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Logging · head to head

Azure Monitor vs Logz.io

Azure Monitor logo

Azure Monitor

Logging

Azure's Monitoring and Diagnostics Service

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Logz.io logo

Logz.io

Logging

AI-Powered Log Analytics and Monitoring Platform

From
$99/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Azure Monitor has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • 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; Logz.io saaS-only with no self-hosting option
  • They diverge on capability: Azure Monitor covers Log collection, Logz.io covers Log aggregation.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 2 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Azure Monitor and Logz.io actually diverge.

Attributes where Azure Monitor and Logz.io differ
AttributeAzure MonitorLogz.io
Starting priceFree$99/month
Pricing modelusage-basedUnknown
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, ApiCloud (SaaS), Web
Founded20102014

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Logging).

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 Logz.io

  • Log aggregation
  • AI-powered insights
  • Elasticsearch integration
  • Alert management
  • Security analytics

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

Logz.io

  • 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

Logz.io

  • SaaS-only with no self-hosting option
  • High pricing for long data retention periods, with steep cost increases for larger data volumes
  • UI can take up to 10 seconds to load
  • Geo-location data is old and inaccurate
  • Expensive for smaller companies with limited log volumes
  • Data retention limitations at 14 days may not meet compliance requirements

Pricing, plan by plan

Azure Monitor

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

Logz.io

$99/month
  • Pro$99/month
    • Log management
    • Real-time search
    • Basic alerts
  • Enterprise$undefined/mo
    • All Pro features
    • Advanced security
    • Dedicated support

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 Logz.io if

  • You need log aggregation.
  • You work on Cloud (SaaS), Web.
  • You also want ai-powered insights.
Logz.io review

Questions people ask

Is Azure Monitor or Logz.io better?
Neither clearly leads. Azure Monitor starts at Free and Logz.io at $99/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Azure Monitor or Logz.io?
Azure Monitor has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Azure Monitor and $99/month for Logz.io.
Does Azure Monitor or Logz.io run on more platforms?
Azure Monitor runs on Web, Api. Logz.io runs on Cloud (SaaS), Web.
Can I use Azure Monitor for free?
Yes. Azure Monitor has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Logz.io starts at $99/month.
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 Logz.io is typically brought in for.
What can Azure Monitor do that Logz.io cannot?
Azure Monitor covers Log collection, Metrics collection, Alerts and notifications, Custom dashboards. Logz.io covers Log aggregation, AI-powered insights, Elasticsearch integration, Alert management. Both handle API, Webhooks, REST, Web support.

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
Logz.io: Does Logz.io support self-hosting?

No. Logz.io is a fully SaaS platform with no self-hosting option, limiting flexibility for organizations with on-premises requirements or specific data residency needs.

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
Logz.io: Is Logz.io based on open-source ELK Stack?

Logz.io is built on the ELK Stack (Elasticsearch, Logstash, Kibana) but uses managed hosting. Note that Elasticsearch and Kibana switched to non-open-source licenses (SSPL) in February 2021, which may have legal implications.

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
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