We tested network monitoring tools to find which ones actually deliver on their promises. Here’s what we found after benchmarking performance, ease of setup, and real-world usability.
See the top network monitoring tools, assessment of their user experience, and their key features:
* Vendors are ordered alphabetically.
Vendor Selection Criteria
We narrowed down our network monitoring software comparison using three main factors:
- Company Stability: Vendors with 15+ employees and proven track record
- User Validation: Solutions with substantial user reviews from G2, Capterra, TrustRadius
- Performance Standards: Minimum 4.4/5 average rating across review platforms
- Market Presence: Active development and regular feature updates
The Core Features of Network Monitoring Software
For definitions of the features mentioned above, please refer to the shared features of network monitoring tools section.
Review of Top 10 Network Monitoring Software
1. Paessler PRTG Network Monitor
Paessler PRTG Network Monitor monitors your entire IT infrastructure from one dashboard. Servers, switches, cloud services, and bandwidth track all of it simultaneously.
Key Features
- Visual mapping: Drag devices onto map and see their status change in real-time. No complex configuration needed.
- Monitors anything with sensors: Over 250 pre-built sensors for different devices and protocols. SNMP, NetFlow, WMI, plus custom options if you need something specific.
- Cloud-native monitoring: Direct connections to AWS, Azure, Google Cloud. Don’t need separate tools for on-premises and cloud infrastructure.
- Security built in: Scans for vulnerabilities and suspicious activity as part of normal monitoring. Spot intrusion attempts without adding another security tool.
- Dashboard customization: Build exactly the view you need, then share it with the team or management.
Discover Paessler PRTG, an IT monitoring solution with real-time tracking and flexible licensing options. Explore Paessler PRTG.
Visit Website2- NinjaOne
NinjaOne combines network monitoring with remote management tools that IT teams use daily. Instead of juggling multiple platforms, you monitor performance, patch systems, and manage backups from one place.
Key Features
- Automatic device mapping: Run the discovery wizard, it scans your IP range, and you get a complete network map. Supports SNMP v1, v2, and v3, so it identifies everything from old switches to new firewalls automatically.
- NetFlow traffic analysis: See which applications consume bandwidth, identify bottlenecks, and track conversation patterns between devices. Happens in real-time, so you catch problems as they develop.
Choose NinjaOne to streamline your IT operations with a powerful, all-in-one tool.
3- Solarwinds NPM
SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor (NPM) uses SNMP monitoring, automatic discovery, and packet analysis to track network health. Designed for IT teams managing complex, multi-layered networks.
Key Features
- Orion Maps: Dynamic network maps display devices, connections, and performance metrics in real-time. The visualization updates automatically as conditions change.
- Layer 2 and 3 mapping: Shows both physical connections and logical network relationships. You can troubleshoot at whatever level the problem exists.
- NetPath: This unique feature traces the exact path packets take across on-premises, hybrid, and cloud networks. You can see hop-by-hop performance and identify where delays occur.
- Auto-discovery with alerts: Uses SNMP, WMI, and ICMP to find devices automatically, then monitors them for issues. Alerts trigger when thresholds are breached.
4- Auvik
Auvik runs entirely in the cloud and excels at multi-site network monitoring. It automatically maps your network topology and keeps those maps current as your infrastructure changes.
Key Features:
- Zero-touch discovery: Deploy the collector, and Auvik finds everything using SNMP, CDP, and LLDP. Network maps appear automatically – no manual diagramming.
- Multi-layer visibility: See both physical connections (Layer 1) and logical relationships (Layers 2/3). This helps when troubleshooting because you can trace problems through the entire stack.
- Customizable views: Filter out irrelevant devices to focus on specific network segments. Toggle between VLAN topology, clustered views, or other perspectives depending on what you’re investigating.
- Export-ready documentation: Generate PDF or SVG maps for documentation or client reports. Useful for MSPs who need to show clients what they’re managing.
5- Atera
Atera targets MSPs and IT departments that need monitoring, ticketing, and automation in one platform. Handles both network monitoring and service desk functions.
Key Features
- Continuous discovery: Scans domains and subdomains constantly, updating device lists as your network evolves. You don’t need to manually trigger scans when you add equipment.
- Security scanning: Identifies open ports, missing patches, and outdated antivirus automatically. This gives you a security checklist without running separate vulnerability scanners.
- Active Directory integration: Monitors AD-connected devices and generates reports on OS versions, device health, and user connections.
- Visual reporting: After each scan, you get graphs showing device types, operating systems, and health status across the network.
6- Datadog
Datadog monitors cloud-native applications by collecting data from servers, containers, databases, and services. Designed for teams running distributed systems across multiple cloud providers.
Key Features
- Live network topology: Interactive maps show your entire infrastructure automatically. You can spot bottlenecks, trace dependencies, and identify network partitions visually.
- Layer 3 traffic monitoring: Captures network flows between hosts, containers, VMs, and serverless functions. You see exactly how data moves through your infrastructure.
- Tag-based filtering: Instead of tracking individual IP addresses, you group traffic by service, role, region, or any other tag. This makes it easier to monitor dynamic cloud environments where IPs change constantly.
- Unified monitoring: Network, application, and infrastructure metrics live in the same platform. You can correlate issues across the stack without switching tools.
