Amazon CloudWatch Reviews

Name: Amazon CloudWatch
Brand: Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Rating: 4 (44 reviews)

4.0 out of 5

44 reviews
89% willing to recommend

259 followers

What is Amazon CloudWatch?

Amazon CloudWatch is used for monitoring, tracking logs, and organizing metrics across AWS services. It detects anomalies, sets dynamic alarms, and automates actions to optimize cloud utilization, troubleshoot, and ensure service availability.

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Amazon CloudWatch is the #9 ranked solution in top Cloud Monitoring Software, #11 ranked solution in Log Management Software, and #13 ranked solution in APM tools. PeerSpot users give Amazon CloudWatch an average rating of 8.0 out of 10. Based on the analysis of the 44 most recent Amazon CloudWatch reviews, the overall sentiment is positive, with a sentiment score of 7.9. (The highest in the category). Amazon CloudWatch is most commonly compared to Wazuh: Amazon CloudWatch vs Wazuh. Amazon CloudWatch is popular among the large enterprise segment, accounting for 64% of users researching this solution on PeerSpot. The top industry researching this solution are professionals from a computer software company, accounting for 19% of all views.

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Featured reviews

Rasanpreet Singh

Senior Consultant at Infosys

The choice of logging solution should always be determined by the specific business requirements. It is crucial to align the logging strategy with what type of logs are needed and how they should be used. There are instances where we require custom solutions to retrieve logs, especially application logs that may not be easily accessible through CloudWatch or similar services. When we heavily rely on AWS native services, CloudWatch is indeed a robust choice. However, in certain scenarios, we might need integration capabilities with other tools, and if they can incorporate such features, it would enhance overall logging capabilities. I would rate it eight out of ten.

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Rahul Kundu

AWS Engineer at Abbott

We use CloudWatch for monitoring and logging. It helps us monitor our applications' performance, particularly in ensuring that every API hit returns a response within four seconds, which is our SLA. We also monitor invocation errors in Lambda and use CloudWatch alerts to notify us of any issues…

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Karthick Selvam

Senior Software Engineer at Saama

In my company, we have created a Lambda function to collect logs from CraC. Our company particularly uses Lambda function in Amazon CloudWatch's log groups. From Amazon CloudWatch, in my company, we are not getting proper logs from particular services. When my company faces the aforementioned issues, we have to get involved in the troubleshooting process while also keeping a check on Lambda functions. In my company, we are unable to get proper logs even with Lambda functions, making it one of the areas that needs improvement. The monitoring part and GUI are areas in Amazon CloudWatch that have shortcomings currently and can be considered for improvements in the future.

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Amazon CloudWatch mindshare

Product category:

As of November 2024, the mindshare of Amazon CloudWatch in the Cloud Monitoring Software category stands at 4.6%, down from 5.9% compared to the previous year, according to calculations based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Cloud Monitoring Software

Key learnings from peers

Last updated Oct 9, 2024

Valuable Features

Amazon CloudWatch users highlight its integration with AWS, easy setup, detailed metrics, real-time alerts, and scalability. They appreciate its robust analytics, unified operational health monitoring, and user-friendly UI. CloudWatch supports infrastructure and workload monitoring, enabling alarms and automation. Its log collection, customizable dashboards, and ability to track resource usage are valued features. Users find its pricing reasonable and enjoy its seamless integration with other AWS services, enhancing monitoring and task automation capabilities.

"CloudWatch provides essential monitoring capabilities that integrate seamlessly with other AWS services."
"The most valuable part is the metrics part, which is really good."
"You can automate actions or use AWS functionalities like auto-scaling, where you can configure the metrics to add more nodes if the threshold is exceeded."

Room for Improvement

Amazon CloudWatch faces challenges with dashboards, reporting, and pricing. Users find the drill-down features unclear and the dashboards lacking in customization and real-time data. Performance monitoring for non-core AWS services and log streaming speed require enhancement. Integration with third-party tools and improved technical support are needed. Users desire better alert mechanisms and ease of configuration. There are issues with missing logs, data analytics capabilities, and more user-friendly interfaces for less experienced users.

"Adding conditional expressions would enhance its functionality."
"There is some delay in logging that they need to improve on."
"It's not very intuitive. It doesn't have drag-and-drop functionality to trigger actions from notifications."

ROI

Companies express that Amazon CloudWatch provides clear ROI by reducing manual monitoring and offering enhanced visibility into cloud instances. As usage increases, businesses observe significant benefits in monitoring tasks and cost savings. While some experience instant ROI, others are still assessing as they transition from on-prem solutions. Amazon CloudWatch aids in meeting business goals and garners positive ROI feedback. Users report a desire to expand usage due to its effective monitoring capabilities and cost efficiency.

Pricing

Amazon CloudWatch pricing varies depending on usage, with some users reporting monthly costs around $300-$350 or as low as $25-$30 for multiple systems. The model is typically pay-as-you-go, which can become expensive as usage scales. Technical support and added storage capacity may incur additional fees. For enterprises bundling AWS services, CloudWatch comprises about 5% of their total annual expenditure. Although some consider it pricey, others find it affordable compared to alternatives.

