Azure offers packages for processing and other server plans for storage. There are also services, such as Azure AD – an Active Directory implementation – that can be used by businesses even if they don’t have an Azure server space account.

Here is our list of the ten best Azure monitoring tools:

  • Serverless360 EDITOR’S CHOICE This cloud-based platform provides an innovative method to unify the monitoring of different Azure services, including combinations with services on other platforms. Start a 15-day free trial.
  • SolarWinds Server & Application Monitor (FREE TRIAL) A bundle of monitoring systems that will monitor the performance of servers whether they be on-site or in the cloud and also cover the applications that run on them. It installs on Windows Server. Start a 30-day free trial.
  • Site24x7 Infrastructure (FREE TRIAL) A cloud-based monitor for resources located on-site and in the cloud that is able to monitor a range of Azure services. Start a 30-day free trial.
  • AppOptics (FREE TRIAL) A cloud-based monitoring system that covers virtual environments and applications. This service includes specialized modules for monitoring Azure services. Start a 30-day free trial.
  • ManageEngine Applications Manager (FREE TRIAL) This software monitors servers and cloud platforms as well as applications, and Azure is on the list of those systems. Runs on Windows Server, Linux, AWS, and Azure.Start 30-day free trial.
  • ManageEngine ADAudit Plus (FREE TRIAL) This software package provides security monitoring based on Active Directory, including change logging for AD. Available for Windows Server, AWS, and Azure. Start a 30-day free trial.
  • Paessler PRTG (FREE TRIAL) Azure monitoring available from this package of monitoring services that can supervise on-premises and cloud-based networks, servers, and applications. It installs on Windows Server. Register for a 30-day free trial.
  • Datadog Infrastructure A cloud-based monitoring system that can monitor Azure services and other cloud platform resources and also on-premises infrastructure.
  • Dynatrace A cloud-based infrastructure monitoring system that deploys AI processes to track the performance of Azure services as well as other resources.
  • Opsview A monitoring system that covers servers and applications. It includes on-premises resource supervision and cloud services monitoring, such as Azure systems. It installs on Linux or is available as a cloud-based service.

The best Azure monitoring tools

When we decided to look into the best monitoring systems for Azure, we needed to identify systems that are able to track the performance of a wide range of services from servers and virtualizations, through to application and serverless microservices.

Many businesses mix their systems, creating a hybrid combination of on-site and cloud-based components. So, systems that can monitor that blend of locations and formats are particularly interesting to us.

Using this set of criteria, we looked for Azure monitoring systems that can automate many system supervision tasks, thus freeing up technicians for other tasks.

Our methodology for selecting an Azure monitoring system

We reviewed the market for Azure monitoring tools and analyzed the options based on the following criteria:

  • The ability to extract data from the native reporting functions in the Azure platform
  • Systems that can implement infrastructure and application monitoring
  • Alerts for performance problems
  • Notifications by email or SMS when alerts are raised
  • Application dependency mapping
  • A free trial or a demo system to allow a system appraisal before committing to buy
  • Value for money, represented by a reliable monitoring system that is supplied at a reasonable price

1. Serverless360 (FREE TRIAL)

Serverless360 offers three modules on its cloud platform that make managing Azure services a lot easier.  These are Business Applications, Business Activity Monitoring, and Azure Documenter. Each unit is a separate subscription service, but they work best when deployed in unison.

Key Features:

  • Specializes in Azure
  • Application dependency mapping
  • Creates virtual applications
  • Monitors applications on Azure
  • Audits Azure accounts

Each Azure service is a separate entity. However, they are rarely used in isolation. Native monitoring systems on the Azure platform keep performance tracking separate for each service. This doesn’t help customers because it makes root cause analysis of performance issues very difficult. The Serverless360 strategy virtualizes Azure services so that they can be analyzed with the business context as applications.

As the platform’s name suggests, Serverless360 is particularly good at tracking microservices, which are termed “serverless.” A serverless system exists to provide functions through APIs, development environments, and plug-ins, which make the creation of Web applications and mobile apps a lot faster. However, when those finished products run, bits of the systems will be hosted God-knows-where.

The Business Applications module of Serverless360 threads together all of the contributing services in a business context so it is easier to track the performance of the whole. The system is designed to monitor Azure services along with operational capabilities to resolve issues without switching between tabs.

