APM (Application Performance Management) tools are critical in helping developers pinpoint performance issues, detect potential bottlenecks, and ensure customers have a flawless experience. In the world of cloud monitoring, two tools that have stood out are AppDynamics and New Relic. In this blog post, we'll take an in-depth look at how these two APM tools compare against each other.
User Interface
One of the things that stand out for the users when working with any tool is its user interface. A tool with a clunky interface can be frustrating to use, no matter how good it is.
- AppDynamics - AppDynamics scores high on the user interface. It's intuitive and follows a logical workflow. The interface has a customizable dashboard, simple navigation, and detailed breakdowns of the system.
- New Relic - New Relic also has a relatively simple user interface. The interface follows a logical flow, and the dashboard is similar to an infographic that displays complex data in simple visualizations.
Functionality
The primary function of an APM tool is to identify, monitor and troubleshoot application performance issues. Here's how AppDynamics and New Relic measure up:
- AppDynamics - AppDynamics primarily focuses on application performance and provides real-time insights and diagnostic tools at a granular level. Apart from that, it monitors business transactions and detects anomalies to prevent issues from cementing themselves into the system.
- New Relic - Like AppDynamics, New Relic also offers real-time insights into applications. However, New Relic has more integrations with enterprise applications, making it more user-friendly for users who want to keep everything centralized.
Monitoring Capabilities
For cloud monitoring, it's essential to have comprehensive monitoring capabilities, covering multiple cloud platforms.
- AppDynamics - AppDynamics offers cloud-based monitoring, and it supports most of the major cloud platforms, such as AWS, Azure, GCP, and Pivotal Cloud Foundry.
- New Relic - New Relic is also a cloud-based monitoring tool, and it supports all major cloud platforms as well, including AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, and Pivotal Cloud Foundry.
Pricing
Pricing is a crucial factor while selecting any tool. Here's how the pricing schemes for these two compare:
- AppDynamics - The pricing structure for AppDynamics is based on the needs and size of the enterprise. They offer a free trial of their product, but there's no listed price on their website.
- New Relic - Like AppDynamics, New Relic also offers a free trial to test their product, and the plans are based on the size of the enterprise. Their pricing starts at $149 per month.
Conclusion
Both AppDynamics and New Relic's fundamental goal is to provide businesses with the right tools to ensure their systems are running smoothly. While there's no clear winner, the tool one chooses depends entirely on the scale of their application and their preferences.
Overall, AppDynamics offers a more granular and in-depth view of the system, while New Relic has a simpler interface and step-by-step workflows. Regardless of which tool an enterprise selects, it must ensure that the APM tool best aligns with their environment and helps them determine and resolve issues effectively.