We may earn a commission if you make a purchase through the links on our website.
PRTG vs Nagios Comparison for Network Monitoring Tasks
UPDATED: December 9, 2022
The age long debate of which networking monitoring and management software is better never ceases to amaze us, especially in the comparison of Paessler PRTG vs NAGIOS – We're going to break down the main differences between the two software packages, along with some of their feature sets, capabilities and pricing models.
Some Features we'll be discussing and comparing between the two are as follows:
- Network Infrastructure Monitoring
- Scalability and Trend Forecasting
- Email, SMS and other Alerts/Triggers
- Plugins and Add-ons
- SNMP and Agentless Monitoring
- Syslog
- Time of Implementation
- Web Accessible GUI
- Network Maps and Topology Visuals
- Bandwidth and Flow (Netflow, sFlow, IPFix, etc) Analyzer and Collection
- Hardware Monitoring (Servers, Printers, Routers/Switches, Desktops, etc)
- Wifi (including Linksys brand) Management & Monitoring
- VMware & Hyper-V Monitoring Capabilities
- VoIP Monitoring Capabilities
- Cloud Service Uptime Monitors
- Temperature, Humidity, Physical Access to Server Room/Closet
- Active Directory/LDAP Integration
- Automatic Network Discovery and Scanning
- SLA Reporting Functionality/Features
The list above is not fully comprehensive of what both software solutions are capable of, but are merely a standard that many admins and engineers look for when evaluating software packages before committing to one of the other.
Pros & Cons
Paessler PRTG Network Monitor
Pros:
- Uses a combination of packet sniffing, WMI, and SNMP to report network performance as well as discover new devices
- Autodiscovery reflects the latest inventory changes almost instantaneously
- Drag and drop editor makes it easy to build custom views and reports
- Supports a wide range of alert mediums such as SMS, email, and third-party integration
- Supports a freeware version
Cons:
- Is a very comprehensive platform with many features and moving parts that require time to learn
- Custom sensors can sometimes be challenging to manually configure
Nagios
Pros:
- Offers a free open-source version alongside a paid version
- Pricing is based on the number of flow exports, making it a flexible option
- Detailed reports and alerting options
- Can record live J-Flow traffic and replay it for further analysis
Cons:
- Better suited for smaller networks
To see a full list of features and capabilities each software can do, see their respective websites here for Paessler PRTG and here for Nagios to get an understanding of what they are capable of.
Here's a Comparison & Breakdown of Paessler PRTG vs Nagios:
Paessler PRTG Network
|
Nagios XI |
|
|---|---|---|
| Monitor Network Uptime & Critical resources |
Yes | Yes |
| Forecast Trends and Expandability | Yes | Yes |
| Alerting System | Yes | Yes |
| Add-on/Plugins (3rd Party, etc) | Yes | Yes (Required for Network Maps, and Wifi Monitoring) |
| SNMP/Agentless Support | Yes | Yes |
| Syslog/Event Collection | Yes | Yes |
| Implementation Time/Cost | Yes | Yes |
| Web Interface | Yes | Yes |
| Network Topology Maps/Visuals | Yes | No (Add-on/Plugin Needed) |
| Bandwidth/Netflow Analysis | Yes | Yes |
| Hardware Health Status | Yes | Yes |
| Wireless Network Monitoring | Yes | No (Plugin needed) |
| Virtualization Support | Yes | No (Plugin Required) |
| VoIP and QoS Support/Monitors | Yes | No (Plugin Required) |
| Cloud Service Support/Monitors | Yes | Yes |
| Server Room Environmental Monitoring |
Yes | No (Plugin Required) |
| Active Directory/LDAP Integration | Yes | Yes |
| Auto Network Scan/Discovery | Yes | Yes |
| IP SLA Support/Reporting | Yes | Yes |
| Cost | Free Edition up to 100 Sensors (Unlimited Time) More Pricing for Additional Sensor Found on their PRICE LIST |
Core is Free Nagios XI is $1995 up to 100 Nodes. Full Pricing List Here |
| Download PRTG Free! | Go to Nagios.com |
It's no surprise that many admins and IT professionals are constantly comparing these software packages, they both have very similar traits and features that many engineers and admins want in their monitoring and management arsenal. Nonetheless, if your looking for an All-in-One solution and would like to not have to deal with configuration files within a Linux/Unix system, then PRTG is the way to go.
The battle of PRTG vs Nagios can go on and on, but for if you are looking for an Enterprise Grade solution that has the backing of a support team and fully-featured out-of-the-box solution, then we'd have to recommend PRTG in this case.
On the other hand, if you want to get your hands dirty and do some manual configuration, installation, and editing of config files, give Nagios a try. We've linked their plugin repositories above under each given section for the feature that is compared.
If you're looking for other comparisons to Paessler PRTG, check out our other article on Solarwinds NPM for a head-to-head showdown.