Once a business application has been defined to contain all of the separate Azure services that contribute to its execution, the Serverless360 platform will treat this unit as an entity. It will implement live monitoring of the health, availability and performance from the reporting systems, also notifies the stakeholders proactively with the warning threshold values.

To get that functional end-to-end monitoring, you need to subscribe to the Serverless360 Business Activity Monitoring package. This operates as a typical IT monitoring system with alerts for out-of-band business exceptions and slow or stalled execution.

Azure Documenter brings visibility and insights into live Azure subscription data to help you lower costs, maintain security and compliance, and optimize resources.

You can also use Serverless360 in the private hosting model where its instance will be hosted in customer’s Azure infrastructure.

As well as offering its own SaaS platform, Serverless360 makes its three modules available right out of the box without installing any agents and instrumentation. Pricing starts at $150 per month for the Business Application monitoring, $300 per month for the Business Activity Monitoring package, and the Azure Documenter starts at just $49 per month – all billed annually. You can check out the free demo to assess all three Serverless360 modules. You could also start a 15-day free trial.

Pros:

  • Stunning data visualizations and simple admin console
  • Flexible subscription options for any size Azure environment
  • Designed to audit, monitor, and report on Azure applications
  • Can automatically create dependency maps
  • Supports monitoring for other environments and microservices

Cons:

  • Could benefit from a longer trial period

2. SolarWinds Server & Application Monitor (FREE TRIAL)

EDITOR’S CHOICE

Serverless360 is our top pick for an Azure monitoring tool because it offers a way to unify the monitoring of Azure services where they contribute to a single application. Instead of tracking each service independently, Serverless360 creates a virtual entity that can be monitored as a whole and also as a string of internal modules. This is a unique monitoring system that puts Azure services into a context and makes root cause analysis for performance issues a easier and faster task.

Download: Start a 15-day FREE Trial

Official Site: serverless360.com/signup

OS: SaaS, Azure service, or virtual appliance

SolarWinds Server & Application Monitor has all of the capabilities needed to monitor the wide range of services offered by Azure. Not only that but it can also integrate Azure monitoring into the supervision of on-site servers running Windows Server or Linux and the applications that they host.

  • Azure services as well as other platforms
  • Automated monitoring
  • Application dependency mapping
  • Performance alerts

Azure-hosted databases, AD, and other applications plus virtual infrastructure can all be included in this monitoring service. The dashboard of the monitor collects all of the Azure systems on one screen. This leads to detailed information on each service. Relevant metrics, such as response times, capacity, throughput, and connectivity are all tracked. The system places thresholds of acceptable performance on each metric and then constantly adjusts those levels according to patterns of usage.

The SolarWinds system will raise an alert if a threshold is crossed. This shows on the dashboard of the service and can also be forwarded as a notification by email or SMS. This alerting mechanism automates monitoring because you don’t need to put a member of staff watching statuses to spot when things go wrong. This frees up staff for other tasks. A notification will arrive in time to allow you to make system adjustments and prevent problems from becoming critical.

The SolarWinds Server and Applications Monitor is particularly strong at monitoring Microsoft products, including SQL Server, Microsoft 365, and Exchange Server. Features in the monitor include demand trend analysis and application dependency mappings. If you run virtualizations, it can also get inside those and map their structures as well.

The SolarWinds Server & Application Monitor is implemented as on-premises software that installs on Windows Server. You can access it on a 30-day free trial.

  • Can monitor Azure, as well as numerous other cloud and local server environments

  • Supports auto-discovery that builds network topology maps and inventory lists in real-time based on devices that enter the network

  • Offers flexible alerting features and a wide range of integrations

  • Uses drag and drop widgets to customize the look and feel of the dashboard

  • Robust reporting system with pre-configured templates

  • Designed for IT professionals, not the best option for non-technical users

3. Site24x7 Infrastructure (FREE TRIAL)

SolarWinds Server & Application Monitor is great for Azure monitoring because it is able to monitor all of the services of the Azure platform as well as servers and applications on-site. This software package runs on Windows Server but it isn’t limited to just monitoring its host. It can also monitor other on-site servers running Linux and Windows servers together with Azure servers

Start 30-day FREE Trial: solarwinds.com/server-application-monitor/registration

OS: Windows Server

Site24x7 is a cloud-based system that is able to monitor on-premises and cloud-based resources. Among its capabilities is the ability to monitor virtual systems, such as hypervisors and virtual servers.

