Azure Network Watcher vs FortiMonitor comparison

Microsoft and Fortinet are both solutions in the Network Monitoring Software category. Microsoft is ranked #42 with an average rating of 8.5, while Fortinet is ranked #22 with an average rating of 9.0. Microsoft holds a 0.5% mindshare in NMS, compared to Fortinet’s 0.7% mindshare. Additionally, 92% of Microsoft users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Fortinet 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

FortiMonitor

Read 15 FortiMonitor reviews

2,256 Views
1,579 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Azure Network Watcher

FortiMonitor

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 10, 2024

Azure Network Watcher and FortiMonitor compete in network monitoring and management. Azure Network Watcher has an edge in Azure-specific use cases due to its seamless Azure integration, while FortiMonitor is advantageous for diverse network infrastructures because of its extensive feature set.

Features: Azure Network Watcher includes packet capture, network performance monitoring, and diagnostic tools tailored for Azure environments. FortiMonitor provides comprehensive performance monitoring across hybrid settings, advanced alerting, and support for a broad array of network types.

Room for Improvement: Azure Network Watcher could expand its capabilities to better support non-Azure environments, enhance its alerting features, and improve cross-platform compatibility. FortiMonitor might refine its integration with Azure, reduce initial setup requirements, and further develop user interface customization.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Azure Network Watcher offers streamlined deployment for Azure users with customer support integrated into Microsoft's service framework. FortiMonitor, while requiring more initial setup, adapts to various environments and provides responsive, knowledgeable customer service with personalized assistance.

Pricing and ROI: Azure Network Watcher's pay-as-you-go pricing suits Azure-centric applications, delivering favorable ROI for organizations deeply invested in Azure. FortiMonitor's potentially higher setup cost may yield significant ROI through its expansive monitoring and cross-platform support, appealing to those managing complex network environments.

To learn more, read our detailed Azure Network Watcher vs. FortiMonitor Report (Updated: April 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Azure Network Watcher vs. FortiMonitor

April 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

FortiMonitor

Ranking in Network Monitoring Software

22nd

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

7.1

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

IT Infrastructure Monitoring (24th), IT Alerting and Incident Management (13th), Digital Experience Monitoring (DEM) (8th)

Mindshare comparison

As of April 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 FortiMonitor is 0.7%, up from 0.7% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Network Monitoring Software Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
FortiMonitor	0.7%
Azure Network Watcher	0.5%
Other	98.8%

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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reviewer2677554

Network Engineer III at a energy/utilities company with 1,001-5,000 employees

Managing diverse networks with detailed alerts enhances device oversight

FortiManager is very helpful in managing our networks. We use it to manage 20 farms and various networks with hundreds of devices. The version we are using provides more detail than the older dashboard. We appreciate the alerting capabilities, which are integrated with SolarWinds to notify our team via SMS.

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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

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

"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."

"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."

"It provides good visibility."

"Azure Network Watcher provides valuable features based on your specific requirements and use cases, helping you monitor network bandwidth, throughput, data flow consumption, and control costs by giving insight into egress and ingress traffic, total input and output operations, bandwidth, and threats through IP identification."

"The solution is good for monitoring device behavior."

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

"The solution is stable, there are no bugs or glitches and it doesn't crash or freeze, it's reliable."

More Azure Network Watcher pros

"FortiMonitor has a very intuitive dashboard, which makes it particularly helpful for analyzing traffic, alerts, and other information."

"FortiMonitor offers comprehensive monitoring capabilities, allowing me to track network traffic in and out effectively."

"The most valuable feature of this solution is what the devices are used for. We have big backups for our Cradlepoint solutions, but FortiMonitor is a great routing device and we love working with them."

"Fortinet's customer support is very good."

"FortiMonitor is 100% stable."

"FortiMonitor's dashboard is very informative and user-friendly."

"In FortiMonitor, we're linked up with our Netgear, CactusServer, and NOC. It's really valuable because everything's migrating to one dashboard for us system engineers. We can keep an eye on traffic, blocked sites, and the health of our hardware. That last part, about knowing if something's going to fail soon, is super important. It gives us time to sort things out before any big problems happen. As a system engineer, I need to keep tabs on everything – temperature, monitoring systems, and network operations. This data is really handy because it helps me ensure our site runs smoothly, whether it's turning systems on or off. Just last night, there was a system failure, but thanks to real-time monitoring, I quickly identified the problem and got the necessary replacement parts."

