Best Network Monitoring Tools: Free & Paid Software Compared

As businesses grow more reliant on steady and secure networks, tools for network management have become an essential part of our digital infrastructure. 

Right software can be the difference between smooth sailing and rough waters, especially when managing complex IT environments. That’s where our list of the best network monitoring tools comes in!

Whether you're in search of a cost-effective solution or a feature-rich platform, our comprehensive comparison of the top network monitoring software is designed to guide you toward the best option for your needs.

Without further ado, let’s dive into our list of the 17 best network monitoring tools for 2023. 

Network monitoring tool comparison chart (our top 10 highest rated NMS tool picks)

Ready for your ideal network management tool? Dive into our network management software review with our top 10 chart. It lists prices and top features to compare network monitoring tools easily.

What are the different types of network monitoring tools?

Network monitoring tools come in various forms, each catering to specific needs and network environments. Here are the different types:

• Network Performance Monitors

• Network Traffic Analyzers

• Network Security Software

• Network Configuration Management Tools

• Fault Monitoring Tools

• Cloud Monitoring Tools

• Application Performance Monitoring Tools

• Wireless Network Monitoring Tools

What are the best network monitoring tools? Here’s our top 17 list:

Now that we've looked at the different types of network monitoring software, it's time to dive deeper into our list of the best network monitoring tools. We're going to explore each of the top 17 options in more detail. You'll see that every tool excels in its own unique way. 

But, this is not just a network management tools list, as we're going to be reviewing each product into detail. Plus, we're going to answer the question, “what is the best network monitoring tool overall?” 

Let's get started!
 

1. SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor (best network monitoring tool overall)

First on our list is SolarWinds, which also tops the list as the best overall network monitoring software. SolarWinds' Network Performance Monitor (NPM) offers a comprehensive set of features that adapts and scales to your network's needs.

Key factors that make SolarWinds the top pick include its ability to monitor multi-vendor networks, offer deeper visibility with Network Insights, and provide intelligent maps for easy network troubleshooting. Its advanced alerting system ensures rapid issue detection, and its deep packet inspection offers immediate insight into network slowdowns.

Notably, SolarWinds' software incorporates an array of tools for specific monitoring needs, such as LAN and WAN monitoring, network availability, fault, and performance monitoring, and even specialized tools for Cisco devices.

Network optimization is made easy with SolarWinds, and its suite of network diagnostic tools facilitates swift identification and resolution of network issues. And all these features are available starting at a reasonable price point, making SolarWinds an excellent value-for-money option.

Pros:

• Offers a wide range of features for network monitoring 

• Built to scale and adapt to the needs of your network

• Offers deep packet inspection, intelligent maps, and advanced alerting 

• Allows for multi-vendor network monitoring

• Designed to be easy to use

Cons:

• Costly for smaller businesses 

• Too complex for novices 

• Resource-heavy

• Requires training

• Limited customization

Pricing:

• Starts at 1.455 €

Visit Solarwinds 
 

2. Paessler PRTG Freeware Edition (free network monitoring software for Windows)

The Paessler PRTG Network Monitor is a free Windows network monitoring software. It's designed by Paessler AG and helps keep track of IT environments - both hardware and applications, virtual setups, and data flow. 

The network monitoring freeware provides 100 sensors, which are points used for measuring system aspects. This is great for small businesses or large home networks. This tool employs techniques like SNMP, packet capturing, and WMI for keeping an eye on your network.

The sensors can be set up for different uses like checking Syslog and SNMP trap receivers, which can handle 10,000 messages per second. It also allows you to monitor websites for good loading times and availability, protect email traffic, and check SQL databases with specific sensors. 

Printer status, flow monitoring and VMware host tracking are also covered - these often cost extra with other tools. With over 250 sensor types, you can monitor firewalls, storage, virus scanners and more.

Pros:

• Covers a wide range of IT environment aspects

• Provides 100 sensors

• Offers a comprehensive monitoring solution

• Includes features for flow monitoring

• Comes with over 250 predefined sensor types for more tailored monitoring

Cons:

• Limited sensors in the free version

• Specific monitoring limitations

• No dedicated support

• Scaling limitations

Pricing:

• Free 

Visit Paessler PRTG Freeware Edition
 

3. LogicMonitor (best home network monitor)

LogicMonitor is a complete home network monitoring software that helps you watch over your network systems. It shows you live data, which helps you understand how your computer network is doing. The software is good at finding where network activity is coming from, automatically discovering connected devices, and looking at network data to find anything unusual.