  • Cloud-based
  • Azure integration
  • Performance alerts

The Site24x7 system can be expanded by product-specific integrations. These add extra probes and screens to the monitoring system. Rather than offering a single integration for Azure, Site24x7 offers a list of specialist module monitors for each Azure service.

With the Site24x7 monitoring system fully loaded with its Azure integrations, you can combine these cloud monitors with any other infrastructure of your company based anywhere in the world. Each system requires an agent installed on it.

The dashboard for Site24x7 Infrastructure is delivered from the cloud and it can be accessed from anywhere through any standard Web browser. The screens in the console can all be customized with a drag-and-drop assembly system.

This is a particularly interesting monitoring proposal for businesses that operate a virtual office. It can tie together staff working remotely with Azure services and monitor the whole collection together. Whatever resources you have and wherever they are, Site24x7 Infrastructure creates a map of dependencies between applications, services, and server resources. It can show how your Azure services interact with each other and with your resources based on other platforms. This plan lays down the pathways for root cause analysis when performance drops.

Site24x7 Infrastructure is charged for on a monthly subscription and you can access it on a 30-day free trial.

  • Provides templated Azure monitors, reports, and dashboards

  • Uses real-time data to discover devices and build charts, network maps, and inventory reports

  • Is one of the most user-friendly network monitoring tools available

  • User monitoring can help bridge the gap between technical issues, user behavior, and business metrics

  • Supports a freeware version for testing

  • Is a very detailed platform that will require time to fully learn all of its features and options

Site24x7 Start a 30-day FREE Trial

4. AppOptics (FREE TRIAL)

AppOptics is a very competent application monitoring system that, like Dynatrace, doesn’t have any network monitoring features. However, for Azure monitoring, that isn’t a problem. AppOptics is able to monitor the full range of Azure services from server space through to serverless systems and applications such as databases.

  • Real-time Azure monitoring
  • Monitoring of serverless systems included
  • Cloud-based

The Azure monitoring service of AppOptics collects performance metrics in real-time and displays them in the system console in the form of graphs. While watching the performance of applications through issues such as response times, it also monitors the resources of the server that supports your account. So, it will report on factors such as CPU, memory, and disk space utilization.

AppOptics operates a series of performance thresholds on vital indicators and triggers alerts when issues arise. These alerts can be forwarded to you by email, Slack message, or SMS so that you don’t need to watch the monitor’s dashboard all the time.

As well as monitoring systems, AppOptics provides performance analysis services. These include code-level analysis and distributed tracing for the microservices that lie behind APIs. You are not limited to monitoring Azure services with AppOptics. This service is also able to monitor services provided by other cloud platforms and it will simultaneously monitor applications that run on your on-premises servers.

A tracking feature in the application monitoring package of AppOptics is able to build a picture of the interdependencies between applications and services no matter where they are hosted. This is displayed as a stack in the dashboard of the service so you can see which applications rely on which services. This is particularly useful for performing root cause analysis.

AppOptics is a subscription service with annual and monthly payment plans. The system is offered in two editions with the first, called Infrastructure Monitoring including platform monitoring. The second edition includes code profiling, application stack discovery, and distributed tracing as well as the features of the Infrastructure plan. That higher plan is called Infrastructure and Application Monitoring. You can get a 30-day free trial of the full-feature plan.

  • Offers a live look into the health of your Azure environment

  • Offers great visualizations reflecting live and historical health metrics and resource consumption

  • Deploys as a flexible cloud service

  • Tracks all major resources focusing on over 180 different metrics

  • Can monitor Docker, Azure, and Hyper-V platforms, offering more flexibility than competing options

  • Would like to see a longer trial period

AppOptics Infrastructure and Application Monitoring Start 30-day FREE Trial

5. ManageEngine Applications Manager (FREE TRIAL)

ManageEngine Applications Manager monitors the platforms that support applications as well as the applications themselves. The package is able to monitor on-premises servers running Windows Server and Linux and also cloud platforms running Azure, AWS, Google Cloud Platform, and Oracle Cloud.

