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Azure Network Watcher vs Broadcom Network Flow Analysis comparison

Microsoft and Broadcom are both solutions in the Network Monitoring Software category. Microsoft is ranked #42 with an average rating of 8.5, while Broadcom is ranked #82. Microsoft holds a 0.5% mindshare in NMS, compared to Broadcom’s 0.5% mindshare. Additionally, 92% of Microsoft users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Broadcom users who would recommend it.
Azure Network Watcher
Read 13 Azure Network Watcher reviews
  • 1,082 Views
  • 1,039 Comparison Views
92% willing to recommend
Broadcom Network Flow Analysis
Read 6 Broadcom Network Flow Analysis reviews
  • 1,292 Views
  • 891 Comparison Views
100% willing to recommend
 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 10, 2024

Broadcom Network Flow Analysis and Azure Network Watcher are prominent in network monitoring and analysis. Azure Network Watcher seems to have the upper hand due to its seamless integration and extensive features for Azure environments.

Features: Broadcom Network Flow Analysis emphasizes detailed traffic analytics and network performance insights, supporting robust security measures. It also provides comprehensive reporting capabilities. Azure Network Watcher offers extensive cloud integration, supports topology maps, and enables packet capture, providing native support for Azure environments.

Room for Improvement: Broadcom Network Flow Analysis can simplify its deployment process, enhance user interface, and improve ease of use. Azure Network Watcher could expand its capabilities beyond Azure, enhance detailed analytics for non-Azure networks, and offer more detailed customization options for reports.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Broadcom Network Flow Analysis involves a complex setup and configuration process but is supported by robust customer service. Azure Network Watcher offers streamlined deployment for Azure-based solutions, with integrated support within the Azure platform, making it more convenient for existing Azure users.

Pricing and ROI: Broadcom Network Flow Analysis requires higher initial setup costs but offers significant ROI through in-depth insights. Azure Network Watcher provides cost-effective solutions with flexible pricing models integrated into Azure subscriptions, yielding efficient ROI especially for cloud monitoring needs.

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To learn more, read our detailed Azure Network Watcher vs. Broadcom Network Flow Analysis Report (Updated: March 2026).
Buyer's Guide
Azure Network Watcher vs. Broadcom Network Flow Analysis
March 2026
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Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Categories and Ranking

Azure Network Watcher
Ranking in Network Monitoring Software
42nd
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
5.9
Number of Reviews
13
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Broadcom Network Flow Analysis
Ranking in Network Monitoring Software
82nd
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
7.6
Number of Reviews
6
Ranking in other categories
Network Management Applications (24th), Network Troubleshooting (13th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2026, in the Network Monitoring Software category, the mindshare of Azure Network Watcher is 0.5%, up from 0.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Broadcom Network Flow Analysis is 0.5%, up from 0.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Network Monitoring Software Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Azure Network Watcher0.5%
Broadcom Network Flow Analysis0.5%
Other99.0%
Network Monitoring Software
 

Featured Reviews

Bijoyendra Roychowdhury - PeerSpot reviewer
Bijoyendra Roychowdhury
Program Manager at a consultancy with 10,001+ employees
Network monitoring provides comprehensive analytics while the interface requires further development
The quality of Azure Network Watcher is quite good in terms of the in-depth analysis you can create from these matrices. There are other monitoring tools such as New Relic, AppDynamics, and Dynatrace which provide very detailed network tracing. Cloud providers such as Azure or AWS do not have that kind of GUI-based capability at this point, but using PowerShell or Python, you can develop it yourself. From the GUI perspective, it still needs to evolve in terms of quality and standard, though overall, it is quite good for troubleshooting. Regarding areas for improvement, when comparing to other network tools beyond Azure Monitor or Azure Network Watcher, those tools can identify single failed packets. This level of granularity is not currently possible with cloud providers as they only go to a certain level rather than the granular level needed for deep troubleshooting, though they do provide hints with available matrices.
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Purneswara Rao - PeerSpot reviewer
Purneswara Rao
Principal Consultant at KyndleIT Consulting
A stable tool that helps identify the complete flow analysis in a network
The most valuable feature of the solution stems from the fact that the complete flow analysis can be identified through the tool. The classification of each protocol and how the bandwidth utilization is happening with the protocols while managing to get SLAs, IP protocols, and QoS metrics is possible because of the product.
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Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"My advice to others looking into using Azure Network Watcher is to go for it, as you'll have the tool by default when you're subscribed to Azure VNet."
"I like the visibility."
"This is a stable system providing stable performance."
"The stability is very good. I rate it a ten out of ten."
"The solution is stable, there are no bugs or glitches and it doesn't crash or freeze, it's reliable."
"Azure Network Watcher provides valuable features based on your specific requirements and use cases, helping you monitor network bandwidth, throughput, data flow consumption, and control costs by giving insight into egress and ingress traffic, total input and output operations, bandwidth, and threats through IP identification."
"What I like most about Azure Network Watcher is that it's focused more on the architecture. I also like that it has a packet capture feature that tells you how the packet travels and whether it's exiting Azure, etc."
"We use the solution to monitor network services. It helps to capture any network issues."
More Azure Network Watcher pros
"For supporting flow-traffic monitoring, this product is the best option."
"Anomaly Detector - This detects the anomaly flows in infra environment and makes job easy to analyze issue."
"The custom report is the most valuable feature."
"This solution has helped our organization by allowing us to have visibility. We deal with cybersecurity, so visibility is very important."
"It is an overall stable solution."
"Despite the low level of support, I would still fully recommend this product, because even when not all the features are used, the advantage of having such a wealth of useful information about the network traffic in real time, together with such flexibility of its presentation, is undeniable."
 

