Choosing the Best APM Software: A Focus on ROI and User Adoption

When the world runs on applications, a reliable tracking tool becomes essential.

Businesses rely on application performance monitoring (APM) tools to monitor thousands of off-premises and on-premises applications.

If you want to buy APM software, the market is currently very saturated. With so many options available, you should find one that fits your budget and needs. To help you find the right solution, we'll focus on two key metrics in this article: return on investment (ROI) and user adoption.

APM: A critical tool for modern businesses

APM software helps businesses track on-premises and web applications for optimization. IT teams use this software to ensure smooth business operations. When an issue occurs within an app, IT administrators can quickly resolve it based on the APM analytic result.

Another use case is performance bottleneck identification. APM tools can predict future performance demand based on existing trends. This automates server resource allocation to ensure the web server won’t break due to unexpected resource demands.

Now that we know what APM tools do, let's examine how they can benefit modern businesses:

• Improved application performance: APM tools allow businesses to reduce application downtime due to performance bottlenecks.
• Cost savings: By reducing downtime, APM can offer solutions that minimize the time needed to resolve issues. This can help businesses avoid disruptions for their customers.
• Better customer experience: Optimized applications are fast and reliable, leading to increased customer satisfaction and fewer complaints.

Using an APM tool is a must in the current digital world. However, finding the right solution can be challenging when there are over 200 products in G2 and even more in the broader market. APM solutions all have different features and pricing. That’s why it’s crucial to consider factors like ROI and user adoption when making a purchase decision.

Leading APM tools based on ROI

For businesses, the ROI period is a critical factor when choosing software. It shows how quickly an investment will pay off, which helps IT managers maximize the value of their purchases. G2 tracks ROI by looking at the average payback period—how long it takes for a software purchase to generate enough value to cover its cost.

Out of the various APM solutions on G2, here are the top five with the quickest ROI periods.

• Rollbar: With an ROI payback period of just 3 months, Rollbar leads the pack for businesses looking to see quick returns.
• Elastic Observability: Also boasting a 3-month ROI period, Elastic Observability is a strong option for companies seeking fast financial gains.
• Google Cloud Monitoring: This tool offers a solid 4-month ROI period, making it a smart choice for businesses already using Google’s cloud services.
• Sematext Cloud: Sematext Cloud provides an ROI payback period of 5 months, giving companies a balanced mix of features and value.
• Instabug: With a 7-month payback period, Instabug is a strong contender for mobile app monitoring.

The average ROI period for APM software is 12 months, so these top-performing solutions stand out for their quick payback times.

Leading APM tools based on user adoption

While the ROI period is important, user adoption is another critical metric when selecting APM software. A high user adoption rate shows the software is easy to use and integrates well into existing workflows. If employees aren’t using the tool, businesses won’t get the full value of their investment.

Unfortunately, many companies neglect user adoption when evaluating software. Low adoption can lead to wasted licenses and money, especially if the software isn’t fully utilized across the organization.

Here are the top five APM products with the highest user adoption rates.

• ManageEngine Applications Manager: With an impressive 86% user adoption rate, this tool ensures businesses fully utilize their APM investment.
• Rollbar: Coming in a close second with an 85% adoption rate, Rollbar offers quick ROI and is widely embraced by users.
• Coralogix: With a 79% adoption rate, Coralogix is a favorite for companies that need robust monitoring without overwhelming their teams.
• Pandora FMS: Pandora FMS matches Coralogix with a 79% adoption rate, offering comprehensive monitoring with easy user integration.
• Raygun: Raygun rounds out the list with a 78% adoption rate, ensuring businesses can monitor their applications effectively.

The average user adoption rate for APM software is 62%, which means these tools outperform the competition in terms of ease of use and implementation.

Observability pipeline software can help with ROI and user adoption too

While ROI and user adoption are essential when choosing APM software, they aren’t the only factors to consider. Businesses should also evaluate scalability and integration through another software category called Observability Pipeline.

A common issue with APM software is overloading too much log data from different source applications and infrastructure. Observability pipeline software significantly reduces the “noise” (useless log data), so APM software doesn’t waste server resources analyzing all the log data. This can help teams resolve issues with a minimal amount of data present without overspending.

Learn more about how APM tools can optimize your business through our comprehensive guide.

Edited by Jigmee Bhutia