  • Platform resource usage
  • Application activity monitoring
  • Web application monitoring

Features in the Applications Manager package include a discovery service that maps applications, their modules, services, and resource support. That server resource monitoring extends to platforms, such as Azure. The tool extracts activity data from Azure’s native reporting service and integrates them into its calculation of root cause analysis.

The dependency mapping identifies essential resources and implements requirements thresholds on all of the metrics that the system gathers. If one of those levels gets crossed, Applications Manager raises an alert. The thresholds kick in before full capacity is hit, which gives you time to take evasive action before shortages create performance impairment.

Those alert conditions can be customized and it is also possible to replan the screens of the service or set up your own by allocating widgets to show a data set in different formats, such as tables, charts, or dials. Alerts can be sent by SMS, Slack message, push notification, voice message, or email. It is also possible to channel them through your Service Desk ticketing system.

Azure isn’t the only Microsoft system that Applications Manager can monitor. It is able to track activities and performance in a long list of products, including IIS, Exchange Server, Microsoft 365, Microsoft Dynamics, and Active Directory.

ManageEngine Applications Manager has a free edition. There are also two paid editions – Professional for a single network, and Enterprise for multi-site implementations. The software for the package installs on Windows Server or Linux or you can get the system as a service on AWS and Azure. Access one of the two paid versions on a 30-day free trial. If you decide not to buy at the end of the trial period, your implementation switches over to the free version.

  • Joins up application activities with resource demands

  • Customizable alerts that can be sent through many channels

  • Automated response workflows

  • Offers log monitoring to track Azure metrics like memory usage, disk IO, and cache status, providing a holistic view into your database health

  • Can automatically detect databases, server hardware, and devices for real-time asset management

  • Not a SaaS package

ManageEngine Applications Manager Start 30-day FREE Trial

6. ManageEngine ADAudit Plus (FREE TRIAL)

ManageEngine ADAudit Plus is a security system that not only protects Active Directory instances from tampering but tracks activity on your servers and implements file integrity monitoring. This package aims to prevent insider threats and account takeovers from causing damage to your business’s data and reputation.

  • Records changes in AD
  • Alerts for AD object updates
  • Tracks user activity

You would need ADAudit Plus for security monitoring but businesses that need to show compliance with a data protection system can’t avoid implementing this tool or one like it. It is important that you can show that your system is able to identify the origin of changes to data, which might be malicious. Logs for these actions help you roll back unauthorized data tampering and prove that you are on top of this issue.

The ManageEngine system is available for installation on Windows Server and it can also be taken as a service on AWS or Azure. ManageEngine offers three editions of this system. The first of these is Free. That version is limited to monitoring 25 workstations, which is great for small businesses. The Standard edition is able to monitor activity on servers and the Professional edition is where you will find Active Directory change tracking.

ManageEngine offers the Professional edition for a 30-day free trial.

  • Able to operate on Windows Server AD implementations

  • Can monitor AD on AWS and Azure

  • Includes a compliance reporting module

  • This isn’t a SaaS package

ManageEngine ADAudit Plus Start 30-day FREE Trial

7. Paessler PRTG (FREE TRIAL)

Paessler PRTG is a collection of resource monitors. Each customer gets the full package but customizes the system by deciding which monitors to turn on. The price for the service depends on the number of monitoring credits that you buy.

  • Networks, applications, and servers
  • Cloud and on-premises monitoring
  • Free for 100 sensors

PRTG monitors Azure in conjunction with another system, called Martello iQ. The monitoring system relies on sensors provided by another partner, called AutomonX. In total, the system provides 18 different monitors for Azure services. The dashboard shows an overview of all of your Azure services, allowing a drill down through to detail pages for each service. All of the screens for Azure monitoring include color-coded graphics that make statuses very easy to identify.

The Azure monitoring service includes performance thresholds and alerts to automate monitoring. As well as monitoring Azures services, PRTG can supervise other resources related to networks, services, and applications. This enables you to monitor all of your infrastructure from one console.

PRTG installs on Windows Server and you can get it on a 30-day free trial.

