Paessler PRTG

 

PRTG vs. other monitoring software:
Tests and comparisons with other tools

 

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    Independent test results for network monitoring software


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    PRTG alternatives such as Nagios, WhatsUp Gold, and SolarWinds

     
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    A direct comparison
    of alternatives
     

 

Customer service
for sales and general questions

 
 
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How well do you really know PRTG? 3 major advantages at a glance

One tool for your entire network

Devices, applications, bandwidth: PRTG keeps an eye on everything. And that’s important, because just one malfunctioning switch can cause disruptions – and require hours of troubleshooting. A clear advantage of PRTG over “smaller” alternatives. 

All-in-one monitoring

Notification system, reports, and of course, all sensors: with PRTG, all monitoring features are included. You can even monitor Cisco devices with our tool. With other monitoring software, you usually have to pay for such features.

Flexible licensing model

Want to start small? Good idea! Thanks to our flexible licensing model, you can upgrade whenever you please. Each PRTG license comes with a certain number of sensors. You pay for exactly what you need to monitor your network.

 

alex fulham fc

Why this company chose PRTG instead of ManageEngine and SolarWinds:

We used OpManager for a couple of years, and also evaluated Solarwinds and Nimsoft, but I wanted to see if there was anything better on the market. In terms of price-performance ratio, it does everything we need it to.”

Alex Malinov, Head of IT, Fulham FC.

Read full case study

 

Of course we think PRTG is great,
but what do independent sites have to say?

ITPro Review 2022

In all, when it comes to on-premises monitoring solutions, PRTG Network Monitor is very hard to beat. It provides a terrific range of sensor options for both local devices and cloud services, along with plenty of monitoring facilities, yet it’s easy to manage, and comes with a simple, affordable pricing scheme that’s perfect for SMBs.

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PC Magazine Review 2020

“As long as you understand what kind of infrastructure you need to monitor and you don’t mind the licensing structure, PRTG is a powerful and even user friendly product. While the feature set can be a bit overwhelming, IT pros will find it hard to run out of options.”

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IT BRIEF Review 2017

“With PRTG the possibilities are endless. Recognising this, Paessler have set up PRTG Scriptworld a site where users can share scripts they have created in an open-source setting. The possibilities are endless, as are the ways users can utilise the data collected.”

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Alternatives to PRTG –
An overview of other tools

 

PRTG vs. Nagios

“Nagios” is one name you’re likely to come across during your search. Nagios is open-source network monitoring software that provides for basic network monitoring.

Many of our customers switched from Nagios to PRTG because of the reliability and usability of our tool – which have been proven in countless tests.

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PRTG vs. SolarWinds

SolarWinds offers a variety of network monitoring solutions. Well-known IT magazines and media sources often compare SolarWinds with PRTG. These comparisons contain case studies in which users explain why they chose PRTG.

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PRTG vs. Zabbix

Zabbix is an open-source tool with several basic network monitoring features.

A few of the reasons why customers prefer PRTG: Zabbix has a complex and confusing interface, and is difficult to install, configure, and use.

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PRTG vs. ManageEngine

PRTG and ManageEngine are often compared because of the many similarities between the two tools. Common points of comparison include installation, setup, functionality, upgrades, and features.

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PRTG vs. WhatsUp Gold

WhatsUp Gold is a network monitoring solution developed by Ipswitch. PRTG is often compared with WhatsUp Gold by various IT media. Most of the time, these comparisons focus on the prices and features of the two tools.

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PRTG vs. Ethereal

Wireshark, formerly known as Ethereal, is a packet sniffing tool. Wireshark is useful for analyzing your traffic in detail. However, you need to know exactly where to search and analyze. Therefore, PRTG is often used in conjunction with this tool.

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PRTG vs. Cacti

Cacti is a free network monitoring tool. It queries then converts data into graphs using RRDtool. Cacti is often used to monitor traffic and bandwidth. However, Cacti can’t compete with PRTG when it comes to taking a closer look at traffic, monitoring the network around the clock, and being immediately notified in the event of errors.

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PRTG vs. Auvik

Auvik is a cloud-based monitoring and mapping tool that is relatively easy to install and configure. This SaaS solution is particularly popular with MSPs. We compared the functionality, usability, and licenses of Auvik and PRTG.

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PRTG vs. LogicMonitor

LogicMonitor is a cloud-based network monitoring tool. It lets you monitor network performance, cloud services, servers, and hardware. The SaaS tool is billed monthly (per monitored device) and comes in Pro and Enterprise versions. 

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PRTG vs. Checkmk

Checkmk is a network monitoring tool that provides for comprehensive monitoring of IT infrastructures.If you're looking for an alternative to Checkmk, then you should definitely check out PRTG. On this page, we’ll explain what makes PRTG stand out from Checkmk.

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PRTG vs. SCOM

System Center Operations Manager (SCOM) is part of the Microsoft System Center product family. Based on the installation of agents, it manages and monitors the health and performance of computer systems, services, devices, and applications. Management Packs that you must buy additionally expand the monitoring offering, which is more specialized in Microsoft applications.

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FAQ – PRTG and alternative tools

 

 

1. Is there a typical PRTG user?

The network monitoring tool is used by sysadmins in both medium-sized companies and global corporations. With PRTG, there’s a license for every need. Each license comes with a certain number of sensors. For each device you wish to monitor, you’ll need an average of 10 sensors. For some sysadmins, 1,000 sensors are plenty. Other IT managers need 50,000 sensors or more.

2. Do I need any special knowledge to use PRTG?

PRTG is used by full-time IT managers and system administrators. These workers use our software to monitor their entire IT infrastructure and be alerted in the event of problems. As a result, the tool is equipped with numerous helpful features. Our knowledge base contains thousands of tips on how to use them. At many companies, the infrastructure is built with devices from several different manufacturers, many of which have their own specifications. What makes our tool unique is its compatibility with all the biggest manufacturers, including Dell, Cisco, and HPE.

3. What are the free alternatives to PRTG?

PRTG is also available in a free basic version. This version comes with reports, the alarm feature, and 100 sensors that never expire. However, if you’re a private user, then PRTG is probably not the right software for you.

 

gustavo albuquerque

This IT team switched from Nagios to PRTG

“I recommend anyone to use PRTG. I learned of PRTG through a teammate in 2011, who had already worked with the tool and I liked it so much, I brought it to Central 24 Horas.”

Gustavo Albuquerque, solutions engineer at Central 24 Horas

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Create innovative solutions with Paessler’s partners

Partnering with innovative vendors, Paessler unleashes synergies to create
new and additional benefits for joined customers.

IP Fabric

Combining the broad monitoring feature set of PRTG with IP Fabric’s automated network assurance creates a new level of network visibility and reliability.

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Plixer

Paessler and Plixer provide a complete solution adding flow and metadata analysis to a powerful network monitoring tool.

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ScriptRunner

With ScriptRunner, Paessler integrates a powerful event automation platform into PRTG Network Monitor.

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