Azure Network Watcher vs NETSCOUT InfiniStreamNG comparison

Microsoft and NETSCOUT are both solutions in the Network Monitoring Software category. Microsoft is ranked #47 with an average rating of 8.3, while NETSCOUT is ranked #78. Microsoft holds a 0.4% mindshare in NMS, compared to NETSCOUT’s 0.4% mindshare. Additionally, 91% of Microsoft users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 92% of NETSCOUT users who would recommend it.

Azure Network Watcher

Read 12 Azure Network Watcher reviews

670 Views
630 Comparison Views

91% willing to recommend

NETSCOUT InfiniStreamNG

Read 13 NETSCOUT InfiniStreamNG reviews

617 Views
605 Comparison Views

92% willing to recommend

Azure Network Watcher

NETSCOUT InfiniStreamNG

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Download the report

Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 10, 2024

NETSCOUT InfiniStreamNG and Azure Network Watcher compete in network monitoring and management. NETSCOUT leads with its in-depth analytics and packet-level visibility, while Azure Network Watcher's integration with Microsoft Azure gives it an edge in cloud environments.

Features: NETSCOUT InfiniStreamNG offers advanced packet-level analysis, extensive network performance monitoring, and comprehensive data analytics. Azure Network Watcher provides robust cloud integration, security group view, and diagnostic logging.

Room for Improvement: NETSCOUT InfiniStreamNG could enhance its cloud integration, offer a more cost-effective pricing model, and improve ease of use for beginners. Azure Network Watcher may refine its packet-level analysis, expand hybrid deployment options, and increase support for non-Azure environments.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: NETSCOUT InfiniStreamNG offers flexible deployment options for on-premises and hybrid environments, coupled with dedicated customer support. Azure Network Watcher facilitates straightforward deployment within Azure, supported by Microsoft's cloud infrastructure.

Pricing and ROI: NETSCOUT InfiniStreamNG has a higher initial setup cost but provides substantial ROI through its analytics capabilities. Azure Network Watcher offers a scalable, cost-effective model, particularly appealing for Azure subscribers.

To learn more, read our detailed Azure Network Watcher vs. NETSCOUT InfiniStreamNG Report (Updated: September 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Azure Network Watcher vs. NETSCOUT InfiniStreamNG

September 2025

Download the complete report

Helped 869,760 peers since 2012

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

47th

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

6.0

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

NETSCOUT InfiniStreamNG

Ranking in Network Monitoring Software

78th

Average Rating

8.4

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2025, in the Network Monitoring Software category, the mindshare of Azure Network Watcher is 0.4%, down from 0.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of NETSCOUT InfiniStreamNG is 0.4%, up from 0.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Network Monitoring Software Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Azure Network Watcher	0.4%
NETSCOUT InfiniStreamNG	0.4%
Other	99.2%

Network Monitoring Software

Featured Reviews

Bijoyendra Roychowdhury

Program Manager at Capgemini

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.

Read full review

Michael Gideon Genita

Associate System Engineer at SMS Global Technologies, Inc.

Easy to set up with good documentation and helpful support

I'm using it for a customer The packet flow switch is the most valuable aspect of the solution. It's an easy product to set up. We can scale the solution if we need to. It's stable. The documentation is well-written and quite useful. It's compatible with other products. Under the pocket flow…

Read full review

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"It provides good visibility."

"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."

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

"The most valuable feature of Azure Network Watcher is the cloud-native application firewall. It is helpful for securing databases."

"I like the visibility."

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

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

"The solution is stable."

More Azure Network Watcher pros

"It helps us to assist our customers to isolate problems. If it is us who is having the problem, then we can use it to streamline the process."

"The ability to troubleshoot customers' connectivity has been very beneficial."

"It helps us get to root cause quickly. With utilization and consumption of bandwidth, we can usually see what application is taking as much as they should (or shouldn't), then account for it accordingly."

"The tool has the ability to look back within a month's data. It is very easy to navigate within the tool and troubleshoot the problem, compared to other solutions that we've used in the past."

"The product is stable. I have never had any issue where we have lost an InfiniStream, or visibility from that particular InfiniStream, throughout the bank."

"The most valuable feature is utilization."

"The real-time troubleshooting and application segregation that you can do within it."

"The most valuable features are speed and cost."

More NETSCOUT InfiniStreamNG pros

Cons

"Azure Network Watcher needs to have better documentation and it needs to capture information accurately."

"Lacks sufficient security features."

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

"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."

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

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

"User experience could be improved."

