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Logging · head to head

Azure Monitor vs Galileo

Azure Monitor logo

Azure Monitor

Logging

Azure's Monitoring and Diagnostics Service

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Galileo logo

Galileo

AI

Evaluation and observability platform for GenAI applications and agents

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

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; Galileo the free plan is limited to 5,000 traces per month, which is quickly outgrown by production workloads.
  • They diverge on capability: Azure Monitor covers Log collection, Galileo covers Pre-built evaluations.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Azure Monitor and Galileo actually diverge.

Attributes where Azure Monitor and Galileo differ
AttributeAzure MonitorGalileo
Pricing modelusage-basedfreemium
CategoryLoggingAI
Founded2010Unknown

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), platforms (Web, Api), user rating (Not yet rated).

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
  • API
  • Webhooks
  • REST
  • Web support

Only in Galileo

  • Pre-built evaluations
  • Ground truth capture
  • Luna models
  • Agent behavior analysis
  • Production guardrails
  • Flexible deployment

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 Galileo
  • Alerting on metric thresholds and log queriesnot Galileo
  • Application performance monitoring through Application Insightsnot Galileo
  • Long-term log retention for compliancenot Galileo
  • Querying operational data with KQLnot Galileo

Galileo

  • Evaluating RAG and agent applications before production releasenot Azure Monitor
  • Monitoring live GenAI applications for failures and driftnot Azure Monitor
  • Applying real-time guardrails without custom integration worknot Azure Monitor
  • Reducing evaluation costs using distilled Luna judge modelsnot 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

Galileo

  • The free plan is limited to 5,000 traces per month, which is quickly outgrown by production workloads.
  • Real-time guardrails and unlimited trace capacity are reserved for the custom-priced Enterprise tier.
  • Pro plan pricing scales with trace volume, so costs can grow unpredictably as usage increases.
  • On-premises deployment requires an Enterprise contract rather than being available self-serve.

Pricing, plan by plan

Azure Monitor

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Log collection
    • Metrics collection
    • Alerts and notifications

Galileo

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 5,000 traces/month
    • Unlimited users
    • Unlimited custom evaluations
  • Pro$100/month
    • 50,000 traces/month
    • Standard role-based access control
    • Advanced analytics and insights
  • Enterprise$undefined/mo
    • Unlimited trace capacity
    • Custom rate limits
    • Hosted, VPC, or on-prem deployment

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.
Azure Monitor review

Choose Galileo if

  • You need pre-built evaluations.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on web, api.
  • You also want ground truth capture.
Galileo review

Questions people ask

Is Azure Monitor or Galileo better?
Neither clearly leads. Azure Monitor starts at Free and Galileo at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Azure Monitor or Galileo?
Azure Monitor starts at Free and Galileo at Free.
Does Azure Monitor or Galileo run on more platforms?
Azure Monitor runs on Web, Api. Galileo runs on web, api.
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 Galileo is typically brought in for.
What can Azure Monitor do that Galileo cannot?
Azure Monitor covers Log collection, Metrics collection, Alerts and notifications, Custom dashboards. Galileo covers Pre-built evaluations, Ground truth capture, Luna models, Agent behavior analysis.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Azure Monitor: How does Azure Monitor billing work?

Billing is based on data volume ingested into Azure Monitor. Additional charges apply separately for alerts, notifications, web tests, and data export. Activity log and platform metrics are automatically collected with an Azure subscription.

Source
Galileo: What does Galileo cost?

Galileo offers a free plan, a Pro plan at $100/month billed yearly (with a 33% annual discount), and a custom-priced Enterprise plan for unlimited trace capacity.

Source
Azure Monitor: What savings are available with Azure Monitor?

Capacity reservations offer up to 36% savings compared to standard pay-as-you-go pricing when you commit to reserved capacity upfront.

Source
Galileo: Is there a free plan, and what are its limits?

The Free plan includes 5,000 traces per month with unlimited users and unlimited custom evaluations, aimed at developers and small teams experimenting with GenAI.

Source
Azure Monitor: Is there a free tier for Azure Monitor?

No dedicated free tier exists. Activity log and platform metrics are automatically collected with an Azure subscription, but detailed monitoring requires additional configuration and associated costs.

Source
Galileo: How is usage metered?

Galileo's pricing scales based on the number of traces processed each month, with Free capped at 5,000, Pro at 50,000, and Enterprise offering unlimited trace capacity.

Source
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