Comparison of network monitoring systems

This is a comparison of the some common network monitoring systems.

Definition of Categories

Product Name

The name of the software, linked to its Wikipedia article. PLEASE NOTE: Any software listed without being linked to its article, demonstrating its notability, will be removed.

IP SLA Reports

Does the software feature reports on IP SLAs?

Logical Grouping

Does the software support arranging the hosts or devices it monitors into user-defined groups?

Trending

Does the software provide trending of network data over time?

Trend Prediction

Does the software feature algorithms designed to predict future network statistics?

Auto Discovery

Can the software automatically discover hosts or network devices it is connected to?

Agent

Does the product rely on a software agent that must run on hosts it is monitoring, so that data can be pushed back to a central server? "Supported" means that an agent may be used, but is not mandatory. An SNMP daemon does not count as an agent.

SNMP

Is the software able to retrieve and report on SNMP statistics?

Syslog

Is the software able to receive and report on Syslogs?

Plugins

Is the architecture of the software based on a number of 'plugins' that provide additional functionality?

Triggers/Alerts

Is the software capable of detecting threshold violations in network data, and alerting the administrator in some form?

WebApp

Does the product run as a web-based application?

• No: There is no web-based frontend for this software.
• Viewing: Network data can be viewed in a graphical web-based frontend
• Acknowledging: Users can interact with the software through the web-based frontend to acknowledge alarms or manipulate other notifications.
• Reporting: Specific reports on network data can be configured by the user and executed through the web-based frontend.
• Full Control: ALL aspects of the product can be controlled through the web-based frontend, including low-level maintenance tasks such as software configuration and upgrades.

Distributed Monitoring

Is the software able to leverage more than one server to distribute the load of network monitoring?

Inventory

Does the software keep a record of hardware and/or software inventory for the hosts and devices it monitors?

Data Storage Method

What method does the software use to store the network data it monitors?

License

What license is the software released under?

Maps

Does the software feature graphical network maps that represent the hosts and devices it monitors, and the links between them?

Access Control

Does the software feature user-level security, allowing an administrator to prevent access to certain parts of the product on a per-user or per-role basis?

IPv6

Does the software support monitoring IPv6 hosts and/or devices, receiving IPv6 data, and running on an IPv6-enabled server?

Comparison

Comparison of network monitoring software

Name	IP SLA Reports	Logical Grouping	Trending	Trend Prediction	Auto Discovery	Agent	SNMP	Syslog	Plugins	Triggers / Alerts	WebApp	Distributed Monitoring	Inventory	Data Storage Method	License	Maps	Access Control	IPv6
AdRem NetCrunch	No	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Viewing, Acknowledging	No	No	SQL	Commercial	Yes	Yes	Un­known
Argus	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Viewing, Acknowledging	Yes	Un­known	Berkeley DB	Artistic License	No	Granular	Yes
Cacti	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Via plugin	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Full Control	Yes	Yes	RRDtool, MySQL	GPL	Plugin	Un­known	Yes
CiscoWorks LMS	Yes	Yes	Un­known	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Un­known	Yes	Viewing, Acknowledging, Reporting	Yes	Yes	Un­known	Commercial	Yes	Yes	Yes
collectd	No	No	No	No	Push model; multicast possible	Supported	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Viewing	Yes	No	RRDtool, CSV, in memory, plugins	GPLv2	No	Apache ACL	Yes
FreeNATS	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	Via plugin	Yes	In PHP Code	Full Control	No	No	MySQL	GPL	No	Granular	Un­known
Ganglia	No	Yes	Yes	No	Via gmond check in	Yes	Via plugin	No	Yes	No	Viewing	Yes	Un­known	RRDtool, in memory	BSD	Yes	No	Un­known
Intellipool Network Monitor	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Viewing, Acknowledging, Reporting	Yes	Yes	FirebirdSQL	Commercial	Yes	Granular	Un­known
IPHost Network Monitor	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Viewing, Acknowledging, Reporting	No	No	FirebirdSQL	Commercial	No	No	Un­known
Munin	No	No	Yes	Un­known	No	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Partial	Viewing	Un­known	Un­known	RRDtool	GPL	Un­known	Un­known	Yes
Nagios	Via plugin	Yes	Yes	No	Via plugin	Yes	Via plugin	Via plugin	Yes	Yes	Full Control	Yes	Via plugin	Flat file, SQL	GPL	Yes	Yes	Yes
NetMRI	No	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	MySQL	Commercial	Yes	Yes	Un­known
NetQoS Performance Center	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Viewing, Acknowledging, Reporting	Yes	Yes	Yes	Commercial	Yes	Yes	Un­known
Nimsoft Monitoring Solution	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Supported	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Viewing, Acknowledging, Reporting	Yes	Yes	SQL	Commercial	Yes	Yes	Un­known
OpenNMS	Yes	Yes	Yes	Un­known	Yes	Supported	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Full Control	Yes	Limited	JRobin, PostgreSQL [1]	GPL	Yes	Yes	No
OPNET ACE Live	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Viewing, Acknowledging, Reporting	Yes	No	Yes	Commercial	Yes	Yes	Un­known
Opsview	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Viewing, Acknowledging, Reporting	Yes	No	SQL	GPL	Yes	Granular	Un­known
PacketTrap	No	Yes	Yes	Un­known	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Viewing, Reporting	Yes	Un­known	SQL	Commercial	Un­known	Un­known	Un­known
Pandora FMS	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Supported	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Full Control	Yes	Yes	MySQL	GPLv2; (Enterprise edition available)	Yes	Granular	Un­known
Performance Co-Pilot	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	Flat file	GPL, LGPL	No	No	Un­known
Scrutinizer	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Viewing, Acknowledging, Reporting	Yes	Yes	MySQL	Commercial	Yes	Yes	Yes

