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Logging · head to head

Checkly vs Azure Monitor

Checkly logo

Checkly

Logging

Active reliability platform combining uptime monitoring, API testing, and incident response

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Azure Monitor logo

Azure Monitor

Logging

Azure's Monitoring and Diagnostics Service

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Checkly free tier has limited check allocations per month; 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: Checkly covers Uptime monitoring, Azure Monitor covers Log collection.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Checkly and Azure Monitor differ
AttributeChecklyAzure Monitor
Pricing modelsubscriptionusage-based
PlatformsWeb, CLI, APIWeb, Api
FoundedUnknown2010

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 Checkly

  • Uptime monitoring
  • Synthetic browser testing
  • API monitoring
  • Heartbeat monitoring
  • Monitoring-as-Code
  • Status pages
  • Root cause analysis
  • Global locations

Only in Azure Monitor

  • Log collection
  • Metrics collection
  • Alerts and notifications
  • Custom dashboards
  • API
  • Webhooks
  • REST
  • Web support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Checkly

  • Monitor API endpoints with custom assertionsnot Azure Monitor
  • Test user journeys with browser automationnot Azure Monitor
  • Detect performance degradation across regionsnot Azure Monitor
  • Verify DNS and TCP connectivitynot Azure Monitor
  • Ensure cron jobs and background tasks completenot Azure Monitor

Azure Monitor

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

Where each one falls short

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

Checkly

  • Free tier has limited check allocations per month
  • Overage charges can add up with high-volume workloads
  • Status pages require separate paid tier
  • Root cause analysis is separate billing component

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

Checkly

Free
  • HobbyFree
    • 10 uptime monitors
    • 1,000 browser checks monthly
    • 10,000 API checks monthly
  • Team$64/month
    • 75 uptime monitors
    • 12,000 browser checks monthly
    • 100,000 API checks monthly
  • Enterprise$undefined/custom
    • Custom monitor quantities
    • All 22 global locations
    • 1-second check frequency

Azure Monitor

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

Which should you pick?

Choose Checkly if

  • You need uptime monitoring.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, CLI, API.
  • You also want synthetic browser testing.
Checkly 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 Checkly or Azure Monitor better?
Neither clearly leads. Checkly 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, Checkly or Azure Monitor?
Checkly starts at Free and Azure Monitor at Free.
Does Checkly or Azure Monitor run on more platforms?
Checkly runs on Web, CLI, API. Azure Monitor runs on Web, Api.
Can I use Checkly for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Checkly best used for?
Checkly is most often used for monitor api endpoints with custom assertions, test user journeys with browser automation, detect performance degradation across regions, verify dns and tcp connectivity. Of those, monitor api endpoints with custom assertions and test user journeys with browser automation are not what Azure Monitor is typically brought in for.
What can Checkly do that Azure Monitor cannot?
Checkly covers Uptime monitoring, Synthetic browser testing, API monitoring, Heartbeat monitoring. Azure Monitor covers Log collection, Metrics collection, Alerts and notifications, Custom dashboards.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Checkly: What is included in the free Checkly plan?

The free Hobby plan includes 10 uptime monitors, 1,000 monthly browser checks, 10,000 monthly API checks, 6 monitoring locations, and 2-minute minimum check frequency with email, Slack, and webhook alerts.

Source
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
Checkly: Can I write monitoring checks in my preferred language?

Yes, Checkly uses TypeScript/JavaScript for monitoring-as-code, integrated with Playwright for browser testing and supporting REST API testing.

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
Checkly: How much does status page add to my bill?

Status pages cost between $0-$30/month depending on your plan tier, billed separately from core monitoring.

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
Checkly: What is the minimum check frequency?

The Hobby and Starter plans support 2-minute and 1-minute minimums respectively. The Team plan supports 30-second intervals, while Enterprise offers 1-second minimum frequency.

Source
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