Log Management · head to head
Retrace vs Azure Monitor
Azure Monitor
Log Management
Azure's Monitoring and Diagnostics Service
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Retrace end of Life scheduled for March 31, 2027; the product is being discontinued; 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: Retrace covers Log management, Azure Monitor covers Log collection.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Retrace and Azure Monitor actually diverge.
| Attribute | Retrace | Azure Monitor |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | subscription | usage-based |
| Platforms | Web, .NET, Java, PHP, Node.js, Python | Web, Api |
| Founded | 2012 | 2010 |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 Retrace
- Log management
- Application performance tracking
- Error detection
- Code profiling
- Performance baselines
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.
Retrace
- Log monitoringnot Azure Monitor
- Application performancenot Azure Monitor
- Security analyticsnot Azure Monitor
- Troubleshootingnot Azure Monitor
Azure Monitor
- Collecting logs and metrics from Azure resourcesnot Retrace
- Alerting on metric thresholds and log queriesnot Retrace
- Application performance monitoring through Application Insightsnot Retrace
- Long-term log retention for compliancenot Retrace
- Querying operational data with KQLnot Retrace
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Retrace
- End of Life scheduled for March 31, 2027; the product is being discontinued
- Costs escalate quickly with per-server billing model, expensive at scale
- User interface and dashboard criticisms; UI is outdated and difficult to use
- Logging latency; logs can take time to appear and are not instant
- Less mature support for Node.js, Python, and newer ecosystems
- Reporting issues where process restarts provide only timeline without root cause data
- Reliability concerns; monitoring has stopped collecting traces with no warning
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
Retrace
Free- FreeFree
- Log management
- Application performance tracking
- Error detection
Azure Monitor
Free- FreeFree
- Log collection
- Metrics collection
- Alerts and notifications
Which should you pick?
Choose Retrace if
- You need log management.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, .NET, Java, PHP, Node.js, Python.
- You also want application performance tracking.
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 Retrace or Azure Monitor better?
- Neither clearly leads. Retrace 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, Retrace or Azure Monitor?
- Retrace starts at Free and Azure Monitor at Free.
- Does Retrace or Azure Monitor run on more platforms?
- Retrace runs on Web, .NET, Java, PHP, Node.js, Python. Azure Monitor runs on Web, Api.
- Can I use Retrace for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Retrace best used for?
- Retrace 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 Retrace do that Azure Monitor cannot?
- Retrace covers Log management, Application performance tracking, Error detection, Code profiling. 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
Retrace: What does Retrace monitor?
Retrace provides application performance monitoring (APM), centralized log management, error tracking, code profiling, and real user monitoring (RUM). It aggregates logs from applications and servers in one place.
SourceRetrace: What programming languages does Retrace support?
Retrace supports .NET, .NET Core, PHP, Node.js, Ruby, Python, and Java applications. Support for Node.js, Python, and newer ecosystems is noted as less mature.
SourceRetrace: Is Retrace being discontinued?
Yes. Retrace will reach End of Life on March 31, 2027. Users should plan to migrate to alternative solutions.
SourceRetrace: What databases and services does Retrace integrate with?
Retrace supports SQL Server, Oracle, PostgreSQL, MySQL, Redis, MongoDB, Elasticsearch, and cloud platforms like AWS and Azure.
Source