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Log Management · head to head

Azure Monitor vs Sumo Logic

Azure Monitor logo

Azure Monitor

Log Management

Azure's Monitoring and Diagnostics Service

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Sumo Logic logo

Sumo Logic

Log Management

Cloud Monitoring, Logging, and Security Analytics

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; Sumo Logic neither the Essentials nor the Enterprise Suite package lists a price on the pricing page; both link to Contact Sales
  • They diverge on capability: Azure Monitor covers Log collection, Sumo Logic covers Log aggregation.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Azure Monitor and Sumo Logic actually diverge.

Attributes where Azure Monitor and Sumo Logic differ
AttributeAzure MonitorSumo Logic

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (usage-based), free tier (Yes), platforms (Web, Api), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Log Management), founded (2010).

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
  • Alerts and notifications

Only in Sumo Logic

  • Log aggregation
  • Real-time analytics

Both cover

  • Metrics collection
  • Custom dashboards
  • 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 Sumo Logic
  • Alerting on metric thresholds and log queriesnot Sumo Logic
  • Application performance monitoring through Application Insightsnot Sumo Logic
  • Long-term log retention for compliancenot Sumo Logic
  • Querying operational data with KQLnot Sumo Logic

Sumo Logic

  • Cloud-native log analytics across applications and infrastructurenot Azure Monitor
  • Running a SIEM with MITRE ATT&CK mapped detections and UEBAnot Azure Monitor
  • Compliance and audit readiness reporting from log datanot 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

Sumo Logic

  • Neither the Essentials nor the Enterprise Suite package lists a price on the pricing page; both link to Contact Sales
  • Quoted per GB figures assume an annual commitment, an average of 1 GB of log ingest per day and a US deployment region
  • Pricing varies by the AWS deployment region chosen, so the same volume costs differently in Dublin, Frankfurt, Sydney or Tokyo
  • Flex pricing bills per TB scanned rather than per GB ingested, so query activity drives the bill
  • Feature activation is subject to minimum volume, minimum user counts and service requirements confirmed at the time of the transaction
  • The API is limited to four calls per section, ten concurrent in-flight requests, and query processing times out after two minutes
  • Self-serve credit card purchase is capped at $25,000; larger purchases must go through sales or a reseller

Pricing, plan by plan

Azure Monitor

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

Sumo Logic

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Log aggregation
    • Metrics collection
    • Real-time analytics

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 alerts and notifications.
Azure Monitor review

Choose Sumo Logic if

  • You need log aggregation.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Api.
  • You also want real-time analytics.
Sumo Logic review

Questions people ask

Is Azure Monitor or Sumo Logic better?
Neither clearly leads. Azure Monitor starts at Free and Sumo Logic at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Azure Monitor or Sumo Logic?
Azure Monitor starts at Free and Sumo Logic at Free.
Does Azure Monitor or Sumo Logic 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 Sumo Logic is typically brought in for.
What can Azure Monitor do that Sumo Logic cannot?
Azure Monitor covers Log collection, Alerts and notifications. Sumo Logic covers Log aggregation, Real-time analytics. Both handle Metrics collection, Custom dashboards, API, Webhooks.
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