Softwr

Log Management · head to head

Bugsnag vs Azure Monitor

Bugsnag logo

Bugsnag

Log Management

Application Stability Monitoring

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Azure Monitor logo

Azure Monitor

Log Management

Azure's Monitoring and Diagnostics Service

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Bugsnag owned by SmartBear rather than being independent; 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
  • They diverge on capability: Bugsnag covers Error tracking, Azure Monitor covers Log collection.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Bugsnag and Azure Monitor differ
AttributeBugsnagAzure Monitor
Founded20122010

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

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 Bugsnag

  • Error tracking
  • Crash reporting
  • Release tracking
  • Trend analysis

Only in Azure Monitor

  • Log collection
  • Metrics collection
  • Alerts and notifications
  • Custom dashboards

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.

Bugsnag

  • Crash and error reporting for mobile and web applicationsnot Azure Monitor
  • Stability scores per releasenot Azure Monitor
  • Grouping errors by root cause across deploysnot Azure Monitor
  • Alerting when a release regressesnot Azure Monitor

Azure Monitor

  • Collecting logs and metrics from Azure resourcesnot Bugsnag
  • Alerting on metric thresholds and log queriesnot Bugsnag
  • Application performance monitoring through Application Insightsnot Bugsnag
  • Long-term log retention for compliancenot Bugsnag
  • Querying operational data with KQLnot Bugsnag

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Bugsnag

  • Owned by SmartBear rather than being independent
  • The free tier covers 7,500 events a month
  • Paid tiers are usage-priced by event volume rather than by seat, so a noisy release raises the bill
  • Enterprise pricing is quote-only

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

Pricing, plan by plan

Bugsnag

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Error tracking
    • Crash reporting
    • Release tracking

Azure Monitor

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

Which should you pick?

Choose Bugsnag if

  • You need error tracking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Api.
  • You also want crash reporting.
Bugsnag review

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

Questions people ask

Is Bugsnag or Azure Monitor better?
Neither clearly leads. Bugsnag starts at Free and Azure Monitor at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Bugsnag or Azure Monitor?
Bugsnag starts at Free and Azure Monitor at Free.
Does Bugsnag or Azure Monitor run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, Api, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Bugsnag for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Bugsnag best used for?
Bugsnag is most often used for crash and error reporting for mobile and web applications, stability scores per release, grouping errors by root cause across deploys, alerting when a release regresses. Of those, crash and error reporting for mobile and web applications and stability scores per release are not what Azure Monitor is typically brought in for.
What can Bugsnag do that Azure Monitor cannot?
Bugsnag covers Error tracking, Crash reporting, Release tracking, Trend analysis. Azure Monitor covers Log collection, Metrics collection, Alerts and notifications, Custom dashboards. Both handle API, Webhooks, REST, Web support.
ShareXLinkedInRedditWhatsAppEmail

Related pages

More on Bugsnag

More on Azure Monitor

Keep looking

Other head to heads