It has over 2000 ready-to-use connections with top brands like Cisco, Juniper, and Meraki, making it easy to find any device on any network. Plus, it creates automatic maps showing the relationship between different parts of your network.

You can get a clear view of the network with logs and metrics, smart alerts, and an end-to-end view. It supports all kinds of modern networks and has monitoring options for various devices, including firewalls, routers, and switches.

Pros:

• Provides a complete view of your network

• Has over 2000 ready-to-use connections with top brands 

• Capable of automatically discovering network devices and visualizing network connections

• Offers powerful tools to quickly pinpoint and solve network problems

• Supports a wide variety of network types and devices

Cons:

• Unnecessarily complex for simpler network environments

• Lacks customization options

• Lacks on-premise solution 

Pricing:

• Request a custom quote 

Visit LogicMonitor 
 

4. Fing (top Android network monitor)

Fing is an Android network traffic monitor for users who want a comprehensive, yet user-friendly network scanner and device blocker. Available on Windows, Android, iOS, and MacOS platforms, Fing offers an array of features designed to help you optimize your home network security.

With Fing, you can easily identify all devices connected to your Wi-Fi network, track internet speed, evaluate security levels, and control internet access for specific devices. This makes it a highly useful tool for anyone looking to enhance their Wi-Fi protection.

Fing's user-friendly mobile app allows for quick network scans, device discovery, internet speed tests, and easy troubleshooting of network and device issues. In addition to this, Fing Desktop provides accurate Wi-Fi scanning, automated checks, and options to pause or block devices.

The premium version offers more control over your network with extra features, like the ability to block unwanted devices, schedule automated scans and security checks, access advanced troubleshooting tools, and maintain a comprehensive network event history. 

Pros:

• Available on a wide range of platforms

• Provides a quick and comprehensive view of all connected devices

• Lets users check their internet speed directly within the app

• Offers the ability to pause or block specific devices 

• Can perform automatic security checks

Cons:

• Limited desktop functionality

Pricing:

• Free

• Premium, $4.99/month

Visit Fing
 

5. Datadog (best network monitor tool if you want a full-stack observability platform)

DataDog is a comprehensive monitoring service that brings together all your servers, clouds, metrics, applications, and teams in one place. It integrates effortlessly across the full DevOps stack, including SaaS and cloud providers, automation tools, databases, server components, and more.

DataDog excels in application performance monitoring, offering the ability to trace requests end-to-end across distributed systems, and track app performance with autogenerated overviews. Error rates or latency percentiles can be graphed and alerted on, and code can be instrumented using open-source tracing libraries.

It provides detailed log data analysis, with the ability to search, filter, and analyze logs from all your services, applications, and platforms. This makes troubleshooting and exploring your data more efficient. Automated tagging and correlation give additional context to your log data.

DataDog also allows proactive monitoring of user experience, providing visibility into critical user journeys, performance issues, SLAs, and SLOs. It correlates frontend performance with business impact, offering insights into load times, frontend errors, and more.

Pros:

• It’s a full-stack observability platform

• Offers seamless integrations with various platforms

• Comes packed with powerful tools to search, filter, and analyze logs

• Has proactive monitoring of user experience

• Customizable dashboards and alerting

Cons:

• Can be expensive for small businesses or startups 

• Limited customizability in some areas

Pricing:

• Network Performance Monitoring Module, starting at $5/host/month

• Network Device Monitoring Module, starting at $7/device/month

Visit DataDog
 

6. Progress WhatsUp Gold (good network management app for growing businesses)

Progress WhatsUp Gold is an exceptional IT infrastructure monitoring software that caters ideally to growing businesses. With a suite of features tailored to streamline network management, it provides an all-in-one solution to visualize, optimize, and resolve network and server issues.

The software comes packed with automated device discovery and mapping tools, enabling you to track device interdependencies easily. Its powerful dashboards provide a unified, actionable view of your network, combining wired, virtual, and wireless environments. This leads to improved performance and uptime by enabling efficient issue prediction and swift resolution.

