Azure Network Watcher vs NetBrain comparison

The compared Microsoft and NetBrain solutions aren't in the same category. Microsoft is ranked #42 in NMS , with an average rating of 8.5, and holds a 0.5% mindshare in the category. NetBrain is ranked #16 in NT , and holds a 3.0% mindshare. Additionally, 92% of Microsoft users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 75% of NetBrain users who would recommend it.

Azure Network Watcher

Read 13 Azure Network Watcher reviews

1,006 Views
966 Comparison Views

92% willing to recommend

NetBrain

Read 6 NetBrain reviews

3,030 Views
212 Comparison Views

75% willing to recommend

Azure Network Watcher

NetBrain

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Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between Azure Network Watcher and NetBrain based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out what your peers are saying about Zabbix, Auvik, Datadog and others in Network Monitoring Software.

To learn more, read our detailed Network Monitoring Software Report (Updated: February 2026).

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Network Monitoring Software

February 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

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

5.9

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Network Monitoring Software (42nd)

NetBrain

Average Rating

7.2

Reviews Sentiment

6.9

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Network Troubleshooting (16th), Network Automation (4th)

Mindshare comparison

While both are Network Management solutions, they serve different purposes. Azure Network Watcher is designed for Network Monitoring Software and holds a mindshare of 0.5%, up 0.4% compared to last year.
NetBrain, on the other hand, focuses on Network Troubleshooting, holds 3.0% mindshare, up 2.4% since last year.

Network Monitoring Software Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Azure Network Watcher	0.5%
Zabbix	5.7%
SolarWinds NPM	3.4%
Other	90.4%

Network Monitoring Software

Network Troubleshooting Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
NetBrain	3.0%
Wireshark	12.3%
AirMagnet Survey PRO	10.0%
Other	74.7%

Network Troubleshooting

Featured Reviews

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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Deborah Gamelin

Vice President at Asset Track for Cloud, LLC

Good monitoring and troubleshoot capabilities, improves overall network traffic visibility

In my organization, we had 130,000 network devices that needed to be brought into the solution and mapped. NetBrain can handle the scale but the engineers that manage those devices have to go in and update all of them to allow NetBrain permission to poll them. It can get a little stressful for everybody when you're trying to roll out new stuff when you've got other issues that have to be addressed with other devices. In some cases, our devices had no automation at all. One example is the Cisco 3650. Right now, if you went through the inventory list, you see that we have different versions running. Some are on one version, whereas others are on another version. The problem with upgrading them is that they need to be done overnight because we don't want to disrupt any network traffic during business hours. Consequently, it could take us years to upgrade the versions before we can even get them onto these new tools. This may be an internal issue but it's a big one when you have a lot of devices. Even if you had 10,000 devices, it's still an issue. You have to consider the compatibility of the device against the tool, and being able to use certain commands to upgrade it.

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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

"We use the solution to monitor network services. It helps to capture any network issues."

"The solution is stable."

"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."

"I like the visibility."

"The most valuable features I have found are typology, visualization, and capture."

"The most valuable feature of Azure Network Watcher is using the gateways with the connections. The monitoring is useful for the logs and application insights into the data. The traffic filtering issues when it comes to deploying those applications are helpful."

"The stability is very good. I rate it a ten out of ten."

"The solution is good for monitoring device behavior."

More Azure Network Watcher pros

"A reliable, time-saving tool for providing accurate layer 2 and layer 3 network mappings."

"This product has good network monitoring and troubleshooting capabilities."

"Enables maps to be drawn out."

"Chain management is a good feature. I don't get it on other solutions."

"NetBrain is a very simple tool."

Cons

"Azure Network Watcher could improve by having other built-in applications. For example, an application to log activities for in and outbound traffic."

"There are some occasional downtimes, but these were based on Azure-specific issues."

"The solution could improve by limiting the need to clarify the logs. When the clarification is minimized, it is better for everyone involved."

"The initial setup and deployment could be improved to be simplified."

"Lacks sufficient security features."

"Technical support from Microsoft needs significant improvement compared to other product vendors."

"I would like to see in the future if we can troubleshoot as a firewall because it is equipment as a network player and some diagnostics."

"Azure is good, however, the Fortinet GUI is more intuitive and I like it more than anything else."

More Azure Network Watcher cons

"The IP interface brief isn't consistent."

"Each device needs to be configured to allow NetBrain to poll for the information it needs, which can be very time-consuming for a large network."

"It would be nice if the setup was a little simpler. Also, if the solution could provide more training materials for new people coming into our company so they can quickly learn how to use the functionalities."

"The solution could integrate more automation."

"Support needs to improve for the installed product and some of the reporting could be more flexible to provide more complete cataloging."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Azure Network Watcher is a little bit expensive."

"The pricing is good. It's not too expensive."

"Price-wise, I have no information on how much Azure Network Watcher costs."

"The price of the solution is reasonable."

"The product is expensive, but less expensive than some of the competition and worth the price."

"Licensing is based on a per-device basis, which means that it can get very expensive if you have a large number of devices."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

16%

Government

11%

University

Comms Service Provider

Manufacturing Company

11%

Government

10%

Financial Services Firm

10%

Computer Software Company

10%

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	6
Large Enterprise	7

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...

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Comparisons

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Compared 16% of the time

PRTG Network Monitor vs Azure Network Watcher

Compared 7% of the time

Plixer Scrutinizer vs Azure Network Watcher

Compared 7% of the time

ExtraHop Reveal(x) for IT Operations vs Azure Network Watcher

Compared 6% of the time

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ThousandEyes vs NetBrain

Compared 14% of the time

Forward Enterprise vs NetBrain

Compared 14% of the time

SolarWinds Network Automation Manager vs NetBrain

Compared 10% of the time

Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform vs NetBrain

Compared 8% of the time

Cisco DNA Center vs NetBrain

Compared 6% of the time

More NetBrain Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Azure Network Watcher

February 2026

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Buyer's Guide

NetBrain

January 2026

Download NetBrain product report

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

Managing today’s networks with yesterday’s manual processes is no longer a viable solution. NetBrain’s network automation platform provides actionable insights into your network to help you make better and faster decisions - particularly when you’re troubleshooting, securing, and making changes to the network.

NetBrain

Sample Customers

Information Not Available

CompuCon, TD Ameritrade, Move Inc.

Buyer's Guide

Network Monitoring Software

February 2026

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