Software · head to head
Azure Monitor vs Airbrake
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Azure Monitor billed per GB ingested across three separate log plans, Auxiliary, Basic and Analytics, so the plan chosen changes the rate as much as the volume does; Airbrake data retention is 30 days on every plan, including the $799 a month Business tier
- They diverge on capability: Azure Monitor covers Log collection, Airbrake covers Error tracking.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Azure Monitor and Airbrake actually diverge.
| Attribute | Azure Monitor | Airbrake |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 2010 | 2008 |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (usage-based), free tier (Yes), platforms (Web, Api), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in Azure Monitor
- Log collection
- Metrics collection
- Alerts and notifications
- Custom dashboards
Only in Airbrake
- Error tracking
- Performance monitoring
- Deploy tracking
- Custom notifications
Both cover
- API
- Webhooks
- REST
- Web support
- Api support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Azure Monitor
- Collecting logs and metrics from Azure resourcesnot Airbrake
- Alerting on metric thresholds and log queriesnot Airbrake
- Application performance monitoring through Application Insightsnot Airbrake
- Long-term log retention for compliancenot Airbrake
- Querying operational data with KQLnot Airbrake
Airbrake
- Error and exception monitoring for web applicationsnot Azure Monitor
- Performance monitoring alongside error trackingnot Azure Monitor
- Alerting a team when a deploy introduces a spike in errorsnot Azure Monitor
- Tracking errors across multiple projects in one accountnot Azure Monitor
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Azure Monitor
- Billed per GB ingested across three separate log plans, Auxiliary, Basic and Analytics, so the plan chosen changes the rate as much as the volume does
- Only the first 5 GB a month of Analytics logs is free per billing account
- Retention beyond the base period is charged per GB per month, up to 2 years interactive and 12 years long term
- Log queries and search jobs are billed per GB scanned, so investigating an incident costs money
- Alert rules are billed per time series for metrics and by execution frequency for logs
- The pricing page shows placeholders rather than rates until a region and currency are chosen
Airbrake
- Data retention is 30 days on every plan, including the $799 a month Business tier
- The entry plan at $19 a month covers 25,000 errors and 7,500 events
- Errors beyond the plan quota are billed on demand
- Audit logs and spike forgiveness require the Pro tier
- The lowest tier is limited to 1 user and 1 team
Pricing, plan by plan
Azure Monitor
Free- FreeFree
- Log collection
- Metrics collection
- Alerts and notifications
Airbrake
Free- FreeFree
- Error tracking
- Performance monitoring
- Deploy tracking
Which should you pick?
Choose Azure Monitor if
- You need log collection.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Api.
- You also want metrics collection.
Choose Airbrake if
- You need error tracking.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Api.
- You also want performance monitoring.
Questions people ask
- Is Azure Monitor or Airbrake better?
- Neither clearly leads. Azure Monitor starts at Free and Airbrake at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Azure Monitor or Airbrake?
- Azure Monitor starts at Free and Airbrake at Free.
- Does Azure Monitor or Airbrake run on more platforms?
- Both run on Web, Api, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
- Can I use Azure Monitor for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Azure Monitor best used for?
- Azure Monitor is most often used for collecting logs and metrics from azure resources, alerting on metric thresholds and log queries, application performance monitoring through application insights, long-term log retention for compliance. Of those, collecting logs and metrics from azure resources and alerting on metric thresholds and log queries are not what Airbrake is typically brought in for.
- What can Azure Monitor do that Airbrake cannot?
- Azure Monitor covers Log collection, Metrics collection, Alerts and notifications, Custom dashboards. Airbrake covers Error tracking, Performance monitoring, Deploy tracking, Custom notifications. Both handle API, Webhooks, REST, Web support.