WhatsUp Gold shines in ensuring bandwidth optimization for critical applications and services, offering automated configuration, log, and asset management. It also facilitates maintaining, auditing, and restoring device configurations for seamless operation.

The software's comprehensive alert system is another highlight, letting you customize notifications about any potential threats to network performance. It helps in strategizing responses to prioritize alerts and automatically directing them to the right personnel.

WhatsUp Gold's flexibility extends to monitoring anything with an IP address, including wired and wireless networks, hardware, and business-critical files and folders. It integrates with Flowmon NPMD/NDR for advanced network performance and traffic monitoring and features a robust REST API for automation and data management tasks.

Pros:

• Provides in-depth monitoring of anything with an IP address

• Comes with automated device discovery and mapping

• Allows you to tailor notifications according to your needs

• Ensures your critical applications and services are running smoothly and efficiently

• Offers potential for automation and integration with other systems

Cons:

• Potential for over-notification

• Limited aesthetic appeal

Pricing:

• Request a custom quote 

Visit Progress WhatsUp Gold
 

7. Auvik (best network management software for network device discovery and mapping)

Auvik is recognized as one of the best network management software options for network device discovery and mapping. This cloud-based network monitoring and management software gives you full control and visibility over your network.

Offering automated network discovery, inventory, and documentation, Auvik continually updates to reflect your network's real-time changes so that you always have the full network picture.

A key feature of Auvik is its ability to automate configuration backup and recovery, offering you peace of mind with up-to-date device configurations, historical snapshots, and the ease of exporting or restoring configurations. Additionally, Auvik TrafficInsights facilitates intelligent network traffic analysis for identifying network users, their activities, and traffic directions.

Auvik also provides a straightforward network navigation system, facilitating easy exploration of your network environment. Moreover, the software enables remote network access, which means you can troubleshoot issues from anywhere. If you manage multiple sites, Auvik centralizes and standardizes this process, all manageable from a single dashboard.

The ease of Auvik's setup, which promises network monitoring within an hour, combined with its user-friendly design, makes it an excellent choice for both novice technicians and seasoned engineers. 

Pros:

• Offers automated network discovery, inventory, and documentation that updates in real-time

• Simplifies network performance monitoring and troubleshooting

• Automates the backup and recovery of device configurations

• Enables remote access to network devices

• Offers features like two-factor authentication and permission configurations

• Integrates with a range of existing tools

Cons:

• Dependent on cloud access

• Lack of advanced analytics

Pricing:

• Request a custom quote

Visit Auvik
 

8. Nagios XI (best network monitoring software if you prefer a customizable and extensible monitoring solution)

Nagios XI emerges as our top pick for a customizable and extensible network monitoring system. The software offers comprehensive IT infrastructure monitoring, covering applications, services, operating systems, network protocols, system metrics, and network infrastructure. 

Its robust Nagios Core 4 engine delivers superior performance and scalability. Nagios XI grants users a centralized view of their IT operations network and business processes via its powerful dashboards. The software excels in proactive planning, with automated trending and capacity planning graphs, and prompt alerts for issue resolution. 

Its standout feature is its customizability with a GUI that permits layout, design, and preference modifications per user. Plus, it ensures ease of use with an integrated web-based configuration interface. For larger teams or businesses, it offers multi-tenant capabilities and an extendable architecture for integration with in-house and third-party applications. 

Add to this a capacity for powerful monitoring, an updated web interface, advanced graphs, capacity planning, and advanced user management, and it's clear why Nagios XI is a strong choice for an adaptable monitoring solution.

Pros:

• Provides an extensive overview of all your IT infrastructure

• Offers a highly customizable GUI 

• Delivers high-efficiency monitoring with impressive scalability

• Facilitates forward planning and early detection of potential issues

• Allows multiple users access to the web interface

• APIs allow for easy integration with other applications

Cons:

• May be complex for less tech-savvy users

• Some users find the interface outdated

• Too much customization might lead to a complex and difficult to manage setup

Pricing:

• Standard Edition, $1,995

• Enterprise Edition, $3,495

Visit Nagios Xi
 

9. Dynatrace (top network management system software for end-to-end network management in complex and distributed environments)

Dynatrace offers an impressive, AI-powered network management system that delivers complete observability across complex and distributed environments. It's equipped to handle an automatic and continuous discovery of hosts, virtual machines (VMs), serverless platforms, cloud services, containers, Kubernetes, and network devices, among others.