  • Supports a wide range of cloud monitoring environments – great for companies using multiple cloud products

  • Drag and drop editor makes it easy to build custom Azure views and reports

  • Offers flexible integration with helpdesk systems and third-party messaging platforms

  • Highly customizable sensors – great for building custom monitoring solutions

  • Supports a robust freeware version

  • PRTG is designed with network professionals in mind – not ideal for non-technical users

Paessler PRTG Start 30-day FREE Trial

8. Datadog Infrastructure

The Datadog Infrastructure service is very similar to the Site24x7 Infrastructure monitoring system. This is a cloud-based service that covers all Azure services from server space to databases and other applications.

  • Cloud-based
  • Live monitoring for Azure and AWS
  • Container monitoring

This system is able to combine the monitoring of Azure services with monitors for other cloud platforms and also on-premises applications and the servers that host them. The system covers overviews of all monitored resources that lead to drill-down details screens per service.

Datadog Infrastructure is a subscription service and it is available in three editions: Free, Pro, and Enterprise. The free version will monitor up to five hosts, so depending on how many services you subscribe to, this capability might not be enough. Each Azure service counts as a separate host for Datadog.

  • Can monitor Azure, along with other cloud and server environments

  • Supports auto-discovery that builds network topology maps on the fly

  • Changes made to the network are reflected in near real-time

  • Allows businesses to scale their monitoring efforts reliably through flexible pricing options

  • Would like to see a longer trial period for testing

The Pro service of Datadog Infrastructure includes all of the straightforward monitoring services that you need. However, the Correlations package, which is an application dependency mapping service and a machine learning threshold setting module, called Watchdog, are only available in the Enterprise plan. You can get a 14-day free trial of either of the two Datadog Infrastructure paid editions.

9. Dynatrace

Dynatrace is an application and cloud services monitoring system that integrates innovative AI processes into its platform. Azure services are included in the monitoring capabilities of this service.

  • Cloud based
  • AI processes
  • Root cause analysis

The Dynatrace system starts its service by exploring your Azure accounts. It can also extend its tracking to the services of other cloud platforms and applications hosted on your own servers. This exploration results in an application dependency map.

With the dependency map in place, the Dynatrace system is in a good position to support root cause analysis once performance issues are detected by the constant status monitoring services of the package.

The Dynatrace system is cloud-based and it integrates machine learning in a performance assessment algorithm. That performance expectation fine-tuning makes this system a winner. Some monitoring services preset thresholds for the average business and that means most system administrators have to spend weeks adjusting those levels until they find the right point. The Dynatrace system performs all of those adjustments autonomously.

So, two key AI-driven features give Dynatrace its edge. Those are speedy problem resolution thanks to its application dependency mapping and accurate performance assessment thanks to machine learning applied to alert thresholds. One issue that some might have Dynatrace is that its visibility ends with the server. It doesn’t have any solutions for network problems. However, that is an issue for on-premises monitoring, and for Azure monitoring; the network isn’t a priority.

Dynatrace is a subscription service charged at a rate per month. There is no deposit required and no minimum service period. You can get a 15-day free trial to assess the system for yourself.

10. Opsview

Opsview is able to present a single view of hybrid systems, monitoring resources anywhere, including Azure services. It is able to show performance metrics and availability statistics for all of your Azure subscriptions.

  • SaaS package or Linux install
  • Application dependency mapping
  • Monitors cloud and site resources

A nice presentational feature of Opsview is that it can be cast onto large screens around the operations center, creating a buzz of efficiency around the operations team. That looks very impressive when you are giving clients a tour.

Opsview has special procedures for monitoring websites and Web services and it can trace application dependencies through to the host services – that includes Azure resources. The Opsview tracing system isn’t restricted to just one platform – it will chain back and identify application dependencies regardless of where each service is resident.

Beneath your services and applications, Opsview has infrastructure monitoring capabilities that can accurately track virtualizations, monitoring each server and its dependent virtual machines. This service is particularly designed to monitor internet-connected services, so it tracks response times point-to-point rather than examining hops on networks.

Opsview is available in three editions. The SMB plan is for small businesses and the Enterprise plan is tailored to large organizations. Both of those packages are for on-premises installation on Linux servers. There is also the Opsview Cloud plan, which is hosted. You can get a demo of the cloud service.

  • Supports Azure monitoring as well as the monitoring of web services

  • Great admin dashboards and monitors

  • Clean easy to use interface

  • Supports a free and paid version

  • Better suited for on-prem Azure monitoring