Cons

"Azure Network Watcher needs to have better documentation and it needs to capture information accurately."
"It's not the most friendly or straightforward to set up. I don't see the value versus the way you have to set it up at first."
"Azure Network Watcher could improve by having other built-in applications, for example, an application to log activities for inbound and outbound traffic."
"The solution could improve by limiting the need to clarify the logs. When the clarification is minimized, it is better for everyone involved."
"There are some occasional downtimes, but these were based on Azure-specific issues."
"Azure is good, however, the Fortinet GUI is more intuitive and I like it more than anything else."
"Azure is good, however, the Fortinet GUI is more intuitive and I like it more than anything else."
"Technical support from Microsoft needs significant improvement compared to other product vendors."
More Azure Network Watcher cons
"If one is able to find it at all, the documentation is often no help."
"I would like to see more security features, like a lost protection package."
"Prefer this product only if the scope of flow analysis is vast and for a limited scope I don’t prefer this product since the product licenses are very costly and it is a waste of money."
"Sometimes the custom report jammed in the MYSQL database."
"Enhanced support should be given with APIs that work to maintain collected information."
"Currently, Broadcom Network Flow Analysis does not support high-availability solutions, making it an area that needs improvement."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The price of the solution is reasonable."
"Price-wise, I have no information on how much Azure Network Watcher costs."
"The pricing is good. It's not too expensive."
"Azure Network Watcher is a little bit expensive."
"If you make a DX NetOps-based purchase and the complete suite of products that fall under DX NetOps from Broadcom, then you get Network Flow Analysis along with DX NetOps Performance Management and DX Spectrum."
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885,376 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
15%
Construction Company
10%
University
7%
Comms Service Provider
7%
Construction Company
14%
Computer Software Company
8%
Healthcare Company
8%
Educational Organization
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business6
Large Enterprise7
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Azure Network Watcher?
I do not have the exact setup cost information on hand, but it is available in the public Azure portal. You can access the calculator there to get detailed pricing information.
See all answers
What needs improvement with Azure Network Watcher?
The main area for improvement is AI-based features. Currently, many intelligent tools are coming from third parties, and Azure Network Watcher needs to improve in this area. The focus should be on ...
See all answers
What is your primary use case for Azure Network Watcher?
Azure Network Watcher is used for monitoring network traffic. It provides insight into egress and ingress traffic, which helps determine whether consumption can be controlled. Most Azure services c...
See all answers
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Comparisons

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Compared 7% of the time
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Compared 6% of the time
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Wireshark vs Broadcom Network Flow Analysis
Compared 17% of the time
WatchTower Security Management App vs Broadcom Network Flow Analysis Logo
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Compared 9% of the time
AirCheck G3 vs Broadcom Network Flow Analysis Logo
AirCheck G3 vs Broadcom Network Flow Analysis
Compared 9% of the time
DX Spectrum vs Broadcom Network Flow Analysis Logo
DX Spectrum vs Broadcom Network Flow Analysis
Compared 7% of the time
ManageEngine NetFlow Analyzer vs Broadcom Network Flow Analysis Logo
ManageEngine NetFlow Analyzer vs Broadcom Network Flow Analysis
Compared 7% of the time
More Broadcom Network Flow Analysis Competitors
 

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide
Azure Network Watcher
March 2026
Azure Network Watcher reportDownload Azure Network Watcher product report
Buyer's Guide
Network Management Applications
March 2026
Broadcom Network Flow Analysis reportDownload Broadcom Network Flow Analysis product report
 

Also Known As

No data available
CA NetQoS Reporter Analyzer, CA NFA, CA Network Flow Analysis
 

Overview

Azure Network Watcher is a comprehensive network monitoring and diagnostic service offered by Microsoft Azure. It provides a range of tools and capabilities to help users monitor, diagnose, and gain insights into their Azure network infrastructure. With Network Watcher, users can capture and analyze network traffic, monitor network performance, troubleshoot connectivity issues, and gain visibility into network topology. It also offers features like packet capture, flow logs, connection monitoring, and VPN diagnostics to ensure the smooth operation of Azure networks. Network Watcher enables users to proactively identify and resolve network issues, optimize network performance, and enhance the overall reliability and security of their Azure network environment.

Microsoft

CA Network Flow Analysis provides 100% visibility into the composition of network traffic across the enterprise, helping Network Administrators deliver optimal application performance and validating the impact of network infrastructure changes, resulting in returns on investment (ROI) of up to 150%.

Broadcom
 

Sample Customers

Information Not Available
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Buyer's Guide
Azure Network Watcher vs. Broadcom Network Flow Analysis
March 2026
Free Report: Azure Network Watcher vs. Broadcom Network Flow Analysis
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