Azure Network Watcher vs PRTG Network Monitor comparison

Microsoft and Paessler GmbH are both solutions in the Network Monitoring Software category. Microsoft is ranked #42 with an average rating of 8.5, while Paessler GmbH is ranked #5 with an average rating of 8.4. Microsoft holds a 0.5% mindshare in NMS, compared to Paessler GmbH’s 3.3% mindshare. Additionally, 92% of Microsoft users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 92% of Paessler GmbH 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

PRTG Network Monitor

Read 113 PRTG Network Monitor reviews

11,368 Views
7,958 Comparison Views

92% willing to recommend

Azure Network Watcher

PRTG Network Monitor

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 28, 2025

PRTG Network Monitor and Azure Network Watcher compete in the network monitoring category. PRTG Network Monitor appears to have the upper hand due to its infrastructure compatibility, ease of use, and rapid deployment.

Features: PRTG Network Monitor offers rapid deployment, a scalable architecture, and strong network monitoring capabilities, integrating easily with various infrastructures and using minimal system resources. Azure Network Watcher provides cloud-native features like packet capture, flow logs analysis, and connection troubleshooting, offering detailed insights specifically for Azure environments.

Room for Improvement: PRTG Network Monitor could enhance advanced analytics, streamline dashboard features, and improve support for remote monitoring. Azure Network Watcher would benefit from better documentation, the integration of more open-source diagnostic tools, and improved GUI functionalities over competitors.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: PRTG Network Monitor supports deployment across on-premises, hybrid, and private cloud environments, with generally interactive customer service, though occasional delays occur due to time-zone differences. Azure Network Watcher is easy to deploy within the Azure ecosystem, but users sometimes struggle with initial settings and UX improvements. Customer support could enhance responsiveness across both platforms.

Pricing and ROI: PRTG Network Monitor is recognized for its cost-effective, all-inclusive licensing model, with ROI through reduced downtime and staffing needs. Azure Network Watcher's pricing is viewed as reasonable for cloud services but can escalate with demand for detailed metrics. Both platforms offer returns, but users should consider their specific infrastructure requirements for optimal cost-benefit balance.

To learn more, read our detailed Azure Network Watcher vs. PRTG Network Monitor Report (Updated: March 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Azure Network Watcher vs. PRTG Network Monitor

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

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

PRTG Network Monitor

Ranking in Network Monitoring Software

5th

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

7.0

Number of Reviews

113

Ranking in other categories

IT Infrastructure Monitoring (4th), Cloud Monitoring Software (8th)

Mindshare comparison

As of March 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 PRTG Network Monitor is 3.3%, down from 4.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Network Monitoring Software Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
PRTG Network Monitor	3.3%
Azure Network Watcher	0.5%
Other	96.2%

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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madhan kumar hs

software engineer at Capgemini

Alerting precision has reduced incident response times and improved department-level network visibility

The auto-pause sensor during the maintenance window is good without any false alerts, and it prevents me from getting flooded with alerts during planned maintenance, helping department heads understand their own network usage better. It has reduced incident response time by giving clearer ownership of each alert, ensuring alerts go to the proper recipient. SNMP testers and auto-pause are among the best features of PRTG Network Monitor, which is particularly useful for different departments such as HR and finance, where alerts can be filtered accordingly. The alerting features and dashboard of PRTG Network Monitor are very helpful, especially in our industry. However, the dashboard can look cluttered on smaller screens, which is one negative aspect. PRTG Network Monitor has impacted us positively; we have stopped getting flooded with alerts during planned maintenance or unplanned outages. Compared to others, this gives specific alerts very quickly and helps department heads understand their own network usage better, thus reducing incident response time so that each alert has clear ownership.

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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."

"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."

"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."

"The solution is good for monitoring device behavior."

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

"It provides good visibility."

"This will help the company or the administrator, by helping them see how the traffic moves, to make sure that no entities are having any communication issues or different endpoints with task issues."

More Azure Network Watcher pros

"The most valuable feature of PRTG Network Monitor is its ease of use."

"It is easy to use and intuitive, which is really important. It does what it says on the box by giving you a visual of the state of what is going on at any one time."

"Personally, in my 20 years of experience working with monitoring systems, this is the best."

"The most valuable features of PRTG Network Monitor are bandwidth utilization, user-friendliness, all past report simple retrievals, and timeout features."

"The solution is very easy to use and the web provides information with ease."

"We have gotten weeks and hours back from using the product."

"Stable and scalable network monitoring tool. Installation is simple and straightforward."