"The tool is not expensive."
"The pricing is average."
"Amazon CloudWatch is a cheap solution."

Popular Use Cases

Amazon CloudWatch is primarily used for monitoring cloud and on-premises infrastructure, tracking logs, detecting anomalies, and setting dynamic alarms. It helps organizations optimize resource utilization, ensuring performance and reliability. It collects metrics, monitors applications, and alerts on potential issues. Companies use it for AWS services like EC2, S3, Lambda, and EKS, and it integrates with other tools for comprehensive monitoring and automation. Alerts and logs aid in diagnosing performance bottlenecks and maintaining application efficiency.

Service and Support

Amazon's customer service for CloudWatch is highly regarded, with multiple support levels available: basic, business, and enterprise. Many find the support system effective and responsive, though cost varies with level. AWS offers excellent technical guidance, but response times can sometimes improve. Support staff are knowledgeable and readily available, some users even report being contacted proactively. Documentation is comprehensive, and premium support resolves issues swiftly. Customer service is frequently rated highly for problem-solving expertise.

Deployment

Amazon CloudWatch's initial setup is widely regarded as simple and quick, with users finding minimal complexity in deployment. Many mention a straightforward process regardless of company size, noting easy configuration aided by AWS documentation. Initial tasks often involve configuring CloudWatch and integrating it with services, which can add complexity depending on the environment. Some newer users indicate a slight learning curve initially, but the intuitive interface and extensive guidance contribute to a generally uncomplicated experience.

Scalability

Amazon CloudWatch scales effectively, supporting thousands of users across various organizations. It adapts well to changing requirements, with users noting its efficiency in handling extensive logs and diverse environments. Many users rate its scalability highly, indicating strong performance and ease of growth alongside increased usage. Feedback reflects its stability and reliability without performance issues. Users appreciate its capacity to manage multiple instances, with scalability facilitated by its inherent design.

Stability

Amazon CloudWatch is widely regarded as stable, with users noting minimal issues such as delays in logging. Many rate its stability highly, citing reliable performance and lack of bugs or crashes. It effectively manages data with a high availability rate, although large data volumes can cause occasional UI refresh delays. Users generally express satisfaction with its reliability, stability, and effectiveness in helping them analyze patterns and behavior, while some mention missing logs and complex queries.

These insights are based on the in-depth reviews provided by peers to help you make a better buying decision.

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Review data by company size

By reviewers

By visitors reading reviews

Top industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

19%

Financial Services Firm

17%

Manufacturing Company

University

Healthcare Company

Government

Retailer

Real Estate/Law Firm

Energy/Utilities Company

Media Company

Comms Service Provider

Non Profit

Transportation Company

Educational Organization

Legal Firm

Insurance Company

Hospitality Company

Construction Company

Outsourcing Company

Recreational Facilities/Services Company

Consumer Goods Company

Recruiting/Hr Firm

Aerospace/Defense Firm

Performing Arts

Non Tech Company

Pharma/Biotech Company

Sports Company

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Learn more about Amazon CloudWatch

Organizations leverage Amazon CloudWatch for collecting and analyzing logs, triggering alerts, and profiling application performance. It's also employed for monitoring bandwidth, virtual machines, Lambda functions, and Kubernetes clusters. Valuable features include seamless integration with AWS, real-time data and alerts, detailed metrics, and a user-friendly interface. It provides robust monitoring capabilities for infrastructure and application performance, log aggregation, and analytics. Users appreciate its scalability, ease of setup, and affordability. Additional key aspects are the ability to create alarms, dashboards, and automated responses, along with detailed insights into system and application health. Room for improvement includes dashboards and UI enhancements for better visualization and customizability, log streaming speed, advanced machine learning and reporting capabilities, pricing, and integration with non-AWS services and databases. Users also seek more real-time monitoring and comprehensive application performance features, and simpler alerts and configuration processes.

What are the most important features?

Seamless integration with AWS: Ensures smooth operation with AWS services.
Real-time data and alerts: Provides immediate insights and notifications.
Detailed metrics: Offers in-depth data on infrastructure and application performance.
Scalability: Supports growing needs with ease.
Ease of setup: Quick and straightforward installation.
Affordability: Cost-effective monitoring solution.
Alarms and dashboards: Customizable alerts and visual insights.
Automated responses: Facilitates automatic actions based on set criteria.
System and application health insights: Delivers comprehensive health reports.

What benefits and ROI can users expect?

Optimized cloud utilization: Ensures efficient use of resources.
Improved troubleshooting: Identifies and resolves issues quickly.
Enhanced service availability: Keeps services running smoothly.
Effective log analysis: Provides valuable insights from collected logs.
Performance profiling: Assesses and optimizes application performance.
Scalable monitoring: Adapts to growing business needs.

Amazon CloudWatch is implemented across a range of industries, including technology, finance, healthcare, and retail. Technology firms use it to monitor application performance and traffic, while financial organizations leverage it for ensuring compliance and system reliability. Healthcare entities rely on it for maintaining service availability and monitoring data flow, and retail companies utilize it for tracking customer interactions and optimizing server usage.