The software provides a high level of infrastructure analysis, collecting massive volumes of data for contextual interpretation and efficient problem-solving. It stands out for its capacity to handle Kubernetes complexities, offering comprehensive monitoring of platform health, resource consumption, and microservice dependencies.

The all-in-one platform supports a broad spectrum of observability use cases at the enterprise scale, extending its monitoring capabilities to the cloud, hybrid environments, VMs, networks, servers, storage, and more. It further excels in process detection, resource utilization, and log monitoring.

Dynatrace's AI-assisted approach ensures the detection of anomalies and delivery of precise answers based on their business impact. This feature significantly enhances team productivity by allowing focus on proactive action, innovation, and improved business outcomes.

Pros:

• Offers a holistic view of your network infrastructure

• Uses AI to automatically detect anomalies and provide precise, actionable solutions

• Provides robust support for Kubernetes

• Integrates with popular ITSM solutions

• Allows you to develop custom, compliant, data-driven apps

Cons:

• Overwhelming data

• Limited customizability

• Intrusive single agent

Pricing:

• Refer to this page for pricing information

Visit Dynatrace
 

10. Site24x7 (great network administration software if you want a versatile solution)

Site24x7 is a versatile, cloud-based network monitoring solution prized for its robust coverage of IT infrastructure, applications, and user behavior analysis. Its standout feature is automatic network discovery that continuously identifies, inventories, and maps all devices attached to your network. 

This real-time tracking ensures your network topology maps and equipment inventory stay current as your system evolves. Moreover, Site24x7 uses the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) to enable this feature, which helps in converting critical device conditions into severity-based dashboard alerts. 

Site24x7 offers a user-friendly interface and bridges the gap between technical issues, user behavior, and business metrics effectively. This system also has the capability to collect statistics from network devices using protocols such as NetFlow, sFlow, J-Flow, CFlow, IPFIX, Netstream, and AppFlow.

This comprehensive system extends its focus beyond just network components to include switches, routers, firewalls, cloud services, endpoints, servers, and even user behavior on websites. This makes it ideal for businesses operating websites or web applications. 

Pros:

• Comprehensive and user-friendly monitoring tool

• Offers real-time device discovery and report generation

• Acts as an efficient bridge between technical issues, user behavior, and business metrics

• Free version available for trial

Cons:

• Requires time to fully understand its detailed feature set

• The free network monitoring service is limited to Ping-based uptime monitoring for up to 50 URLs or servers

Pricing:

• Starts at $9/month 

Visit Site24x7
 

11. Atera (great IT network management software for MSPs)

Atera is a comprehensive SaaS platform designed for IT departments and Managed Service Providers (MSPs). This platform's distinct pricing model allows unlimited devices per technician license, which reduces the stress of renegotiating prices as device counts rise.

Atera's Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM) feature offers complete control and visibility of system activity across unlimited customers, devices, and sites, with customizable automated alerts.

It also has powerful IT automation capabilities that handle routine tasks. Atera also facilitates effective patch management, reducing cyberattack risks and extending device lifespan. In our Atera review, we dig deep into all these features.

Its Remote Access feature enables quick access to computers, servers, and files, supporting both attended and unattended sessions. Atera's Professional Service Automation (PSA) tool simplifies management and communication with end-users, offering helpdesk, billing, and reporting services. 

Lastly, Atera integrates seamlessly with numerous applications like Xero, Quickbooks, and AnyDesk, which makes it a flexible platform that caters to your evolving IT needs.

Pros:

• Merges RMM, PSA, and remote access into one streamlined platform

• Features a cost-effective per-technician pricing model 

• Designed with practicality and ease-of-use in mind

• Offers a vast selection of integrations

• Has mobile apps for iOS and Android

Cons:

• Limited customization

• Interface learning curve

Pricing:

• Pro, $99/technician/month 

• Growth, $129/technician/month

• Power, $169/technician/month 

• Superpower, contact sales 

Visit Atera 

12. NinjaOne (best for network monitoring and troubleshooting in small to medium-sized businesses)

NinjaOne offers comprehensive visibility and control across servers, networks, and other infrastructure elements. With NinjaOne, you can mitigate risks, enhance security, and reduce resolution time while improving overall reliability. It supports Windows, Mac, and Linux servers.

