Log Management · head to head
Graylog Plus vs Azure Monitor
Azure Monitor
Log Management
Azure's Monitoring and Diagnostics Service
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Azure Monitor has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Graylog Plus pricing is not published on the product pages; 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: Graylog Plus covers Log aggregation, Azure Monitor covers Log collection.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Graylog Plus and Azure Monitor actually diverge.
| Attribute | Graylog Plus | Azure Monitor |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | On request | Free |
| Pricing model | subscription | usage-based |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Founded | 2011 | 2010 |
Identical on both: 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 Graylog Plus
- Log aggregation
- SIEM capabilities
- Advanced parsing
- Compliance
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.
Graylog Plus
- Centralised log collection, search and analysisnot Azure Monitor
- SIEM and threat detection through Graylog Securitynot Azure Monitor
- Self-hosting log management on your own infrastructurenot Azure Monitor
- API security monitoringnot Azure Monitor
- Compliance reporting from retained log datanot Azure Monitor
Azure Monitor
- Collecting logs and metrics from Azure resourcesnot Graylog Plus
- Alerting on metric thresholds and log queriesnot Graylog Plus
- Application performance monitoring through Application Insightsnot Graylog Plus
- Long-term log retention for compliancenot Graylog Plus
- Querying operational data with KQLnot Graylog Plus
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Graylog Plus
- Pricing is not published on the product pages
- Split across several editions, Graylog Open, Enterprise, Security and API Security, so log management and SIEM are separate purchases
- The open edition is source-available rather than fully open source, and the guided setup, prebuilt content and AI assistance are Enterprise features
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
Graylog Plus
On request- Starter$undefined/month
- Log aggregation
- SIEM capabilities
- Advanced parsing
Azure Monitor
Free- FreeFree
- Log collection
- Metrics collection
- Alerts and notifications
Which should you pick?
Choose Graylog Plus if
- You need log aggregation.
- You work on Web, Api.
- You also want siem capabilities.
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 Graylog Plus or Azure Monitor better?
- Neither clearly leads. Graylog Plus starts at On request and Azure Monitor at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Graylog Plus or Azure Monitor?
- Azure Monitor has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Graylog Plus and Free for Azure Monitor.
- Does Graylog Plus 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 Azure Monitor for free?
- Yes. Azure Monitor has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Graylog Plus starts at On request.
- What is Graylog Plus best used for?
- Graylog Plus is most often used for centralised log collection, search and analysis, siem and threat detection through graylog security, self-hosting log management on your own infrastructure, api security monitoring. Of those, centralised log collection, search and analysis and siem and threat detection through graylog security are not what Azure Monitor is typically brought in for.
- What can Graylog Plus do that Azure Monitor cannot?
- Graylog Plus covers Log aggregation, SIEM capabilities, Advanced parsing, Compliance. Azure Monitor covers Log collection, Metrics collection, Alerts and notifications, Custom dashboards. Both handle API, Webhooks, REST, Web support.