What is cloud monitoring software?

It is software that collects, aggregates, and visualizes performance and health data from cloud resources such as virtual machines, containers, databases, and serverless functions, typically producing dashboards and alerts.

What is the difference between cloud monitoring and observability?

Monitoring tracks predefined metrics and known failure modes, while observability tools also collect high-cardinality logs and traces so teams can explore unfamiliar issues in distributed systems.

Do I need a separate tool for logs, metrics, and traces?

Not necessarily. Unified platforms like Datadog, New Relic, and Dynatrace handle all three, though some teams still prefer dedicated log management or APM tools for cost or compliance reasons.

Best Cloud Monitoring Tools 2026

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