Thousandeyes vs Appdynamics

Overview

In the world of network and application monitoring, you may have heard about tools like ThousandEyes and AppDynamics. While both tools share some common grounds in providing real-time insights and tracking performance, they both still serve different purposes. 

This blog will walk you through the differences between ThousandEyes vs Appdynamics. We will analyze their key features, performance metrics, and pricing. We will also examine their unique use cases to help you decide which tool aligns better with your business needs. 

What are ThousandEyes?

ThousandEyes is a network intelligence platform owned by Cisco. It is designed to monitor internet-dependent environments and application delivery. This way, it helps pinpoint issues that users experience (UX) on digital platforms and networks. 

ThousandEyes offers:

• Network visibility for public and private clouds.
• Insights on third-party networks like VPN, LAN, public internet, etc
• Tracking application delivery paths to identify performance bottlenecks
• Monitoring real-time UX on using the application

What are AppDynamics?

AppDynamics (also a part of Cisco) is an application performance management (APM) tool that monitors the performance of software applications. It tracks how fast the app loads, how often users encounter errors, and where any slowdowns are happening. Appdynamics helps -

• IT teams fix issues relating to app crashes or outages
• Provides data on business transactions and user journeys.
• Enhances app reliability by integrating cloud-platforms 

ThousandEyes vs Appdynamics: Features

Now that you know what ThousandEyes and AppDynamics are, here are some features to give you a detailed understanding to compare the performance of both tools:

Network Monitoring

When it comes to network monitoring, ThousandEyes shines with its strong visibility features. It provides detailed insights into public and private networks such as LAN, WAN, and cloud environments. It keeps an eye on network health, so no issue goes unchecked.

If we talk about AppDynamics in terms of network monitoring, the insights are minimal. The main focus is just on understanding how the network impacts application performance. So, internet health monitoring is a secondary feature.

Application Monitoring

In the area of application monitoring, AppDynamics takes the lead. Be it transaction tracking or identifying issues faced by users, AppDymaics monitors everything in a detailed manner.  For instance, it can identify why a checkout process on an eCommerce platform is lagging.

ThousandEyes, on the other hand, provides very limited insights into app performance. Its major focus is on network optimization rather than monitoring how well the applications are running.

User Experience Monitoring

Both tools cater to user experience monitoring, but their approaches differ. ThousandEyes monitors user experience at endpoint levels, making it ideal for global, distributed teams.

AppDynamics provides information about how users interact with an app. Suppose the app is crashing, so it alerts the IT team by finding the relevant reasons for the issue - app load times, error rates, etc. 

It then presents these metrics in easy-to-understand graphs and dashboards. This visual representation helps teams see trends and spot problems at a glance. Below is an example of how Appdynamics offers intelligent insights on errors faced, such as pod issues, image issues, and storage quota violations.

So, to sum it up for you, below is a better comparison between AppDynamics and ThousandEyes:

ThousandEyes vs. AppDynamics: Performance Evaluation

• Scalability

ThousdandEyes is built to monitor large and complex networks around the world. So, scalability is a big plus point for ThousandEyes. It can handle a growing amount of network data for complex systems without slowing them down.

Talking of AppDynamics, it's earlier versions of AppDynamics (specifically 4.1.x prior to 4.1.8.9) faced scalability issues in high load conditions. However, these issues have been addressed and now the current versions are capable of handling high-load environments.

Its architecture supports both horizontal and vertical scaling, making it suitable for organizations that want to maintain their app performance. 

• Accuracy 

ThousandEyes provides very accurate data on network performance, thanks to its many monitoring points around the globe. This means it can effectively measure things like how long it takes for data to travel across the network and if there are any losses in data packets. And with the introduction of AI (artificial intelligence), problems are detected and addressed automatically with less human intervention, saving time and improving the productivity of employees.

In fact, recently, Cisco conducted a study that revealed shocking insights. Organizations using ThousandEyes experienced more than 50% increase in productivity. The same study also reported a decrease in the mean time to resolution (MTTR ) of issues, with improvements ranging between 50 - 80%.

While AppDynamics also gives correct insights, they are more about how applications are performing, users are facing any issues, what errors are raised and how they can be solved, etc. 

• Real-Time Monitoring Capabilities

ThousandEyes provides live updates on network performance for all network types. No matter, if you are working on cloud or on-premise software, it does synthetic monitoring of key metrics. If any bottlenecks are found, it alerts the users, allowing for a quick response to the problem.

AppDynamics also offers real-time monitoring for applications. The data insights are up-to-date, which helps businesses quickly address any issues that arise.

To improve the process, Cisco has also integrated an AI assistant into AppDynamics. It solves complex cross-domain issues and offers predictive analysis to DevOps and IT teams. 

Difference Between ThousandEyes and AppDynamics Price?

ThousandEyes operates a unit-based pricing model. Based on your visibility needs, it offers pricing models. The annual plan starts at $50,000 for 5,275 units. For customized estimates, you will have to contact their team.

AppDynamics has a CPU core-based system, which starts at $6 per CPU core per month. It goes upto $55 per month based on upgrades on premium plans.

Use Cases: ThousandEyes vs. AppDynamics

From e-commerce, healthcare, and finance to IT and telecommunications, both ThousandEyes and appdynamics have been used in almost every industry. Here are some use cases in real life:

What Network and Application Monitoring Tool is Right for You?

Instead of following trends, choose the tool based on your current primary focus. 

If your concern is optimizing and monitoring network health, then ThousandEyes is your go-to solution. It offers great insights on internet connection quality between the sites, proving to be an excellent investment for your company.

But, if you are looking to track application performance and improve user experience, then AppDynamics is the better option. Also, the pros and cons of both tools should be evaluated to get a better idea.

Business Impact: How These Tools Connect Performance to Business Outcomes

Both tools aim to minimize downtime and enhance efficiency, but they achieve this differently:

• ThousandEyes: Ensures reliable connectivity, reducing disruptions in network-dependent workflows.
• AppDynamics: Links application performance to business metrics, improving customer satisfaction and operational efficiency.

Pricing Comparison: Which Platform Fits Your Budget?

Pros and Cons: What are Users Saying about ThousandEyes and AppDynamics?

We consulted and researched real reviews of business professionals using these tools, and here's what they are saying about ThousandEyes and Appdynamics.

ThousandEyes 

Pros of ThousandEyes :

• Users report that the platform is great for remote monitoring.
• Great for cloud and SaaS environments.
• It justifies its cost with strong returns on investment.
• It swiftly integrates ISPs, CDNs, and cloud providers.
• Users noted excellent after-sales support.

Cons of ThousandEyes :

• Limited features for application monitoring.
• Customization options could be more user-friendly.
• Struggles with visibility in complex cloud environments like Akamai or CDN.
• Needs better integration with other Cisco products.

AppDynamics

Pros of AppDynamics:

• Tracks user journeys effectively for better customer experience.
• Offers the flexibility to make custom alerts for specific issues.
• Finance users get easy access to logs between transactions. 
• Scalable for both on-premise and cloud environments.
• Simplifies root cause analysis for faster incident resolution.

Cons of AppDynamics:

• Deployment and setup are complex and time-consuming.
• Expensive licensing with unclear pricing structures.
• Documentation and training materials need improvement.
• Some essential KPIs are missing for advanced monitoring

Conclusion: Which Tool Should You Choose?

When choosing between Cisco AppDynamics vs ThousandEyes, consider your needs, pain points, and budget constraints. What might be a fit for a large-scale enterprise might not be a fit for a medium or small-scale company. Consider your requirements and make your decision.

All in all, both tools excel in their domains and can become even more powerful if used together.