- Zero licensing costs for unlimited devices and users
- Highly customizable with deep configuration options
- Strong scalability for large, distributed environments
- Rich visualization and reporting capabilities
- Regular updates and an active development community
- Complex initial setup and configuration requiring technical expertise
- Can consume significant database and system resources in large environments
- Web UI may feel less intuitive than modern commercial alternatives
- Documentation can be overwhelming for beginners
- Advanced third-party integrations often require manual configuration
Zabbix
Pricing
- Rapid implementation with immediate value
- User-friendly interface suitable for non-technical staff
- Comprehensive monitoring coverage on a single platform
- Reliable alerting with multiple notification channels
- Good value for mid-sized network environments
- Core server requires Windows hosting platform limiting deployment flexibility
- Sensor-based licensing can become expensive
- Complex advanced customization may require scripting knowledge or professional services
- Interface can feel overwhelming across large deployments
- Limited native mobile app functionality compared to full web interface capabilities
PRTG
Pricing
- Comprehensive observability across the entire technology stack
- Excellent support for containerized and cloud-native environments
- Strong API and integration ecosystem
- Advanced analytics and machine learning capabilities
- Scalable SaaS delivery mode
- Premium pricing that can escalate quickly with increased data volumes and additional modules
- Complex cost structure making budget forecasting challenging for growing organizations
- Resource consumption from agents that may impact endpoint performance in some environments
- Data retention limitations on lower tiers affecting long-term compliance and analysis needs
- Vendor lock-in concerns due to proprietary data formats and extensive system integrations
Datadog
Pricing
- Unmatched flexibility for custom monitoring scenarios
- Strong reliability and stability in enterprise environments
- Large community and plugin ecosystem
- No vendor lock-in with open architecture
- Cost-effective for organizations with technical expertise
- Complex configuration and setup, especially for Nagios Core users
- Requires significant setup time and ongoing maintenance for complex environments
- Nagios Core interface lacks modern design and advanced visualization features
- Auto-remediation requires custom scripting and external integrations
- May face bottlenecks in very large deployments without proper tuning
Nagios
Pricing
- Rapid deployment with minimal setup requirements
- Excellent network visualization and documentation
- Strong security and compliance features
- Reliable cloud-based monitoring platform
- Good support for distributed and remote networks
- Premium pricing model that may be cost-prohibitive for very small organizations
- Limited deep packet analysis capabilities compared to specialized network forensics tools
- Customization constraints for organizations requiring highly specific reporting
- Cloud-only architecture requiring reliable internet connectivity
- Advanced features may present complexity that smaller environments don't need
Auvik
Pricing
SolarWinds Alternatives: Top Monitoring Platforms for Modern IT Teams
SolarWinds has long been a dominant player in IT infrastructure monitoring and network management, offering comprehensive tools for network performance monitoring, server management, and application monitoring.
However, many IT teams are seeking alternatives due to various factors, including complex pricing models, steep learning curves, security concerns stemming from the 2020 supply chain attack, and the need for more modern, cloud-native solutions that better support today's distributed and hybrid environments.
Top Alternatives to SolarWinds
Here are five leading alternatives that offer robust monitoring capabilities with different strengths and pricing models to meet diverse organizational needs.
Alternative #1—Zabbix
Zabbix stands out as a completely free, open-source monitoring solution that delivers enterprise-grade capabilities without licensing costs. This makes it particularly attractive for organizations with tight budgets or those managing large-scale environments where per-node pricing becomes prohibitive.
The platform offers sophisticated automated device discovery, predictive monitoring capabilities, and highly customizable dashboards that can be tailored to specific organizational needs. With support for monitoring networks, servers, applications, and cloud services, Zabbix provides comprehensive visibility across hybrid infrastructures.
Its template-based configuration system and flexible alerting mechanisms make it scalable from small deployments to enterprise environments supporting thousands of devices.
What Does Zabbix Do
Zabbix provides real-time monitoring of networks, servers, applications, and cloud environments with automated discovery, customizable dashboards, and advanced alerting capabilities.
Zabbix Differentiators
- Completely free open-source platform with no licensing fees
- Highly scalable architecture supporting large enterprise deployments
- Template-based configuration for rapid device onboarding
- Predictive monitoring with automated threshold adjustment
- Active community support and extensive documentation
Zabbix Pros
- Zero licensing costs for unlimited devices and users
- Highly customizable with deep configuration options
- Strong scalability for large, distributed environments
- Rich visualization and reporting capabilities
- Regular updates and an active development community
Zabbix Pricing
- Free community edition with full features
- Paid commercial support available
- Professional services for implementation and training
- No per-device or per-user fees
Alternative #2—PRTG Network Monitor
PRTG Network Monitor offers a sensor-based monitoring approach that simplifies deployment and pricing while providing comprehensive network visibility. The platform is designed for organizations seeking quick implementation without sacrificing monitoring depth.
PRTG's strength lies in its user-friendly interface and broad protocol support, making it accessible to teams with varying technical expertise. The sensor-based licensing model provides predictable costs as environments scale, and the platform includes unlimited remote probes for distributed monitoring.
With automatic network discovery and pre-configured sensors for common devices and applications, PRTG significantly reduces the time required to achieve full monitoring coverage.
What Does PRTG Do
PRTG monitors network traffic, devices, applications, and cloud resources using a sensor-based architecture with automated discovery and visual dashboards.