"I still use Wireshark and Azure Network Watcher to get the required data. My team captures the traffic from Azure Network Watcher, downloads it, then imports that traffic into Wireshark to get more details on the number of hits and replies, for example. If you can do that on Azure Network Watcher and have Wireshark built-in, that would make Azure Network Watcher better. If Azure Network Watcher has that functionality where you won't need a third-party tool to get what you need, that would be helpful. I'm also expecting more from Azure Network Watcher. It's more complex than knowing how the IP flows from its source to the destination. The tool also needs more open-source features, such as having some built-in Wireshark that improves monitoring for customers. Sometimes, you encounter a VPN tunnel, network, or routing issue, but finding out more about the blockage is challenging. Is it one hundred percent an Azure issue? Is it a peer issue? You don't get complete information from Azure Network Watcher, so you must use other tools and depend on your strategies to resolve a specific issue. If more features could be added in the next release of Azure Network Watcher, specifically ones you can find on open-source tools, then that would be a plus point for the tool."

More Azure Network Watcher cons

"I would like to see an improved level of stitching between IPs."

"The NetFlow Collectors could handle more flows per minute."

"The monitoring and reporting tool needs improvement. Users want more information, such as the level of detail when doing a packet analysis. They want more detail to be able to isolate down to a specific point."

"I'd like them to make the product more user-friendly."

"The single pane of glass feed still needs work."

"The stability depends on who is using the tool, because you only can get as much out of the tool as you put into it. There are a lot of patches for this particular environment, so you have to keep on them. If you lose track of them, then the product is not useful anymore."

"The scalability has some limitations and quirks to it. I would like to be able to upgrade rather than replace the whole thing."

"Only problems that we have had are fiber issues going into the TAPs or vSTREAMs, which are usually local site issues."

More NETSCOUT InfiniStreamNG cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

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

"The price of the solution is reasonable."

"Azure Network Watcher is a little bit expensive."

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

"It can be scalable. It just costs too much. With a company as big as ours, it gets too expensive to accommodate every single site."

"The scalability is good, but it comes at a cost. E.g., if you need 100 InfiniStream because you are sending gigs or terabytes of data to one InfiniStream, then you will have to purchase another InfiniStream, which are not cheap."

"To capture more with the solution that we bought, you have to buy another InfiniStreamNG, and there are only four ports in the back."

"The price is a little high."

"I would like it to be more scalable with less spend."

"This product could be cheaper."

See which vendors are best for you

Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Network Monitoring Software solutions are best for your needs.

See recommendations

869,760 professionals have used our research since 2012.

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

16%

Computer Software Company

10%

Government

University

Financial Services Firm

18%

Manufacturing Company

15%

Energy/Utilities Company

11%

Government

10%

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	6
Large Enterprise	6

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Midsize Enterprise	1
Large Enterprise	8

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Azure Network Watcher?

I like the visibility.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Azure Network Watcher?

Azure Network Watcher is affordable from the perspective of basic costing. It doesn't cost too much at this point unless you are requesting customizable detailed matrices. For the default configura...

See all answers

What needs improvement with Azure Network Watcher?

See all answers

Ask a question

Earn 20 points

Comparisons

ThousandEyes vs Azure Network Watcher

Compared 31% of the time

Microsoft Network Monitor vs Azure Network Watcher

Compared 25% of the time

Nmap vs Azure Network Watcher

Compared 24% of the time

SolarWinds NPM vs Azure Network Watcher

Compared 20% of the time

More Azure Network Watcher Competitors

NETSCOUT nGeniusONE vs NETSCOUT InfiniStreamNG

Compared 26% of the time

Cisco Secure Network Analytics vs NETSCOUT InfiniStreamNG

Compared 23% of the time

Riverbed NPM+ vs NETSCOUT InfiniStreamNG

Compared 22% of the time

cPacket cClear vs NETSCOUT InfiniStreamNG

Compared 18% of the time

NIKSUN NetVCR vs NETSCOUT InfiniStreamNG

Compared 12% of the time

More NETSCOUT InfiniStreamNG Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Azure Network Watcher

October 2025

Download Azure Network Watcher product report

Buyer's Guide

NETSCOUT InfiniStreamNG

September 2025

Download NETSCOUT InfiniStreamNG product report

Also Known As

No data available

InfiniStreamNG, NETSCOUT ISNG, Infinistream

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

NETSCOUT’s new ISNG platform harnesses the power of IP intelligence by mining traffic in real-time to deliver accurate and actionable data for service assurance, cybersecurity and business intelligence applications. The InfiniStreamNG platform fully supports the nGeniusONE and Iris application suites.

NETSCOUT

Sample Customers

Information Not Available

U.S. Department of Defense

Buyer's Guide

Azure Network Watcher vs. NETSCOUT InfiniStreamNG

September 2025

Free Report: Azure Network Watcher vs. NETSCOUT InfiniStreamNG

Find out what your peers are saying about Azure Network Watcher vs. NETSCOUT InfiniStreamNG and other solutions. Updated: September 2025.

DOWNLOAD NOW

869,760 professionals have used our research since 2012.

See our Azure Network Watcher vs. NETSCOUT InfiniStreamNG report.

See our list of best Network Monitoring Software vendors.

We monitor all Network Monitoring Software reviews to prevent fraudulent reviews and keep review quality high. We do not post reviews by company employees or direct competitors. We validate each review for authenticity via cross-reference with LinkedIn, and personal follow-up with the reviewer when necessary.