Log Management · head to head
Dynatrace Logs vs Azure Monitor
Dynatrace Logs
Log Management
Intelligent Log Analytics and Management
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
Azure Monitor
Log Management
Azure's Monitoring and Diagnostics Service
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Dynatrace Logs log ingest and processing is billed at $0.20 per GiB, separately from retention and from query; 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: Dynatrace Logs covers Log analysis, Azure Monitor covers Log collection.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Dynatrace Logs and Azure Monitor actually diverge.
| Attribute | Dynatrace Logs | Azure Monitor |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | subscription | usage-based |
| Founded | 2005 | 2010 |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), 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 Dynatrace Logs
- Log analysis
- AI-powered insights
- Metrics integration
- Automated root cause
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.
Dynatrace Logs
- Ingesting and processing application and infrastructure logsnot Azure Monitor
- Querying logs alongside traces and metrics in one platformnot Azure Monitor
- Log driven alerting within an existing Dynatrace deploymentnot Azure Monitor
Azure Monitor
- Collecting logs and metrics from Azure resourcesnot Dynatrace Logs
- Alerting on metric thresholds and log queriesnot Dynatrace Logs
- Application performance monitoring through Application Insightsnot Dynatrace Logs
- Long-term log retention for compliancenot Dynatrace Logs
- Querying operational data with KQLnot Dynatrace Logs
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Dynatrace Logs
- Log ingest and processing is billed at $0.20 per GiB, separately from retention and from query
- Querying logs is charged in addition to ingest, either pay per query or as bundled queries
- Log analytics requires the same annual platform commitment as the rest of the Dynatrace platform
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
Dynatrace Logs
Free- FreeFree
- Log analysis
- AI-powered insights
- Metrics integration
Azure Monitor
Free- FreeFree
- Log collection
- Metrics collection
- Alerts and notifications
Which should you pick?
Choose Dynatrace Logs if
- You need log analysis.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Api.
- You also want ai-powered insights.
Choose Azure Monitor if
- You need log collection.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Api.
- You also want metrics collection.
Questions people ask
- Is Dynatrace Logs or Azure Monitor better?
- Neither clearly leads. Dynatrace Logs 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, Dynatrace Logs or Azure Monitor?
- Dynatrace Logs starts at Free and Azure Monitor at Free.
- Does Dynatrace Logs 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 Dynatrace Logs for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Dynatrace Logs best used for?
- Dynatrace Logs is most often used for ingesting and processing application and infrastructure logs, querying logs alongside traces and metrics in one platform, log driven alerting within an existing dynatrace deployment. Of those, ingesting and processing application and infrastructure logs and querying logs alongside traces and metrics in one platform are not what Azure Monitor is typically brought in for.
- What can Dynatrace Logs do that Azure Monitor cannot?
- Dynatrace Logs covers Log analysis, AI-powered insights, Metrics integration, Automated root cause. Azure Monitor covers Log collection, Metrics collection, Alerts and notifications, Custom dashboards. Both handle API, Webhooks, REST, Web support.