Cloud Resource Management - AWS CloudWatch vs Azure Monitor vs Google Stackdriver
Managing cloud resources can be a challenging task without the right tools. Cloud providers have built-in tools like AWS CloudWatch, Azure Monitor, and Google Stackdriver that assist with resource monitoring, logging, and analysis. But which one should you choose?
This post compares the three cloud resource management tools, provides a factual unbiased comparison, includes numbers when possible, and highlights their most important features.
AWS CloudWatch
AWS CloudWatch is Amazon's native monitoring service. It provides a real-time view of AWS resources like EC2 instances, Lambda functions, and databases. CloudWatch collects and processes log files and metrics, monitoring applications, infrastructure, and services.
AWS CloudWatch has a free tier which includes 10 custom metrics, 10 alarms, 5GB of logs, and 3 dashboards per month. After exceeding the free tier limits, the cost will depend on the number of metrics, dashboards, and alarms created.
The average monthly cost to monitor a single EC2 instance with 3 custom metrics, a 5-minute frequency, and 30 days retention period would be around $4.00-$4.50 with a standard monitoring plan.
AWS CloudWatch Pros:
- Native AWS monitoring
- Real-time view of AWS resources
- Multiple visualization options
AWS CloudWatch Cons:
- Can only monitor AWS resources
- Dashboard creation can be challenging
- Costs can add up if exceeding the free tier.
Azure Monitor
Azure Monitor is Microsoft's cloud-native monitoring service. It provides a unified view of performance and health of applications and infrastructure across Azure resources, other clouds, and on-premises environments. Azure Monitor collects and analyzes log and performance data from multiple sources in one central location.
Azure Monitor has a free tier which includes 5GB per month of ingested data and 31 days of log retention. The cost after exceeding the free tier will depend on data ingestion, retention periods, and alert rules.
The average cost to monitor a single VM with 5 custom metrics sent every minute, with 7 days retention period, would be around $5.50 per month.
Azure Monitor Pros:
- Cross-cloud monitoring capabilities
- Multiple data sources
- Inclusive query language for performing complex analysis
Azure Monitor Cons:
- Can only monitor systems that run .Net or Linux
- Limited customization options
- Dashboard creation can be challenging
Google Stackdriver
Google Stackdriver is Google's monitoring service suite. It provides visibility into your system and applications running in Google Cloud, AWS, or hybrid environments. Google Stackdriver collects logs, metrics, traces, and debugging information from your applications to alert you of unexpected behavior.
Google Stackdriver has a free tier that includes logs ingestion and retention, metrics retention, and monitoring uptime. The cost after exceeding the free tier will depend on the amount of data ingestion per month, retention periods, and other specific features.
The average monthly cost to monitor a single VM instance with 5 custom metrics sent every 5 minutes and 30 days data retention period would be around $4.00.
Google Stackdriver Pros:
- Cross-cloud monitoring capabilities
- Supports multiple cloud platforms
- Great emphasis on container and Kubernetes management
Google Stackdriver Cons:
- Limited access to raw logs
- Google Kubernetes Engine and Google Cloud Functions only available to Google Cloud customers
- Complicated setup process
Conclusion
All three cloud resource management tools have their strengths and weaknesses. AWS CloudWatch is the most mature of the three and excels at providing visibility and metrics for AWS resources. Azure Monitor is the most inclusive and offers a scalable solution for multiple cloud environments. Google Stackdriver is the most specialized and supports advanced container and Kubernetes management.
When making a decision on which cloud resource management tool to pick, consider the resources that you use, the complexity of your infrastructure, the monitoring and alerts required, and the limit of the free tier.