Unlike other tools, NinjaOne is network-agnostic, not dependent on your company's network for monitoring. It gives a multi-dimensional view of network, server, and endpoint health and performance. This facilitates proactive management, enabling your engineers to address issues based on live device data and incident context before they impact operations.

A defining characteristic of NinjaOne is its unified management approach. By consolidating your IT management process into a centralized console, it improves team efficiency and effectiveness, breaking down operational siloes.

Pros:

• Provides extensive monitoring and control over your servers, networks, and other infrastructure components

• Doesn't rely on your company's network for monitoring

• Offers proactive alerting based on live device data and incident context

• Unifies your IT management process into one centralized console

• Allows engineers to access critical credentials and information directly in their workflows

Cons:

• Learning curve

• Customization limitations

• Limited integrations

Pricing:

• Request a custom quote

Visit NinjaOne
 

13. Spiceworks (best if you need community support and collaboration)

Spiceworks is the perfect tool for those in need of community support and collaboration. This user-friendly website monitoring software offers real-time status updates and alerts for your vital web applications and services. It allows you to identify and address problems before they affect your end users.

Setting up the Spiceworks Connectivity Dashboard is straightforward. You can easily install the monitoring agent on any workstation or server, configure the application URLs, and begin monitoring IP devices such as servers, routers, and printers.

Spiceworks allows you to manage your IT infrastructure proactively. It provides real-time insights into network performance, helping you detect slow connections or overwhelmed applications before they fail or disrupt user operations.

The standout feature of Spiceworks is its community support. Free support is available online or over the phone from IT pros who understand your challenges. The Spiceworks community of millions of IT professionals can provide answers, troubleshoot issues, and share valuable insights.

Pros:

• Provides real-time updates and alerts

• Accessible for users of all skill levels

• Has a robust community of IT professionals

• Completely free of charge 

• Comes fully integrated with a suite of IT management tools

Cons:

• Lacks some advanced features 

• Too lightweight for large companies 

• The platform can be slow or unresponsive at times

Pricing:

• Free to use

Visit Spiceworks 
 

14. Cisco Meraki (best for businesses using Meraki devices)

Cisco Meraki is a comprehensive network management and monitoring solution. It provides visibility and control over the entire network from a centralized dashboard.

The Cisco Meraki suite includes a range of products including wireless, switching, security, enterprise mobility management, and security cameras, all of which can be monitored and managed remotely from the cloud.

The monitoring features include real-time analytics, deep visibility into network traffic, automatic email alerts for network incidents, and the ability to diagnose and resolve network issues remotely.

It also offers location analytics which provide insights about visitor traffic patterns, dwell time, and repeat visit rates across network locations.

Cisco Meraki has been praised for its intuitive user interface, ease of deployment and scalability, which makes it a popular choice among businesses of all sizes.

Pros:

• Provides real-time insights into the network

• Can easily scale with business growth

• Generally easy to deploy, even in complex network environments

• Offers advanced features like location analytics, automatic alerts, and remote troubleshooting

Cons:

• Not an ideal choice for businesses that prefer or require more direct control over their hardware 

• Some users have reported mixed experiences with Cisco Meraki's customer support service

Pricing:

• Request a custom quote 

Visit Cisco Meraki 
 

15. Zabbix (good network monitor tool for network monitoring and alerting)

Zabbix is an open-source network monitoring tool that oversees performance metrics and incidents within your network. It monitors factors such as network bandwidth usage, packet loss rate, system status, device temperature, and configuration changes. 

The tool provides preconfigured templates for various vendors and supports custom template creation. Its key features include diverse metric collection methods, extendable data gathering, autodiscovery, and complex problem detection. 

Zabbix offers flexible notifications, remediation capabilities for remote device control, and customizable escalation scenarios for efficient issue management. Integration with third-party software is enabled through its API, which also supports task automation. 

Zabbix's distributed monitoring ensures scalability and high performance, with features for redundancy and high availability. Its security measures include encrypted monitoring traffic and LDAP authentication for user permissions.

