Software · head to head
Azure Monitor vs Filebeat
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; Filebeat filebeat ships only as part of the Elastic Stack and has no standalone commercial license; using it in production requires deploying Elasticsearch and typically Kibana alongside it.
- They diverge on capability: Azure Monitor covers Log collection, Filebeat covers File tailing.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Azure Monitor and Filebeat actually diverge.
| Attribute | Azure Monitor | Filebeat |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | usage-based | open-source |
| Founded | 2010 | 2011 |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), 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 Filebeat
- File tailing
- Log forwarding
- Event parsing
- Input harvesting
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 Filebeat
- Alerting on metric thresholds and log queriesnot Filebeat
- Application performance monitoring through Application Insightsnot Filebeat
- Long-term log retention for compliancenot Filebeat
- Querying operational data with KQLnot Filebeat
Filebeat
- Log monitoringnot Azure Monitor
- Application performancenot Azure Monitor
- Security analyticsnot Azure Monitor
- Troubleshootingnot 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
Filebeat
- Filebeat ships only as part of the Elastic Stack and has no standalone commercial license; using it in production requires deploying Elasticsearch and typically Kibana alongside it.
Pricing, plan by plan
Azure Monitor
Free- FreeFree
- Log collection
- Metrics collection
- Alerts and notifications
Filebeat
Free- FreeFree
- File tailing
- Log forwarding
- Event parsing
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 Filebeat if
- You need file tailing.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Api.
- You also want log forwarding.
Questions people ask
- Is Azure Monitor or Filebeat better?
- Neither clearly leads. Azure Monitor starts at Free and Filebeat at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Azure Monitor or Filebeat?
- Azure Monitor starts at Free and Filebeat at Free.
- Does Azure Monitor or Filebeat 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 Filebeat is typically brought in for.
- What can Azure Monitor do that Filebeat cannot?
- Azure Monitor covers Log collection, Metrics collection, Alerts and notifications, Custom dashboards. Filebeat covers File tailing, Log forwarding, Event parsing, Input harvesting. Both handle API, Webhooks, REST, Web support.