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Logging · head to head

Rootly vs Azure Monitor

Rootly logo

Rootly

Logging

AI-native incident management with automation, on-call, and root cause analysis

From
$20/user-month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Azure Monitor logo

Azure Monitor

Logging

Azure's Monitoring and Diagnostics Service

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Azure Monitor has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Rootly pricing higher than some competitors for basic 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
  • They diverge on capability: Rootly covers AI SRE automation, Azure Monitor covers Log collection.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Rootly and Azure Monitor actually diverge.

Attributes where Rootly and Azure Monitor differ
AttributeRootlyAzure Monitor
Starting price$20/user-monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionusage-based
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, Mobile, Slack, Microsoft TeamsWeb, Api
Founded20202010

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Logging).

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 Rootly

  • AI SRE automation
  • Alert routing
  • On-call management
  • Incident response
  • Call routing
  • AI meeting bot
  • Status pages

Only in Azure Monitor

  • Log collection
  • Metrics collection
  • Alerts and notifications
  • Custom dashboards
  • API
  • Webhooks
  • REST
  • Web support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Rootly

  • Automate on-call and incident response workflowsnot Azure Monitor
  • Run root cause analysis with AI assistancenot Azure Monitor
  • Track and improve Mean Time to Mitigation (MTTR)not Azure Monitor
  • Coordinate response across distributed teamsnot Azure Monitor
  • Learn from post-incident retrospectivesnot Azure Monitor

Azure Monitor

  • Collecting logs and metrics from Azure resourcesnot Rootly
  • Alerting on metric thresholds and log queriesnot Rootly
  • Application performance monitoring through Application Insightsnot Rootly
  • Long-term log retention for compliancenot Rootly
  • Querying operational data with KQLnot Rootly

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Rootly

  • Pricing higher than some competitors for basic features
  • AI SRE features require separate contact-sales engagement
  • Learning curve for advanced automation features
  • Per-user pricing increases costs as team grows

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

Rootly

$20/user-month
  • Incident Response Essentials$20/user-month
    • Response with Slack integration
    • @Rootly AI Chat
    • AI Similar Incidents detection
  • Incident Response Enterprise$undefined/custom
    • All Essentials features
    • Custom forms and incident types
    • Private incidents
  • On-Call Essentials$20/user-month
    • Alert grouping and routing
    • Live call routing (1 phone number)
    • Schedules and escalation policies
  • On-Call Enterprise$undefined/custom
    • All Essentials features
    • 5 phone numbers for call routing
    • Unlimited schedules

Azure Monitor

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Log collection
    • Metrics collection
    • Alerts and notifications

Which should you pick?

Choose Rootly if

  • You need ai sre automation.
  • You work on Web, Mobile, Slack, Microsoft Teams.
  • You also want alert routing.
Rootly review

Choose Azure Monitor if

  • You need log collection.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Api.
  • You also want metrics collection.
Azure Monitor review

Questions people ask

Is Rootly or Azure Monitor better?
Neither clearly leads. Rootly starts at $20/user-month and Azure Monitor at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Rootly or Azure Monitor?
Azure Monitor has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $20/user-month for Rootly and Free for Azure Monitor.
Does Rootly or Azure Monitor run on more platforms?
Rootly runs on Web, Mobile, Slack, Microsoft Teams. 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. Rootly starts at $20/user-month.
What is Rootly best used for?
Rootly is most often used for automate on-call and incident response workflows, run root cause analysis with ai assistance, track and improve mean time to mitigation (mttr), coordinate response across distributed teams. Of those, automate on-call and incident response workflows and run root cause analysis with ai assistance are not what Azure Monitor is typically brought in for.
What can Rootly do that Azure Monitor cannot?
Rootly covers AI SRE automation, Alert routing, On-call management, Incident response. Azure Monitor covers Log collection, Metrics collection, Alerts and notifications, Custom dashboards.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Rootly: How much does Rootly cost?

Rootly charges $20/user/month for both Incident Response and On-Call Essentials plans. Enterprise plans require contacting sales. Startups under 100 employees with less than $50M raised get up to 50% discount.

Source
Azure Monitor: How does Azure Monitor billing work?

Billing is based on data volume ingested into Azure Monitor. Additional charges apply separately for alerts, notifications, web tests, and data export. Activity log and platform metrics are automatically collected with an Azure subscription.

Source
Rootly: What is Rootly AI SRE?

AI SRE is an advanced feature that provides automated root cause analysis, alert correlation with system changes, impact analysis, and remediation suggestions. Pricing requires contact with sales.

Source
Azure Monitor: What savings are available with Azure Monitor?

Capacity reservations offer up to 36% savings compared to standard pay-as-you-go pricing when you commit to reserved capacity upfront.

Source
Rootly: Does Rootly integrate with Slack?

Yes, Rootly natively integrates with Slack for incident response workflows, allowing teams to manage incidents directly in Slack.

Source
Azure Monitor: Is there a free tier for Azure Monitor?

No dedicated free tier exists. Activity log and platform metrics are automatically collected with an Azure subscription, but detailed monitoring requires additional configuration and associated costs.

Source
Rootly: Are there discounts for small companies?

Yes, startups under 100 employees or less than 25 employees can get special pricing up to 50% discount. Contact Rootly sales for details.

Source
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