"We've managed to cut down on our P1 escalations by around about 70 percent."

More PRTG Network Monitor pros

Cons

"The initial setup and initial learning curve could be improved to be easier."

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

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

"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."

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

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

"The solution could use some additional components of the network culture, not only VMs. I'd like to see some additional security features because what they currently have concentrates only on the network."

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

More Azure Network Watcher cons

"I am not sure the solution is giving me all the needed feedback that we need."

"It would be nice if it gave us alerts via Gmail or SMS message."

"The desktop app is terrible."

"Once you start going above 5000 sensors, things do start to get a bit shaky. There are some best practice out there that you will need to adopt and be aware of."

"PRTG Network Monitor can improve the reports."

"The technical support services could be better."

"There is room for improvement in this solution for the performance and third-party monitoring protocols. They need to be updated to the latest ones."

"Needs ability to monitor standard notification time (notify after X time)."

More PRTG Network Monitor 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."

"We pay for a perpetual license and we have a support fee."

"We bought a license for 4000 sensors."

"If you're looking for a cost effective software I’d suggest this product."

"I would like better pricing models for smaller businesses. The free version is fantastic, but it's too restrictive. If they could just get up to 200 sensors for a reasonable fee for on-premise, I would give PRTG my credit card right now."

"Cost was a factor when selecting this solution, but it just did everything we wanted it to do."

"The licensing fees are billed annually and there are no costs in addition to this."

"The scalability is there, but smaller companies might need CAM software to be able afford the product."

"The pricing is okay and it is cheaper than some competing products."

More PRTG Network Monitor pricing and cost advice

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Comparison Review

it_user174738

IT Developer at a tech services company with 51-200 employees

May 31, 2015

Nagios vs. Zabbix vs. PRTG vs. Spiceworks vs. Solarwinds Network Performance Monitor

I have researched a quite a few network monitoring tools which can be used for various monitoring purposes of not only the servers, but the intermediate routers as well. There are majorly three types of these softwares. Ones which are completely open-source, you can do almost anything you want…

Read full review

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

17%

Government

University

Comms Service Provider

Computer Software Company

Comms Service Provider

Financial Services Firm

Government

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	59
Midsize Enterprise	19
Large Enterprise	50

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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What is the best network monitoring software for large enterprises?

PRTG network monitor is one of the best tool i have ever used for the monitoring. It have auto discovery option. it avoid the configuring the device in PRTG. It automatically discover the device an...

See all answers

What do you like most about PRTG Network Monitor?

The tool is integrated with our email for the alerts.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for PRTG Network Monitor?

The pricing was higher at the beginning, but the recurring licensing cost is affordable and reasonable. Overall, the pricing, setup cost, and licensing is fair for our industry. They have quoted us...

See all answers

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Compared 7% of the time

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Compared 6% of the time

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Zabbix vs PRTG Network Monitor

Compared 5% of the time

Centreon vs PRTG Network Monitor

Compared 5% of the time

Checkmk vs PRTG Network Monitor

Compared 4% of the time

SolarWinds NPM vs PRTG Network Monitor

Compared 3% of the time

SCOM vs PRTG Network Monitor

Compared 3% of the time

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Azure Network Watcher

March 2026

Download Azure Network Watcher product report

Buyer's Guide

PRTG Network Monitor

March 2026

Download PRTG Network Monitor 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

PRTG Network Monitor runs on a Windows machine within your network, collecting various statistics from the machines, software, and devices which you designate. PRTG comes with an easy-to-use web interface with point-and-click configuration. You can easily share data from it with non-technical colleagues and customers, including via live graphs and custom reports. This will let you plan for network expansion, see what applications are using most of your connection, and make sure that no one is hogging the entire network just to torrent videos.

To monitor a large IT environment, it's important to be able to scale PRTG up. Paessler PRTG Enterprise Monitor includes all the proven capabilities of PRTG Network Monitor, which are enhanced by exclusive ITOps Board for a service-oriented, central overview of multiple PRTG servers.

Paessler GmbH

Sample Customers

Information Not Available

Jameson Bank, Sidnix, RungeICT, MedicalAnimal, Truck-lite, GamingGrids, The Covell Group, Forsythn County Schools, NetMass, Musgrove Park Hospital, Lanes Health, Columbia Southern University, Vodafone, Intrust Bank

Buyer's Guide

Azure Network Watcher vs. PRTG Network Monitor

March 2026

Free Report: Azure Network Watcher vs. PRTG Network Monitor

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