Azure Network Watcher vs NETSCOUT nGeniusPULSE comparison

Microsoft and NETSCOUT are both solutions in the Network Monitoring Software category. Microsoft is ranked #41 with an average rating of 8.7, while NETSCOUT is ranked #50 with an average rating of 8.5. Microsoft holds a 0.5% mindshare in NMS, compared to NETSCOUT’s 0.5% mindshare. Additionally, 92% of Microsoft users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of NETSCOUT users who would recommend it.

Azure Network Watcher

Read 13 Azure Network Watcher reviews

846 Views
804 Comparison Views

92% willing to recommend

NETSCOUT nGeniusPULSE

Read 7 NETSCOUT nGeniusPULSE reviews

944 Views
897 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Azure Network Watcher

NETSCOUT nGeniusPULSE

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 10, 2024

NETSCOUT nGeniusPULSE and Azure Network Watcher are competing in network monitoring and performance analysis. Azure Network Watcher has an advantage due to its integration with the Azure ecosystem, whereas nGeniusPULSE offers superior application-specific performance insights.

Features: nGeniusPULSE provides detailed performance analysis, real-time data visualization, and advanced alert capabilities. Azure Network Watcher offers seamless integration with Azure services, packet capture, and network diagnostic tools, making it particularly useful for those extensively using Azure.

Room for Improvement: nGeniusPULSE could enhance its cloud integration, simplify its user interface, and reduce setup complexity. Azure Network Watcher may improve its non-Azure compatibility, expand features beyond diagnostics, and enhance performance tracking for non-cloud environments.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Azure Network Watcher benefits from cloud-based deployment within Azure's infrastructure and robust support from Microsoft's resources. nGeniusPULSE can involve more complex setup and configuration, but it offers specialized support for businesses looking beyond cloud environments.

Pricing and ROI: nGeniusPULSE involves a higher initial investment but can provide substantial ROI through detailed analytics. Azure Network Watcher is more cost-effective for existing Azure users, offering low setup costs and value through integration with Azure services.

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

Buyer's Guide

Azure Network Watcher vs. NETSCOUT nGeniusPULSE

December 2025

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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

41st

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

5.9

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

NETSCOUT nGeniusPULSE

Ranking in Network Monitoring Software

50th

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

4.3

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of January 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 NETSCOUT nGeniusPULSE is 0.5%, up from 0.4% 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	0.5%
NETSCOUT nGeniusPULSE	0.5%
Other	99.0%

Network Monitoring Software

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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Ian Munoz

Ingeniero en Telecomunicaciones at a energy/utilities company with 1,001-5,000 employees

Has improved traffic visibility and simplified dashboard use, but could benefit from better integration with other tools

NETSCOUT nGeniusPULSE works very well in our case. We have not experienced any troubles with traffic analysis SolarWinds has a dashboard that is older and not as user-friendly. NETSCOUT nGeniusPULSE has an easier dashboard to manipulate compared to SolarWinds. NETSCOUT nGeniusPULSE is not…

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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

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

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

"I like the 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 solution is good for monitoring device behavior."

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

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

"It provides good visibility."

More Azure Network Watcher pros

"The most valuable feature of NETSCOUT nGeniusPULSE is the network troubleshooting analysis. You can pinpoint an issue before it could shut down the network."

"I like the single pane of glass view because it presents everything in one window, obviously. You can see it all. With a quick glance, you get a pretty good snapshot of what's going on in a particular situation."

"I like the single pane of glass view. I like being able to go to one place instead of having to hunt around for everything."

"This is a very reliable and complete solution for troubleshooting and monitoring environments."

"The solution's technical support team consists of good engineers and technicians."

"The most valuable features of this solution are monitoring and maintaining traffic queuing, as well as seeing who is using the bandwidth."

"NETSCOUT nGeniusPULSE has an easier dashboard to manipulate compared to SolarWinds."

Cons

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

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

"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."

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

"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 initial learning curve could be improved to be easier."

"User experience could be improved."

More Azure Network Watcher cons

"NETSCOUT nGeniusPULSE is not integrated with SolarWinds. They work in different ways."

"The GUI interface and dashboards could be more attractive to the customer."

"They require a lot of manual effort as traffic flows, networks, and formal times change."

"In terms of additional features, I would like to see better event notification. Right now, we put in an email address to receive an alert and it receives every event and every alert that comes out. We need something a little more granular."

"Usability is the area with the biggest room for improvement. We've found that with NETSCOUT, while it's a fantastic product, the usability is a major factor because there are just way too many clicks. It's obvious, from our experience, that the people who are developing the product aren't using it."

"Before an attack starts, seeing the traffic behavior and activities would be great. The tool should also share alerts since it is an area where the product has certain shortcomings."

"The price of the solution could be reduced."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The price of the solution is reasonable."

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

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

"Azure Network Watcher is a little bit expensive."

"The tool's price is okay. On a scale of one to ten, I rate it as a five, where one means it is not expensive, and ten means it is the most expensive."

"Cost is contracted on a yearly basis. There is no additional cost beyond the standard licensing."

"The price of NETSCOUT nGeniusPULSE is high. The other solutions are less expensive but we cannot depend on the other solutions, they are not as stable."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

17%

Government

11%

University

Comms Service Provider

Government

18%

Computer Software Company

11%

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	6
Large Enterprise	7

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	3
Large Enterprise	4

Questions from the Community

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...

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What needs improvement with Azure Network Watcher?

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What is your primary use case for Azure Network Watcher?

The purpose of using Azure Network Watcher is to observe the network flow logs during any kind of troubleshooting. If there is any performance issue or latency issue over the network, we check the ...

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for NETSCOUT nGeniusPULSE?

The tool's price is okay. On a scale of one to ten, I rate it as a five, where one means it is not expensive, and ten means it is the most expensive.

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What needs improvement with NETSCOUT nGeniusPULSE?

NETSCOUT nGeniusPULSE is not integrated with SolarWinds. They work in different ways.

See all answers

What is your primary use case for NETSCOUT nGeniusPULSE?

I use the solution in my company to analyze international traffic.

See all answers

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Azure Network Watcher

January 2026

Download Azure Network Watcher product report

Buyer's Guide

NETSCOUT nGeniusPULSE

January 2026

Download NETSCOUT nGeniusPULSE product report

Also Known As

No data available

nGeniusPULSE

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 nGeniusPULSE delivers the visibility needed into today’s evolving IT eco-system to ensure the availability, reliability, and performance of your mission-critical business services across your multi-cloud environment, from wherever users need access.

NETSCOUT

Sample Customers

Information Not Available

Banco Votorantim

Buyer's Guide

Azure Network Watcher vs. NETSCOUT nGeniusPULSE

December 2025

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