Pros:

• Covers a wide range of network performance metrics and incidents

• Can be tailored to fit specific needs

• Reduces the need for manual setup and maintenance

• Integrates with third-party software 

• Supports automation 

• Can handle large, complex networks

Cons:

• May involve a complex setup process

• Some users may find the interface not as intuitive or user-friendly compared to other network monitoring tools

• Some users have found the documentation could be more thorough

Pricing:

• Free 

Visit Zabbix
 

16. Icinga (great option if you want a customizable network monitoring and management tool)

Icinga is a robust and customizable network monitoring and management solution that offers a detailed view into your network's operation. It helps you analyze how well different components of your network are functioning, whether they are over or underutilized. 

From monitoring key parameters such as CPU load, memory, and disk utilization, to bandwidth usage of network interfaces, Icinga provides comprehensive oversight. 

What sets Icinga apart is its ability to monitor a wide variety of network devices from multiple vendors under one platform. It employs Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) for monitoring network interfaces and devices, collecting various Object Identifiers (OIDs) that represent specific metrics. 

Beyond standard SNMP monitoring, Icinga supports vendor-specific monitoring plugins for more granular data analysis. Moreover, Icinga can handle SNMP Traps through integration with Logstash, enabling proactive alerting on network incidents, such as machine overheating or other hardware-related events. 

Icinga's dedicated Logstash Output Plugin ensures the dynamic updating of hosts and service states based on the received SNMP Traps. This tool can be set up using a graphical interface or a domain-specific language, which makes it a great option for admins who like using command-line tools.

Pros:

• Users can tailor the tool according to their specific needs

• Supports network devices from various vendors

• Provides proactive alerting for network incidents

• Aids in capacity planning and trend identification.

• Offers vendor-specific monitoring plugins for more granular network analysis

Cons:

• Complex setup

• Some users find Icinga's interface less intuitive compared to other tools 

• The documentation can be complex and overwhelming for beginners

Pricing:

• Free to use 

Visit Icinga 
 

17. Azure Service Health (recommended tool for monitoring the health and status of Azure cloud services and network infrastructure)

Azure Service Health offers personalized updates and guidance on the status of Azure services that impact your operations. 

The tool keeps you informed about any incidents, scheduled maintenance, and advisories related to your Azure subscriptions, services, and regions through a tailored dashboard. This way, you can identify which of your resources might be affected and monitor the situation.

You can configure alerts to notify you of service incidents, upcoming maintenance, and health advisories. These alerts can be received via various channels, such as email, SMS, push notifications, webhook, and popular IT service management tools like ServiceNow. This ensures timely awareness and quick response from your teams.

Post-incident, you can view your incident history and download official reports and root cause analyses (RCAs) to share with stakeholders. All these features come at no additional cost to Azure subscribers, making Azure Service Health an effective tool for managing the health and performance of your Azure cloud services and network infrastructure.

Pros:

• Comes with a personalized dashboard

• Allows for the configuration of customizable alerts 

• Alerts can be received via various channels 

• Offers the ability to download official incident reports and Root Cause Analyses (RCAs)

• The service is free for Azure subscribers

Cons:

• Only monitors Azure services

• The quality and extent of monitoring and alerts are dependent on your Azure subscription level

• Integration with external third-party tools may be limited

Pricing:

• Free for Azure subscribers

Visit Azure Service Health 
 

Which of the best network management tools is right for me? Our conclusion

Choosing the right network management tool depends largely on your specific needs, the complexity of your network, and your budget.

In this analysis, we've found SolarWinds to be the best overall network management tool, thanks to its extensive monitoring capabilities, scalability, and user-friendly interface. It's a robust solution well-suited to diverse network environments, which makes it a preferred choice among network monitoring companies.

However, that's not to say it will be the perfect fit for everyone.

If you're in the market for an open-source tool, Zabbix might be the ideal pick. For those who need a top-notch home network monitoring tool, LogicMonitor stands out. Datadog, with its full-stack observability platform, is a wonderful choice for teams needing deep insights into their network and system performance. Meanwhile, managed service providers (MSPs) might find Atera's offerings more to their liking.

The key to finding the best fit lies in a careful consideration of your unique requirements, budget constraints, and personal preferences. With this guide, you should be well on your way to making an informed decision.