative
- 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
- No free plan — 11 of the alternatives below have it
- No service monitoring — 13 of the alternatives below have it
Quick Picks by What You Need
- Best overallZabbix9.4
Broad, flexible infrastructure monitoring
Visit Zabbix - Lowest priceSematext Monitoring8.1
Paid plans from $2.80/device/mo
Visit Sematext Monitoring - Best free optionZabbix9.4
Has a free plan (Azure Monitor has none)
Visit Zabbix - Most included hostsSite24x7 Server Monitoring8.4
2 hosts
Visit Site24x7 Server Monitoring - Best for service monitoringZabbix9.4
Service monitoring (Azure Monitor: no)
Visit Zabbix
All 15 Azure Monitor Alternatives, Ranked
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.
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Best forBroad, flexible infrastructure monitoring
- Better than Azure Monitor:
- Free plan
- Service monitoring
- Editor score 9.4 vs 8.3
A broad monitoring platform with a free self-hosted edition and flexible deployment options.
- Agentless monitoring
- VM monitoring
- Service monitoring
9.4/10★★★★★Visit Zabbix -
Best forHybrid monitoring with discovery and automation
- Better than Azure Monitor:
- Free plan
- Service monitoring
- Editor score 9.3 vs 8.3
A broad hybrid-monitoring platform with free open-source coverage and paid automation tiers.
- Agentless monitoring
- VM monitoring
- Service monitoring
9.3/10★★★★★Visit Checkmk -
Best forCloud-native teams needing observability breadth
- Better than Azure Monitor:
- Free plan
- Service monitoring
- Editor score 9.2 vs 8.3
Broad infrastructure observability for cloud-native teams, with host-based pricing.
- VM monitoring
- Service monitoring
9.2/10★★★★★Visit Datadog -
Best forCloud teams needing metrics and log context
- Better than Azure Monitor:
- Free plan
- Service monitoring
- Editor score 9.1 vs 8.3
A metrics-first observability service with dashboards, alerts, Kubernetes monitoring, and contextual logs.
- VM monitoring
- Service monitoring
9.1/10★★★★★Visit Splunk -
Best forGoogle Cloud environments
- Better than Azure Monitor:
- Free plan
- Service monitoring
- Editor score 9.0 vs 8.3
A broad monitoring service for teams operating primarily in Google Cloud.
- VM monitoring
- Service monitoring
9.0/10★★★★☆Visit Google Cloud -
Best forEnterprise server and application monitoring
- Better than Azure Monitor:
- Service monitoring
- Editor score 8.9 vs 8.3
A broad monitoring suite for enterprise teams managing hybrid infrastructure.
- Agentless monitoring
- VM monitoring
- Service monitoring
8.9/10★★★★☆Visit SolarWinds -
Best forLow-cost, real-time infrastructure visibility
- Better than Azure Monitor:
- Free plan
- Service monitoring
- Editor score 8.8 vs 8.3
A low-cost observability platform with per-second metrics and broad infrastructure coverage.
- VM monitoring
- Service monitoring
8.8/10★★★★☆Visit Netdata -
Best forOpen-source teams needing flexible checks
- Better than Azure Monitor:
- Free plan
- Service monitoring
- Editor score 8.7 vs 8.3
A flexible, broad monitoring system for teams comfortable managing self-hosted infrastructure.
- Agentless monitoring
- VM monitoring
- Service monitoring
8.7/10★★★★☆Visit Icinga -
Best forOpen-source metric collection and querying
- Better than Azure Monitor:
- Free plan
- Editor score 8.6 vs 8.3
A focused open-source choice for collecting, querying, and alerting on metrics.
8.6/10★★★★☆Visit Prometheus -
Best forAgentless hybrid monitoring with topology mapping
- Better than Azure Monitor:
- Service monitoring
- Editor score 8.5 vs 8.3
Broad agentless monitoring for hybrid infrastructure, cloud resources, services, and topology.
- Agentless monitoring
- VM monitoring
- Service monitoring
8.5/10★★★★☆Visit LogicMonitor -
Best forSmall teams wanting managed server monitoring
- Better than Azure Monitor:
- Free plan
- Service monitoring
- Editor score 8.4 vs 8.3
Broad infrastructure coverage with an accessible entry plan and expanding costs at higher tiers.
