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Logging · head to head

Azure Monitor vs Openstatus

Azure Monitor logo

Azure Monitor

Logging

Azure's Monitoring and Diagnostics Service

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Openstatus logo

Openstatus

Logging

Status pages with uptime monitoring and compliance-ready incident tracking

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; Openstatus free tier severely limited to 1 monitor and 1 status page
  • They diverge on capability: Azure Monitor covers Log collection, Openstatus covers Branded status pages.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Azure Monitor and Openstatus differ
AttributeAzure MonitorOpenstatus
Pricing modelusage-basedUnknown
Founded20102023

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), platforms (Web, Api), 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
  • API
  • Webhooks
  • REST
  • Web support

Only in Openstatus

  • Branded status pages
  • Global monitoring
  • Incident notifications
  • Audit-ready trails
  • API and CLI access
  • Terraform provider
  • Self-hosting

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

Openstatus

  • Publishing incident status pages to customersnot Azure Monitor
  • Demonstrating compliance readiness to auditorsnot Azure Monitor
  • Alerting internal teams when services are downnot Azure Monitor
  • Tracking uptime metrics across global regionsnot 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

Openstatus

  • Free tier severely limited to 1 monitor and 1 status page
  • Per-status-page pricing adds cost for multi-product organizations
  • No built-in workflow orchestration or incident response automation
  • Limited historical analytics beyond incident documentation
  • No AI-powered incident diagnosis or root cause analysis

Pricing, plan by plan

Azure Monitor

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

Openstatus

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 1 monitor with 10-minute intervals
    • 1 status page with 3 components
    • No credit card required
  • Starter$30/month
    • 20 monitors with 1-minute intervals
    • 1 status page with 20 components
    • 3-month data retention
  • Pro$100/month
    • 50 monitors with 30-second intervals
    • 5 status pages with 50 components each
    • 12-month data retention
  • Scale$500/month
    • 50 monitors with 30-second intervals
    • 10 status pages with 500 components each
    • 24-month data retention

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 Openstatus if

  • You need branded status pages.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, API.
  • You also want global monitoring.
Openstatus review

Questions people ask

Is Azure Monitor or Openstatus better?
Neither clearly leads. Azure Monitor starts at Free and Openstatus at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Azure Monitor or Openstatus?
Azure Monitor starts at Free and Openstatus at Free.
Does Azure Monitor or Openstatus run on more platforms?
Azure Monitor runs on Web, Api. Openstatus 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 Openstatus is typically brought in for.
What can Azure Monitor do that Openstatus cannot?
Azure Monitor covers Log collection, Metrics collection, Alerts and notifications, Custom dashboards. Openstatus covers Branded status pages, Global monitoring, Incident notifications, Audit-ready trails.

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
Openstatus: Can I use OpenStatus for free?

Yes, the free tier includes 1 monitor with 10-minute check intervals and 1 status page with 3 components, no credit card required.

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
Openstatus: What is included in annual billing for Starter plan?

Annual billing costs $300/year (vs $360/month), saving 2 months. Includes 20 monitors, 1-minute intervals, and all alert types.

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
Openstatus: Can I add extra status pages beyond my plan limit?

Yes, additional status pages cost $20/month and are billed separately on top of your plan.

Source
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