Azure Network Watcher vs PRTG Network Monitor comparison

Why PeerSpot?

Microsoft and Paessler GmbH are both solutions in the Network Monitoring Software category. Microsoft is ranked #46 with an average rating of 8.0, while Paessler GmbH is ranked #5 with an average rating of 8.6. Microsoft holds a 0.5% mindshare in NMS, compared to Paessler GmbH’s 2.5% 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

2,469 Views
2,420 Comparison Views

92% willing to recommend

PRTG Network Monitor

Read 113 PRTG Network Monitor reviews

18,314 Views
13,003 Comparison Views

92% willing to recommend

Azure Network Watcher

PRTG Network Monitor

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Mar 29, 2026

PRTG Network Monitor and Azure Network Watcher are competitors in the network monitoring category. Based on their features, Azure Network Watcher seems to excel in environments heavily invested in cloud due to its native capabilities.

Features: PRTG Network Monitor offers extensive notification features, diverse sensors for network insights, and adaptability across environments. Azure Network Watcher provides network diagnostic tools, integrated firewall capabilities, and cloud-native features enhancing its utility in cloud deployments.

Room for Improvement: PRTG Network Monitor could enhance intuitive data presentation, desktop application usability, and scalability. Azure Network Watcher needs improvements in AI features, visualization clarity, and better documentation to facilitate analytics and integration.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: PRTG Network Monitor is versatile and deployable on-premises, hybrid, and cloud environments, but users report slow support responses. Azure Network Watcher is aimed at public cloud setups with generally quicker support response times.

Pricing and ROI: PRTG Network Monitor has varied pricing, often seen as costly for larger setups, yet users experience good ROI via cost savings. Azure Network Watcher is reasonably priced, especially for basic use, with ROI benefits from efficient cloud resource management.

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

Buyer's Guide

Azure Network Watcher vs. PRTG Network Monitor

September 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

46th

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 (6th), Cloud Monitoring Software (8th)

Mindshare comparison

As of September 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 2.5%, 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	2.5%
Azure Network Watcher	0.5%
Other	97.0%

Network Monitoring Software

Featured Reviews

PrashantSarmalkar

Enterprise Architect at ATOS

Monitoring traffic has improved cost control and threat visibility across network flows

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 getting better analytics and foundation models for proactive monitoring through AI models. While these capabilities exist, they are still in beta version. Azure Network Watcher should improve to match the capabilities that Google is targeting from an analytical point of view. Azure Network Watcher needs to improve foundation models in terms of AI-specific features and analytics, which are still evolving. This may take some time, but within one or two years, these improvements should reach a nine rating.

Read full review

Madhan Cs

Senior consultant at Cambridge Institute of Technology

Has reduced troubleshooting time and improved issue detection through sensor alerts and team collaboration

PRTG Network Monitor can be improved because the dashboard themes feel outdated. It should be updated to a newer version for the new Gen Z customers. The notification sound options are limited unless customized. Restarting probes after Windows updates is necessary, and there should be some kind of automatic restart. The initial auto-discovery added too many unnecessary sensors, so auto-discovery should only take the necessary sensors into consideration.

Read full review

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."

"The most valuable feature of Azure Network Watcher is using the gateways with the connections. The monitoring is useful for the logs and application insights into the data. The traffic filtering issues when it comes to deploying those applications are helpful."

"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 most valuable features I have found are typology, visualization, and capture."

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

"The most valuable feature of Azure Network Watcher is the cloud-native application firewall, which is helpful for securing databases."

"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."

"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 auto-pause for sensors during maintenance windows is awesome, as there are no false alerts till now and the built-in SNMP tester tool has saved me multiple times during setups, making PRTG Network Monitor a one-stop monitoring solution for my industry."

"PRTG Network Monitor helped us detect the failing RAID controller before it completely collapsed, allowing us to avoid potential data loss."

"The reporting module is easy to configure."

"Network Discovery is a feature that our customers like a lot."

"The initial setup is very simple."

"The sensors and remote probes are phenomenal. We use them for all of our global sites. The problem with our global sites are that they are all VPNs. If the link goes down, you can't monitor other solutions, as it just goes off the grid. Having remote probes allows them to still carry on and get the information that we need when it comes back up, sending the information to us."

"The most valuable feature of PRTG Network Monitor is the dashboards. We can check to see the resources and the uptime."

"It is a very stable solution. There are no bugs, glitches and we have not experienced any crashing."

More PRTG Network Monitor pros

Cons

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

"User experience could be improved."

"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."

"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."

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

"The initial setup and deployment could be improved to be simplified."

"I would like to see in the future if we can troubleshoot as a firewall because it is equipment as a network player and some diagnostics."

More Azure Network Watcher cons

"The dashboarding definitely needs improvement."

"I would like the ability to monitor Cisco IRS devices."

"The database needs improvement."

"Performance-wise, PRTG Network Monitor still needs improvement because a large number of SNMPv3 queries reduces tool performance."

"I know we're going to move to Docker applications and I understand that PRTG does some monitoring regarding this. I do not know if it is complete. If it's not yet complete, it's something they should consider improving."