7- Site24x7 (ManageEngine)
Site24x7 monitors websites, servers, applications, and network infrastructure from cloud. Focuses on uptime and performance across your entire IT stack.
Key Features
- Automatic discovery: Scans IP ranges using SNMP to find devices automatically. The network map updates in real-time as you add or remove equipment.
- Layer 2 and topology mapping: Layer 2 maps show device connections and interfaces, helping you spot unauthorized devices. Topology maps provide a hierarchical view of device relationships.
- Dependency visualization: Shows how devices depend on each other. When you plan changes, you can see which systems might be affected before you start.
8- LogicMonitor
Cloud-based network monitoring solution providing visibility into network performance across on-premises, hybrid, and cloud environments.
Who uses this: NTT integrated LogicMonitor with ServiceNow CMDB for automated hybrid infrastructure monitoring. Sped up customer migrations, improved business agility without maintaining legacy components.
Key capabilities:
- SaaS deployment with minimal setup requirements
- AI-powered anomaly detection and alerting
- Automatic device discovery and classification
- Pre-built integrations with 2,000+ technologies
- No on-premises infrastructure requirements
9- Kentik Network Intelligence Platform
Network intelligence platform for troubleshooting in global networks.
Who uses this: Netskope used Kentik’s flow monitoring to gain visibility into traffic flows. Optimized peering relationships, identified traffic anomalies, and achieved cost savings through accurate billing and service contract optimizations.
Key capabilities:
- Flow monitoring for traffic visibility
- Peering optimization
- Network performance analysis
- Cost optimization through billing accuracy
10- Obkio Network Performance Monitoring
Network performance monitoring focused on VoIP and remote worker troubleshooting.
Who uses this: SPI Health and Safety adopted Obkio during the 2020 pandemic when transitioning call center employees to remote work. Complaints about poor VoIP quality during support calls are impacting customer satisfaction.
Real results: Swiftly identified issues, gathered data for troubleshooting, ensured uninterrupted service delivery, and enhanced customer experience.
Key capabilities:
- Network and VoIP performance monitoring
- Remote worker troubleshooting
- Swift issue identification
Shared Features of Network Monitoring Tools
Network Discovery: Identifies all devices on your network – routers, switches, firewalls, endpoints, and everything in between. This automatically creates a complete inventory of your infrastructure. Discovery typically happens first, giving you a baseline to monitor.
Traffic Monitoring: Tracks data moving across your network. You can see which applications use bandwidth, identify bottlenecks, and spot unauthorized traffic. This is critical for maintaining performance and security.
Every tool in our list handles both functions. Beyond these basics, here are features that differentiate tools:
SNMP Polling Interval: How often the monitoring system requests data from network devices. More frequent polling gives you faster alerts but increases network overhead. Typical intervals range from 1 to 10 minutes.
CPU Monitoring: Tracks processor usage on network devices over time. High CPU usage can indicate performance problems, security issues, or failing hardware. This data helps you fix problems before they cause outages.
Device Access Control: Manages who can access and modify network devices. Good access control prevents unauthorized changes and protects sensitive infrastructure.
Network Topology Mapping: Creates visual diagrams of your network showing device relationships. These maps help you understand network structure, troubleshoot issues, and plan changes.
Choosing the Right Network Monitoring Service
Choosing the right network monitoring software involves considering factors such as:
- Monitoring capabilities
- Scalability
- Flexibility
- Integration potential
- Overall usability
To ensure efficient operations, selecting network device monitoring software equipped with an intuitive, customized dashboard is vital. This includes features like network topology maps, status reports, and options for troubleshooting. The implementation process should be straightforward to avoid disruptions during setup. The service should also offer real-time, actionable reports for rapid issue resolution.
The productivity and security of the monitoring system are optimized through role-based access control. It delegates permissions according to the functions of users in the organization, ensuring only authorized personnel can make changes. Lastly, the choice between a free, open-source network monitoring software and a paid solution with extensive features will depend on the organization’s requirements. This decision should be based on the size and complexity of the network and the resources available for managing it.
FAQs
For more on network monitoring
- Top 5 AI Network Monitoring Use Cases and Real Life Examples
- 26 Network Performance Metrics to Measure Network Health
Transparency Statement: AIMultiple works with B2B tech vendors, including Paessler PRTG and AKIPS. Vendors with links are among AIMultiple’s sponsors.
Cem's work has been cited by leading global publications including Business Insider, Forbes, Washington Post, global firms like Deloitte, HPE and NGOs like World Economic Forum and supranational organizations like European Commission. You can see more reputable companies and resources that referenced AIMultiple.
Throughout his career, Cem served as a tech consultant, tech buyer and tech entrepreneur. He advised enterprises on their technology decisions at McKinsey & Company and Altman Solon for more than a decade. He also published a McKinsey report on digitalization.
He led technology strategy and procurement of a telco while reporting to the CEO. He has also led commercial growth of deep tech company Hypatos that reached a 7 digit annual recurring revenue and a 9 digit valuation from 0 within 2 years. Cem's work in Hypatos was covered by leading technology publications like TechCrunch and Business Insider.
Cem regularly speaks at international technology conferences. He graduated from Bogazici University as a computer engineer and holds an MBA from Columbia Business School.
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