Log Management · head to head
Logz.io vs Azure Monitor
Logz.io
Log Management
AI-Powered Log Analytics and Monitoring Platform
- From
- $99/month
- Rated
- -
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: Logz.io saaS-only with no self-hosting option; 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: Logz.io covers Log aggregation, Azure Monitor covers Log collection.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Logz.io and Azure Monitor actually diverge.
| Attribute | Logz.io | Azure Monitor |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $99/month | Free |
| Pricing model | Unknown | usage-based |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Platforms | Cloud (SaaS), Web | Web, Api |
| Founded | 2014 | 2010 |
Identical on both: 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 Logz.io
- Log aggregation
- AI-powered insights
- Elasticsearch integration
- Alert management
- Security analytics
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.
Logz.io
- Log monitoringnot Azure Monitor
- Application performancenot Azure Monitor
- Security analyticsnot Azure Monitor
- Troubleshootingnot Azure Monitor
Azure Monitor
- Collecting logs and metrics from Azure resourcesnot Logz.io
- Alerting on metric thresholds and log queriesnot Logz.io
- Application performance monitoring through Application Insightsnot Logz.io
- Long-term log retention for compliancenot Logz.io
- Querying operational data with KQLnot Logz.io
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Logz.io
- SaaS-only with no self-hosting option
- High pricing for long data retention periods, with steep cost increases for larger data volumes
- UI can take up to 10 seconds to load
- Geo-location data is old and inaccurate
- Expensive for smaller companies with limited log volumes
- Data retention limitations at 14 days may not meet compliance requirements
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
Logz.io
$99/month- Pro$99/month
- Log management
- Real-time search
- Basic alerts
- Enterprise$custom/mo
- All Pro features
- Advanced security
- Dedicated support
Azure Monitor
Free- FreeFree
- Log collection
- Metrics collection
- Alerts and notifications
Which should you pick?
Choose Logz.io if
- You need log aggregation.
- You work on Cloud (SaaS), Web.
- 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 Logz.io or Azure Monitor better?
- Neither clearly leads. Logz.io starts at $99/month and Azure Monitor at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Logz.io or Azure Monitor?
- Azure Monitor has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $99/month for Logz.io and Free for Azure Monitor.
- Does Logz.io or Azure Monitor run on more platforms?
- Logz.io runs on Cloud (SaaS), Web. Azure Monitor runs on Web, Api.
- Can I use Azure Monitor for free?
- Yes. Azure Monitor has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Logz.io starts at $99/month.
- What is Logz.io best used for?
- Logz.io is most often used for log monitoring, application performance, security analytics, troubleshooting. Of those, log monitoring and application performance are not what Azure Monitor is typically brought in for.
- What can Logz.io do that Azure Monitor cannot?
- Logz.io covers Log aggregation, AI-powered insights, Elasticsearch integration, Alert management. Azure Monitor covers Log collection, Metrics collection, Alerts and notifications, Custom dashboards. Both handle API, Webhooks, REST, Web support.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Logz.io: Does Logz.io support self-hosting?
No. Logz.io is a fully SaaS platform with no self-hosting option, limiting flexibility for organizations with on-premises requirements or specific data residency needs.
SourceLogz.io: Is Logz.io based on open-source ELK Stack?
Logz.io is built on the ELK Stack (Elasticsearch, Logstash, Kibana) but uses managed hosting. Note that Elasticsearch and Kibana switched to non-open-source licenses (SSPL) in February 2021, which may have legal implications.