"The most valuable feature of FortiMonitor is the overall ability to monitor the health of the environment."

More FortiMonitor pros

Cons

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

"It's not the most friendly or straightforward to set up. I don't see the value versus the way you have to set it up at first."

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

"There are some occasional downtimes, but these were based on Azure-specific issues."

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

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

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

"Sometimes, you encounter a VPN tunnel, network, or routing issue, but finding out more about the blockage is challenging."

More Azure Network Watcher cons

"Sometimes, during high CPU usage, we cannot access FortiMonitor and must refresh it."

"FortiMonitor could be improved by making it more convenient for smaller workloads, such as when configuring a few branches."

"I think the current features are really good for me, nothing else comes to mind right now. Maybe some small improvements could be made in the customization and configuration part of the UI to make it easier or more intuitive. Customizable UI options, like we saw in the demo, could be helpful for everyone. But in our operational environment, having clear health status and system details is crucial for us system engineers. One feature I'd really like to see is a credential management system. It would help us keep track of who's logged in and how many times, which is important due to user restrictions. Sometimes, we need to manage logins more efficiently, like logging off other users to free up credentials. So having a feature like that would be really helpful."

"We use FortiToken, and it's a pain to use because you have to send things through your phone and then confirm by email."

"Additionally, there are no AI features in FortiMonitor, which might be an area for enhancement."

"The solution's initial setup process is time-consuming."

"There is room for improvement in the FortiMonitor report. It is not ideal for showcasing to tech customers or managers, especially when trying to display high CPU usage from logins within a specific range of months or the most recent month."

". Enhancements in the dashboard, such as clearer alerting, maintenance window management, software version tracking, and better visualization, would be beneficial."

More FortiMonitor cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Azure Network Watcher is a little bit expensive."

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

"The price of the solution is reasonable."

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

"On a scale from one to ten, I rate the pricing a nine since it is a good solution that is available at a cheap price."

"Compared to other solutions, FortiMonitor is a very expensive solution."

"FortiMonitor's price is very high."

"There are additional costs needed for certain functionality, such as scalability."

"We have a large customer base for Fortinet, and the additional buying power got us really great discounts."

"In terms of licensing, while it may not be the most expensive option on the market, it's relatively cost-effective. You can obtain licenses at a lower cost, with the calculation being straightforward. For example, if you onboard around 5,000 devices, you'll need approximately 5,000 licenses, as each device typically counts as one license."

"The price of FortiMonitor is approximately $200 annually for 225 users. The price is competitive."

"The tool's pricing model in Vietnam is a bit high. I rate the product price as an eight out of ten."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

23%

Construction Company

10%

Government

University

Healthcare Company

Computer Software Company

Financial Services Firm

Manufacturing Company

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	8
Midsize Enterprise	2
Large Enterprise	6

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...

See all answers

What is the best network monitoring software for large enterprises?

I have a clear bias because I work for Panopta. We aren't a fit for everyone, but I can confirm that Panopta is a lot less work to stand up and maintain. It's also a lot easier to use and onboard n...

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for FortiMonitor?

FortiMonitor does save time but not significantly on costs, as there are still expenses related to procurement, installation, and licensing.

See all answers

What needs improvement with FortiMonitor?

There are areas for improvement that FortiManager is addressing. We have not yet upgraded to the latest software versions, being a full revision behind, but we plan to update soon since the current...

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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ThousandEyes vs FortiMonitor

Compared 9% of the time

SolarWinds Network Device Monitor vs FortiMonitor

Compared 8% of the time

PRTG Network Monitor vs FortiMonitor

Compared 6% of the time

SolarWinds NPM vs FortiMonitor

Compared 4% of the time

PagerDuty Operations Cloud vs FortiMonitor

Compared 4% of the time

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Azure Network Watcher

April 2026

Download Azure Network Watcher product report

Buyer's Guide

Digital Experience Monitoring (DEM)

March 2026

Download FortiMonitor product report

Also Known As

No data available

Panopta

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

FortiMonitor is a comprehensive, SaaS-based digital experience monitoring (DEM) platform that helps organizations modernize their performance-monitoring tools. It provides visibility into endpoint application performance and digital experience—no matter where the user resides or where the application is hosted.

Fortinet

Sample Customers

Information Not Available

SONY, GoDaddy, HCL, ING, ARMOR, billboard

Buyer's Guide

Azure Network Watcher vs. FortiMonitor

April 2026

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