Software · head to head
CloudWatch vs AppDynamics
The short version
- Each has a real cost: CloudWatch the free tier covers 5 GB of log ingestion and 10 custom metrics a month, after which log ingestion is $0.50 per GB from 5 to 30 GB; AppDynamics appdynamics.com/pricing returns a 301 redirect to Splunk's observability pricing page; the product is now sold as Splunk AppDynamics
- They diverge on capability: CloudWatch covers Metrics collection, AppDynamics covers Application performance monitoring.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which CloudWatch and AppDynamics actually diverge.
| Attribute | CloudWatch | AppDynamics |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 2006 | 2008 |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (usage-based), free tier (Yes), platforms (Web, Api), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
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 CloudWatch
- Metrics collection
- Log aggregation
- Dashboards
- Alarms and notifications
Only in AppDynamics
- Application performance monitoring
- Distributed tracing
- Real-time analytics
- Alert management
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.
CloudWatch
- Metrics and log collection for AWS workloadsnot AppDynamics
- Alarming on thresholds across AWS servicesnot AppDynamics
- Querying logs with Logs Insightsnot AppDynamics
- Live tailing logs during an incidentnot AppDynamics
- Distributed tracing alongside X-Raynot AppDynamics
AppDynamics
- Application performance monitoring for Java, .NET and other enterprise application stacksnot CloudWatch
- Business transaction tracing across distributed application tiersnot CloudWatch
- Infrastructure monitoring priced per vCPUnot CloudWatch
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
CloudWatch
- The free tier covers 5 GB of log ingestion and 10 custom metrics a month, after which log ingestion is $0.50 per GB from 5 to 30 GB
- Custom metrics are $0.30 each for the first 10,000, so instrumenting broadly gets expensive before volume discounts apply
- Each custom dashboard beyond the free three is $3 a month
- Alarms are billed at $0.10 per alarm metric a month, with high-resolution alarms costing more
- Log storage beyond the free 5 GB is $0.03 per GB per month on top of the ingestion charge
AppDynamics
- appdynamics.com/pricing returns a 301 redirect to Splunk's observability pricing page; the product is now sold as Splunk AppDynamics
- Infrastructure Edition starts at $6 per vCPU per month billed annually, so cost scales with core count rather than host count
- Premium Edition starts at $33 per host per month and Enterprise Edition at $50 per host per month, both billed annually
- The published figures are starting prices only, with volume pricing requiring a sales quote
Pricing, plan by plan
CloudWatch
Free- FreeFree
- Metrics collection
- Log aggregation
- Dashboards
AppDynamics
Free- FreeFree
- Application performance monitoring
- Distributed tracing
- Real-time analytics
Which should you pick?
Choose CloudWatch if
- You need metrics collection.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Api.
- You also want log aggregation.
Choose AppDynamics if
- You need application performance monitoring.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Api.
- You also want distributed tracing.
Questions people ask
- Is CloudWatch or AppDynamics better?
- Neither clearly leads. CloudWatch starts at Free and AppDynamics at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, CloudWatch or AppDynamics?
- CloudWatch starts at Free and AppDynamics at Free.
- Does CloudWatch or AppDynamics run on more platforms?
- Both run on Web, Api, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
- Can I use CloudWatch for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is CloudWatch best used for?
- CloudWatch is most often used for metrics and log collection for aws workloads, alarming on thresholds across aws services, querying logs with logs insights, live tailing logs during an incident. Of those, metrics and log collection for aws workloads and alarming on thresholds across aws services are not what AppDynamics is typically brought in for.
- What can CloudWatch do that AppDynamics cannot?
- CloudWatch covers Metrics collection, Log aggregation, Dashboards, Alarms and notifications. AppDynamics covers Application performance monitoring, Distributed tracing, Real-time analytics, Alert management. Both handle API, Webhooks, REST, Web support.