Custom alerts and data visualization let you quickly identify and prevent all kinds of network issues.
PRTG is the perfect complement to VMware monitoring software, providing the comprehensive scope of monitoring that VMware is lacking.
VMware vRealize Operations (formerly vSphere Operations Manager) compiles server load data and facilitates capacity planning. It provides detailed information on the performance of your vSphere environment and helps you to effectively allocate resources to virtual machines and optimize loads.
However, PRTG does something VMware vRealize Operations cannot do: PRTG also monitors components such as server hardware along with other vendors of virtualized environments (Citrix, Microsoft Hyper-V), hybrid cloud infrastructure and cloud services (Azure, AWS, Nutanix), Windows and Linux operating systems, as well as your entire IT infrastructure.
In fact, PRTG can monitor all the other elements and services in your network, such as the bandwidth usage of your applications, the availability and performance of your websites, and the available disk space of your network drives.
Network monitoring should be quick and easy. Cumbersome and complicated software creates unnecessary work for the administrator. PRTG makes monitoring as user-friendly as possible – no matter if you choose an on-prem installation or our cloud-based product.
Quick installation with automatic network discovery and smart setup for instant monitoring
Custom dashboard creation via drag & drop with easy-to-read visualized overviews
Different user interfaces for web, desktop, and mobile apps for monitoring on the go
Network of qualified implementation partners to support you with a smooth migration to PRTG
Diagnose network issues by continuously tracking the health, availability, and performance of your entire IT infrastructure. Show hardware parameters, application performance, network traffic, bandwidth usage, and other key metrics in real time. Visualize data in clear graphs and dashboards to identify problems more easily. Gain the overview you need to troubleshoot all kinds of issues in your network.
Device tree view of the complete monitoring setup
Custom PRTG dashboard for keeping an eye on the entire IT infrastructure
Live traffic data graph in PRTG
FEATURE | PRTG PRTG | VMware vROps VMware vROps |
|---|---|---|
One tool for your entire network | PRTG All monitoring features included | VMware vROps Comprehensive monitoring solution for VMware environments and beyond |
Easy setup, intuitive monitoring | PRTG User-friendly interfaces for web, desktop, and mobile | VMware vROps Web-based interface with customizable dashboards, but steeper learning curve |
Automatic network discover | PRTG Included | VMware vROps Only VMware infrastructure and connected systems |
Real-time alerts & notifications | PRTG Advanced, highly customizable alerting via different notification methods | VMware vROps Configurable alerts with multiple notification channels including email, SNMP traps, and REST APIs |
Custom maps & dashboards | PRTG Custom dashboard creation via drag & drop | VMware vROps Dashboard creation and visualization options |
Agentless monitoring | PRTG No need to install agents on the monitored systems | VMware vROps Primarily agentless for VMware environments, may require agents for some non-VMware systems |
On-premises or cloud-based | PRTG Flexible deployment options available | VMware vROps Available as on-premises solution and as SaaS through VMware Cloud |
Enterprise version | PRTG Available | VMware vROps Available in multiple editions (Standard, Advanced, Enterprise) |
Freeware version | PRTG Available for up to 100 sensors, free for life | VMware vROps No free version, only time-limited trials |
Distributed network monitoring | PRTG Monitoring an unlimited number of remote locations included | VMware vROps Supports distributed deployments with remote collectors |
Server & application monitoring | PRTG Out-of-the-box integration, no extra cost | VMware vROps Included, with stronger focus on VMware infrastructure |
Network performance monitoring | PRTG Out-of-the-box integration, no extra cost | VMware vROps Included, but may require additional VMware products for comprehensive coverage |
Bandwidth monitoring | PRTG Out-of-the-box integration, no extra cost | VMware vROps Basic capabilities included, advanced features require integration with other VMware products |
Network traffic analyzer | PRTG Out-of-the-box integration, no extra costs | VMware vROps Limited capabilities, may require integration with NSX or other VMware products |
Cloud services monitoring | PRTG Out-of-the-box integration, no extra cost | VMware vROps Supports monitoring of VMware Cloud and other cloud platforms |
Virtual infrastructure monitoring | PRTG Out-of-the-box integration, no extra cost | VMware vROps Core strength, designed specifically for VMware virtual environments |
Storage resource monitoring | PRTG Out-of-the-box integration, no extra cost | VMware vROps Comprehensive storage monitoring capabilities included |
Database monitoring | PRTG Out-of-the-box integration, no extra cost | VMware vROps Basic database monitoring included, detailed monitoring may require additional management packs |
Web performance monitoring | PRTG Out-of-the-box integration, no extra cost | VMware vROps Limited capabilities, focused more on infrastructure than application performance |
Supports leading technologies | PRTG SNMP, flow protocols, packet sniffing, WMI, HTTP, ping, SQL, and much more | VMware vROps Strong focus on VMware technologies, with support for common protocols like SNMP, REST APIs |
Create your own scripts | PRTG Own PRTG API included for custom sensors and scripts | VMware vROps Supports custom scripts and has a REST API for integration |
Includes technical support | PRTG Expert support included, no extra costs | VMware vROps Support available but typically tied to license level and may incur additional costs |
“All-around winning
network monitor”
“The real beauty of PRTG is the endless possibilities it offers”
“PRTG Network Monitor
is very hard to beat”
VMware vRealize Operations monitoring is limited to the “internal view” of the virtual environment. With PRTG, you can monitor your VMware environment on many different levels – from hardware to the services on your virtual machines.