- Agentless monitoring
- VM monitoring
- Service monitoring
8.4/10★★★★☆Visit Site24x7 -
Best forHybrid enterprises needing broad integrations
- Better than Azure Monitor:
- Service monitoring
Broad hybrid monitoring and integrations, with automation extending into the Advanced plan.
- Agentless monitoring
- VM monitoring
- Service monitoring
8.2/10★★★★☆Visit ScienceLogic -
Best forBudget-conscious hybrid infrastructure monitoring
- Better than Azure Monitor:
- Free plan
- Service monitoring
Broad hybrid monitoring at a low entry price, with only one day of metrics retention.
- VM monitoring
- Service monitoring
8.1/10★★★★☆Visit Sematext -
Best forCloud teams needing alerts and anomaly detection
- Better than Azure Monitor:
- Free plan
- Service monitoring
A broad monitoring toolkit with useful anomaly detection and a limited free tier.
- Agentless monitoring
- VM monitoring
- Service monitoring
8.0/10★★★★☆Visit Mackerel -
Best forApplication-centric infrastructure observability
A deep observability platform for teams tracing application performance across infrastructure.
7.9/10★★★★☆Visit eG Enterprise
Azure Monitor Alternatives: Common Questions
What is the best alternative to Azure Monitor?
Zabbix: #1 in our Infrastructure Monitoring ranking, with an editor score of 9.4 out of 10. A broad monitoring platform with a free self-hosted edition and flexible deployment options.
Is there a free alternative to Azure Monitor?
Yes. Zabbix, Checkmk, Datadog Infrastructure Monitoring, Splunk Infrastructure Monitoring and Google Cloud Monitoring have a free plan or a free tier (11 of the 15 alternatives on this page).
What is the cheapest paid alternative to Azure Monitor?
Of the alternatives here that publish a price, Sematext Monitoring starts lowest, at $2.80/device/mo.
Why do people look for Azure Monitor alternatives?
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.
Which Azure Monitor alternative has the most included hosts?
Site24x7 Server Monitoring, with 2 hosts.
How do I switch from Azure Monitor?
Export your data from Azure Monitor (most tools have an export in their settings). Sign up for the alternative; start on its free plan or trial if it has one. Import your export and set up the integrations your team relies on. Run both side by side for a short while, then cancel Azure Monitor.
How to Switch from Azure Monitor
- Export your data from Azure Monitor (most tools have an export in their settings).
- Sign up for the alternative; start on its free plan or trial if it has one.
- Import your export and set up the integrations your team relies on.
- Run both side by side for a short while, then cancel Azure Monitor.
Azure Monitor vs Each Alternative
| # | Tool | Free plan | Paid from | VM monitoring | Service monitoring | Deployment model | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | Azure Monitor | No | Yes | No | Cloud | 8.3 | |
| 1 | Zabbix | Yes | €245/mo | Yes | Yes | Hybrid | 9.4 |
| 2 | Checkmk | Yes | €190/mo | Yes | Yes | Hybrid | 9.3 |
| 3 | Datadog Infrastructure Monitoring | Yes | $15/unit/mo | Yes | Yes | Hybrid | 9.2 |
| 4 | Splunk Infrastructure Monitoring | Yes | $15/device/mo | Yes | Yes | Cloud | 9.1 |
| 5 | Google Cloud Monitoring | Yes | Yes | Yes | Cloud | 9.0 | |
| 6 | SolarWinds Server & Application Monitor | No | $2,900 one-time | Yes | Yes | Self-hosted | 8.9 |
| 7 | Netdata | Yes | $4.50/unit/mo | Yes | Yes | Hybrid | 8.8 |
| 8 | Icinga | Yes | Yes | Yes | Self-hosted | 8.7 | |
| 9 | Prometheus | Yes | Free | 8.6 | |||
| 10 | LogicMonitor | No | $16/mo | Yes | Yes | Hybrid | 8.5 |
| 11 | Site24x7 Server Monitoring | Yes | $9/mo | Yes | Yes | Cloud | 8.4 |
| 12 | ScienceLogic SL1 | Yes | Yes | Hybrid | 8.2 | ||
| 13 | Sematext Monitoring | Yes | $2.80/device/mo | Yes | Yes | Hybrid | 8.1 |
| 14 | Mackerel | Yes | 2,180 JPY/unit/mo | Yes | Yes | Cloud | 8.0 |
| 15 | eG Enterprise | No | $100/mo | Hybrid | 7.9 |
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
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