Comparison of network monitoring software

Name	IP SLA Reports	Logical Grouping	Trending	Trend Prediction	Auto Discovery	Agent	SNMP	Syslog	Plugins	Triggers / Alerts	WebApp	Distributed Monitoring	Inventory	Data Storage Method	License	Maps	Access Control	IPv6
AdRem NetCrunch	No	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Viewing, Acknowledging	No	No	SQL	Commercial	Yes	Yes	Un­known
Argus	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Viewing, Acknowledging	Yes	Un­known	Berkeley DB	Artistic License	No	Granular	Yes
Cacti	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Via plugin	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Full Control	Yes	Yes	RRDtool, MySQL	GPL	Plugin	Un­known	Yes
CiscoWorks LMS	Yes	Yes	Un­known	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Un­known	Yes	Viewing, Acknowledging, Reporting	Yes	Yes	Un­known	Commercial	Yes	Yes	Yes
collectd	No	No	No	No	Push model; multicast possible	Supported	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Viewing	Yes	No	RRDtool, CSV, in memory, plugins	GPLv2	No	Apache ACL	Yes
FreeNATS	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	Via plugin	Yes	In PHP Code	Full Control	No	No	MySQL	GPL	No	Granular	Un­known
Ganglia	No	Yes	Yes	No	Via gmond check in	Yes	Via plugin	No	Yes	No	Viewing	Yes	Un­known	RRDtool, in memory	BSD	Yes	No	Un­known
Intellipool Network Monitor	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Viewing, Acknowledging, Reporting	Yes	Yes	FirebirdSQL	Commercial	Yes	Granular	Un­known
IPHost Network Monitor	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Viewing, Acknowledging, Reporting	No	No	FirebirdSQL	Commercial	No	No	Un­known
Munin	No	No	Yes	Un­known	No	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Partial	Viewing	Un­known	Un­known	RRDtool	GPL	Un­known	Un­known	Yes
Nagios	Via plugin	Yes	Yes	No	Via plugin	Yes	Via plugin	Via plugin	Yes	Yes	Full Control	Yes	Via plugin	Flat file, SQL	GPL	Yes	Yes	Yes
NetMRI	No	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	MySQL	Commercial	Yes	Yes	Un­known
NetQoS Performance Center	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Viewing, Acknowledging, Reporting	Yes	Yes	Yes	Commercial	Yes	Yes	Un­known
Nimsoft Monitoring Solution	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Supported	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Viewing, Acknowledging, Reporting	Yes	Yes	SQL	Commercial	Yes	Yes	Un­known
OpenNMS	Yes	Yes	Yes	Un­known	Yes	Supported	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Full Control	Yes	Limited	JRobin, PostgreSQL [2]	GPL	Yes	Yes	No
OPNET ACE Live	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Viewing, Acknowledging, Reporting	Yes	No	Yes	Commercial	Yes	Yes	Un­known
Opsview	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Viewing, Acknowledging, Reporting	Yes	No	SQL	GPL	Yes	Granular	Un­known
PacketTrap	No	Yes	Yes	Un­known	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Viewing, Reporting	Yes	Un­known	SQL	Commercial	Un­known	Un­known	Un­known
Pandora FMS	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Supported	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Full Control	Yes	Yes	MySQL	GPLv2; (Enterprise edition available)	Yes	Granular	Un­known
Performance Co-Pilot	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	Flat file	GPL, LGPL	No	No	Un­known
Reconnoiter	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	Template:Supported	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Viewing	Yes	No	PostgreSQL	Template:BSD and GPL	No	No	Yes
ServersCheck	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Supported	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Full Control	Yes	No	Flat file, ODBC	Commercial	Yes	Yes	Un­known
SevOne	Yes	Yes	Yes	Un­known	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Full Control	Yes	Un­known	MySQL	Commercial	Un­known	Yes	Un­known
Orion	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Full Control	Yes	Yes	SQL	Commercial	Yes	Yes	Yes
Shinken	Via plugin	Yes	Yes	No	Via plugin	Yes	Via plugin	Via plugin	Yes	Yes	Viewing, Acknowledging, Reporting	Yes	Via plugin	Flat file, MySQL, Oracle, CouchDB, Sqlite	AGPL	Yes	No	Un­known
Spiceworks	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	Supported	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Viewing, Acknowledging, Reporting	Yes	Yes	Sqlite	Commercial (Free)	Yes	Admin & Report user, More via plugins	Un­known
TclMon	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Supported	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Viewing	No	No	RRDTool, in memory, plugins	BSD	Yes	Yes	No
Zabbix	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Supported	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Full Control	Yes	Yes	Oracle, MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQLite	GPL	Yes	Yes	Yes
Zenoss	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Full Control	Yes	Yes	ZODB, MySQL, RRDtool	GPL Zenoss Core; paid Pro and Enterprise editions [3]	Yes	Yes	Un­known
Zyrion Traverse	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Supported	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Full Control	Yes	Yes	SQL	Commercial	Yes	Multi-tier	Un­known
Name	SLA Reports	Logical Grouping	Trending	Trend Prediction	Auto Discovery	Agent	SNMP	Syslog	Plugins	Triggers / Alerts	WebApp	Distributed Monitoring	Inventory	Data Storage Method	License	Maps	Access Control	IPv6