"I am not sure the solution is giving me all the needed feedback that we need. When something goes off on our IT infrastructure, it does tell me. However, it would be nice if it gave more intuitive information, e.g., the hard drive has gone up by 60 percent in an hour."

"The performance of the monitoring is outdated and when they have upgraded the tools in the past, it slows down the performance."

"I posed this question to PRTG and they were unresponsive, so it seems like not enough customers are complaining about it or would be potentially using it."

More PRTG Network Monitor cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

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

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

"The price of the solution is reasonable."

"Azure Network Watcher is a little bit expensive."

"The pricing is not too bad. It's not massively expensive, and the ability to upscale or even downscale licenses every year is brilliant for us."

"When you buy PRTG, everything comes in one bundle. Licensing is very easy."

"We are satisfied with the price."

"PRTG is now available as PRTG Enterprise Monitor, and the price varies depending on the total number of sensors the customer buys"

"We've got the unlimited package... I believe it was around the £15,000 per year mark."

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

"The pricing is very low compared to other solutions."

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

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

22%

Construction Company

13%

Outsourcing Company

Comms Service Provider

Financial Services Firm

10%

Comms Service Provider

10%

Healthcare Company

Outsourcing 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	60
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?

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?

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 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

What needs improvement with PRTG Network Monitor?

The reporting features look very technical and that can be improved. If they can change the report so everyone can understand it, that would be helpful.

See all answers

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Compared 3% of the time

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Compared 3% of the time

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Azure Network Watcher

September 2026

Download Azure Network Watcher product report

Buyer's Guide

PRTG Network Monitor

September 2026

Download PRTG Network Monitor product report

Overview

Azure Network Watcher provides advanced network monitoring capabilities including packet capture, cloud-native firewall, and traffic diagnosis, aiding in VPN troubleshooting and security enforcement with enhanced visibility and alerting features.

Azure Network Watcher is essential for monitoring, diagnosing, and analyzing network traffic. It efficiently handles VPN connection issues and enhances network security by capturing and analyzing traffic to assess performance or latency problems. The tool facilitates traffic flow control, security rule verification, and bandwidth monitoring. Users benefit from its capabilities in diagnosing service connections, offering insights into network activity, and identifying potential threats, crucial for maintaining compliance and efficient network management.

What are the key features of Azure Network Watcher?

Packet Capture: Enables detailed network traffic inspection to troubleshoot issues.
Cloud-Native Application Firewall: Provides enhanced protection for applications running in the cloud.
Traffic Monitoring: Allows for real-time analysis and troubleshooting of network traffic.
NSG Flow Logs & AI-Based Monitoring: Enhances flow control and threat detection.
Alerting & Threshold Configuration: Offers customizable alerts via Azure Monitor for proactive management.

What benefits can users look for in reviews?

Improved Network Security: Helps in identifying and mitigating threats efficiently.
Enhanced Visibility: Provides clear insights into network operations and potential issues.
Compliance Support: Assists in maintaining regulatory compliance with thorough monitoring capabilities.
Effective Bandwidth Management: Facilitates control and optimization of network bandwidth.

In industries like finance and healthcare, Azure Network Watcher is implemented to ensure robust security and compliance, crucial for safeguarding sensitive data. It aids retail and manufacturing sectors in optimizing network performance and maintaining seamless connectivity, supporting their digital infrastructure needs.

Microsoft

PRTG Network Monitor offers seamless network health tracking with flexible alerting and robust scalability. Its real-time monitoring and compatibility across diverse technologies enhance operational efficiency.

PRTG Network Monitor stands out by providing intuitive dashboards and detailed reporting to efficiently monitor network health, significantly reducing manual checks. Its quick setup and comprehensive compatibility cater to diverse environments. The alert system and real-time monitoring enable proactive maintenance, while custom scripting and a broad range of sensors allow for personalized monitoring options. Enhancements are suggested in database management, integration capabilities, Unix support, pricing, application performance, and dashboard customization. Users benefit from enhanced error messaging, flexible licensing, and better training resources.

What are the key features of PRTG Network Monitor?

Ease of Use: Intuitive dashboard makes network monitoring straightforward.
Flexible Alerting: Provides prompt notifications for proactive maintenance.
Scalability: Adapts to various network sizes and complexities.
Compatibility: Works across diverse technologies and environments.
Custom Scripting: Allows tailored monitoring options for specific needs.

What benefits should users seek in PRTG Network Monitor reviews?

Operational Efficiency: Reduces the need for manual network checks.
Real-Time Monitoring: Enables instant response to potential issues.
Enhanced Infrastructure Oversight: Facilitates comprehensive management of network devices.
Proactive Maintenance: Alerts help prevent potential disruptions.
Central Dashboard: Manages infrastructure across multiple locations effectively.

In industries like IT, telecommunications, and healthcare, PRTG Network Monitor is employed for comprehensive monitoring of systems, servers, and networks. It assists in tracking uptime, connectivity, and alerts for potential issues, offering tailored options like monitoring traffic flows and hardware health through custom sensors and scripts.

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

September 2026

Free Report: Azure Network Watcher vs. PRTG Network Monitor

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