Every VMware virtual environment runs on a physical server. PRTG comes with many built-in sensors for the most important manufacturers such as HPE, Dell, Fujitsu, or IBM. Hardware parameters that PRTG monitors include CPU temperature, power supply, and the fan status.
PRTG provides additional information on the hardware behind your virtual environment with the ESXi hypervisor.
The VMware Host Hardware Status (SOAP) sensor monitors the hardware status of a VMware host server. It displays the total number of elements in the normal, warning, and alert status reported by the vSphere Client.
The VMware Host Hardware (WBEM) sensor is perfect for obtaining more detailed information on the hardware behind your virtual components. By using the management IP address of your ESXi server as a parent device, you’ll receive data on the hardware’s temperature, power supply, and fans (RPM).
Along with the hardware, PRTG can of course be used to monitor the virtual machines themselves. When monitoring from outside, you’ll get all the data on the virtual machines that is collected by your ESXi hypervisor.
The VMware Virtual Machine (SOAP) sensor displays data on CPU usage, memory, datastores, and the network load.
You can use standard WMI and SSH sensors to monitor the guest operating system installed on your virtual machine. You’ll get data on active processes and services, datastore loads, and more.
The VMware Datastore (SOAP) sensor keeps an eye on the availability and usage of your data memory. This sensor is especially important if you’ve limited the capacity of each virtual machine or the sum of all VM datastores surpasses the total data storage capacity.
You are interested to know if PRTG could be an alternative to your VMware vROps implementation?
PRTG is set up in a matter of minutes and can be used on a wide variety of mobile devices.
We also compared PRTG with other monitoring tools:
The basic version of the open-source tool Nagios is free of charge. But most users spent many hours to set up and customize the tool. In case of problems, browsing through forums is often the only solution.
Zabbix is open-source software with a strong community support. But it requires lots of manual configuration work to install and set it up. You also need to install agents on the monitored systems.
PRTG and ManageEngine might seem similar at first. However, with ManageEngine, you have to choose between individual functions and purchase several modules to access the full range of features.
WhatsUp Gold might be your choice if you need good network mapping capabilities for networks which aren’t that complex. But to get the full set of monitoring features, you need to invest in costly add-ons.
Real-time notifications mean faster troubleshooting so that you can act before more serious issues occur.
Partnering with innovative IT vendors, Paessler unleashes synergies to create
new and additional benefits for joined customers.
IT that works constitutes a business-critical basis for a company's success. Availability and security must be defined for the respective purpose and closely monitored – by OT and IT alike.
Integrating monitoring results from PRTG into NetBrain maps makes the foundation for network automation.
With ScriptRunner Paessler integrates a powerful event automation platform into PRTG Network Monitor.
Network Monitoring Software – Version 26.1.116.1532 (February 9th, 2026)
Download for Windows and cloud-based version PRTG Hosted Monitor available
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Network devices, bandwidth, servers, applications, virtual environments, remote systems, IoT, and more
Choose the PRTG Network Monitor subscription that's best for you
Choosing between Paessler PRTG and VMware vROps depends on several factors, such as your specific network monitoring needs, budget, and technical resources available in your organization.
PRTG is ideal:
VMware vROps might be your choice:
Virtualization using VMware products, for example, is a crucial part of many IT environments and an effective way to reduce expenses while boosting efficiency and flexibility of your business. It allows you to distribute applications and databases over different servers, networks, and locations. To avoid downtimes and ensure a good overall performance, you should monitor your VMware servers, vCenter management platform, and all of your virtual machines.
In PRTG, “sensors” are the basic monitoring elements. One sensor usually monitors one measured value in your network, for example the traffic of a switch port, the CPU load of a server, or the free space on a disk drive. On average, you need about 5-10 sensors per device or one sensor per switch port.
Paessler conducted trials in over 600 IT departments worldwide to tune its network monitoring software closer to the needs of sysadmins. The result of the survey: over 95% of the participants would recommend PRTG – or already have.
You are interested to know if PRTG could be an alternative to your VMware vROps implementation?