PRTG Differentiators
- Sensor-based pricing model with transparent costs
- Quick deployment with minimal configuration required
- All-in-one monitoring without modular add-ons
- Built-in web server eliminates external database dependencies
- Strong out-of-the-box device and application support
PRTG Pros
- Rapid implementation with immediate value
- User-friendly interface suitable for non-technical staff
- Comprehensive monitoring coverage on a single platform
- Reliable alerting with multiple notification channels
- Good value for mid-sized network environments
PRTG Pricing
- PRTG 500: $1,750/year for 500 sensors (monitors ~50 devices)
- PRTG 1000: $3,200/year for 1,000 sensors (monitors ~100 devices)
- PRTG 2500: $6,500/year for 2,500 sensors (monitors ~250 devices)
- 30-day free trial available
- Freeware edition: 100 sensors for ~10 devices
Alternative #3—Datadog
Datadog represents the modern approach to infrastructure monitoring, built specifically for cloud-native and DevOps environments. The platform excels at providing unified observability across infrastructure, applications, logs, and user experience in a single interface.
With over 1,000 integrations and advanced AI-powered analytics, Datadog automatically correlates data across different layers of the technology stack to provide actionable insights. The platform's strength in handling dynamic, containerized environments and its sophisticated alerting capabilities make it particularly valuable for organizations embracing modern development practices.
Datadog's real-time dashboards and collaborative features enable teams to quickly identify and resolve issues across complex, distributed systems.
What Does Datadog Do
Datadog provides unified monitoring and observability for cloud infrastructure, applications, logs, and user experience with AI-powered analytics and extensive integrations.
Datadog Differentiators
- Unified platform combining infrastructure, APM, and log monitoring
- 400+ native integrations with cloud services and tools
- AI-powered anomaly detection and root cause analysis
- Real-time collaboration features for incident response
- Advanced visualization and dashboard customization
Datadog Pros
- Comprehensive observability across the entire technology stack
- Excellent support for containerized and cloud-native environments
- Strong API and integration ecosystem
- Advanced analytics and machine learning capabilities
- Scalable SaaS delivery model
Datadog Pricing
- Free tier for up to 5 hosts
- Infrastructure monitoring starts at $15/host/month
- APM and log management are priced separately
- Enterprise features available in higher tiers
Alternative #4—Nagios
Nagios remains one of the most flexible and extensible monitoring platforms available, with over two decades of development and a massive plugin ecosystem. The platform's architecture allows for deep customization through plugins and scripts, making it suitable for monitoring virtually any system or application.
Nagios excels in environments requiring specific monitoring requirements that off-the-shelf solutions cannot address. The large community of developers and users has created thousands of plugins, extending Nagios' capabilities far beyond basic network monitoring.
For organizations with technical expertise and unique monitoring needs, Nagios provides unmatched flexibility while maintaining the reliability expected in enterprise environments.
What Does Nagios Do
Nagios monitors networks, servers, applications, and services through a highly extensible plugin architecture with customizable alerting and reporting.
Nagios Differentiators
- Mature, proven platform with 20+ years of development
- Extensive plugin ecosystem for custom monitoring requirements
- Highly configurable alerting and notification system
- Strong community support and documentation
- Multi-tenant capabilities for service providers
Nagios Pros
- Unmatched flexibility for custom monitoring scenarios
- Strong reliability and stability in enterprise environments
- Large community and plugin ecosystem
- No vendor lock-in with open architecture
- Cost-effective for organizations with technical expertise
Nagios Pricing
- Nagios Core: Free open-source version
- Nagios XI: Commercial version with web interface and reporting
- Nagios XI Free: Up to 7 hosts at no cost
- Professional services and training are available
- Support contracts for enterprise deployments
Alternative #5—Auvik
Auvik specializes in network-focused monitoring with particular strength in managed service provider (MSP) environments and organizations requiring detailed network visibility. The platform automates network discovery and mapping, providing visual representations of network topology that update automatically as changes occur.
Auvik's cloud-based architecture eliminates the need for on-premises infrastructure while providing remote monitoring capabilities essential for distributed organizations. The platform excels at configuration backup, compliance monitoring, and change detection, making it valuable for organizations with strict network governance requirements.
Its multi-tenant design and MSP-focused features make it particularly attractive for service providers managing multiple client networks.
What Does Auvik Do
Auvik provides cloud-based network monitoring with automated discovery, mapping, and configuration management focused on network infrastructure visibility.
Auvik Differentiators
- Automated network mapping with visual topology views
- Cloud-based delivery with no on-premises infrastructure required
- Strong MSP and multi-tenant capabilities
- Configuration backup and change detection
- Focus on network-centric monitoring and management
Auvik Pros
- Rapid deployment with minimal setup requirements
- Excellent network visualization and documentation
- Strong security and compliance features
- Reliable cloud-based monitoring platform
- Good support for distributed and remote networks
Auvik Pricing
- Per-device monthly subscription pricing
- 14-day free trial available
- Custom pricing for larger deployments
- MSP partner program with volume discounts
Turn Communication Into Action With Unified Operations
Internal communication platforms centralize where teams collaborate, but they weren't built to execute the work that conversations create. Access requests, approval workflows, and system provisioning still require manual coordination across IT, HR, and Finance—even when everyone's using Slack or Teams.
Siit bridges this gap by unifying operational data across your entire stack. When employees submit requests in your communication platform, Siit's AI agents autonomously execute complete workflows: verifying context from HRIS, routing approvals with full employee data, provisioning access through identity providers, and logging everything for compliance. The coordination overhead that consumes 30-50% of operational capacity disappears.
Choose your communication platform based on how your teams actually work. Then add Siit to eliminate the manual coordination preventing those platforms from driving real operational efficiency. Request a demo to see how AI agents turn conversations into autonomous workflow execution.
