Top 7 Open Source RMM Software: Pros, Cons & Benefits in 2025

IT teams and managed service providers (MSPs) require software solutions that allow them to use remote monitoring and management (RMM) tools. While some require enterprise-scale closed-source RMM software, others require free and open-source options.

Here, we compare the best open-source RRM tools on the market:

Open source RRM tools comparison

Github stars by years

Patch management

Data, event & other features

For more on the trait definitions, see common and differentiating features.

Analysis

1. Netdata by Netdata

Netdata provides real-time monitoring and troubleshooting for systems, applications, and infrastructures through a user-friendly interface that delivers performance metrics and insights.

Other features

• Log manager
• Log analyzer
• Endpoint monitoring

2. Zabbix by Zabbix

Zabbix is an open source monitoring tool that provides real-time tracking, alerting, and visualization of IT infrastructure, including servers, networks, applications, and services.

Other features

• Endpoint monitoring

3. TacticalRMM by AmidaWare

AmidaWare specializes in developing open-source remote monitoring and management (RMM) tools, particularly Tactical RMM, which is designed to help IT professionals efficiently manage and monitor their network and devices.

Other features

• Inventory management

4. Icinga by Icinga

Icinga is an open source monitoring system that checks the availability of network resources, alerts users of outages, and provides performance data for reporting, enabling comprehensive infrastructure oversight across multiple locations and cloud environments​. Icinga is a monitoring package that was created by the team that developed Nagios.

Other features

• Inventory management
• Inventory discovery
• Inventory creation
• Endpoint monitoring, see endpoint management and endpoint security.

5. Nagios Core by Nagios Enterprises

Nagios Enterprises specializes in providing IT infrastructure monitoring solutions that help organizations monitor their systems, applications, and services, alerting them to issues before they affect critical business processes​.

Other features

• Endpoint monitoring

6. Checkmk Raw by Checkmk

Checkmk offers 4 editions of remote monitoring and management software: cloud edition, enterprise edition, MSP edition, and open source edition.

Other features

• Endpoint monitoring

7. OpenNMS Horizon by OpenNMS Group

OpenNMS is a free network management platform designed for managing and monitoring large-scale networks. It is developed and maintained by The OpenNMS Group, Inc., which is a company founded by the original creators of OpenNMS. The platform is used for monitoring and managing network infrastructure, including servers, applications, and services.

Other features

• Endpoint monitoring

Choosing the right RMM tools: Open source RMM pros & cons

Pros

1. Customization and flexibility for managed service providers

Open-source RMM tools can deliver endless customization for skilled developers. According to the top leaders in the industry, utilizing a free code may attract skilled engineers and developers to your business.¹

2. Cost-effective solution for remote monitoring and management

Open source RMM tools are completely free, with no software licensing fees or maintenance costs, making them an economically smarter solution for MSPs.

Explore remote monitoring and management solution pricing for enterprise-scale software products.

Cons

1. Resource demands and technical expertise required

• Maintaining open-source projects in-house requires considerable time and effort.
• Hidden costs incurred during the development process may put organizations in a difficult position.²

2. Limited traits and automation compared to commercial solutions

• Open source project maintainers are unpaid and work in their spare time. They are unable to match the release cadence of established MSP software companies.
• Lack of features is a significant hurdle for MSPs considering free MSP software.

Open source RMM software benefits

• Open-source RMM software is built on open-source licensing principles, allowing anyone to view, modify, and distribute its source code. This transparency fosters a collaborative environment where developers contribute to the software’s evolution.
• Open source RMM software offers a more customizable and flexible option for IT professionals compared to proprietary RMM solutions.

Importance of remote monitoring and asset management in the WFH economy

The world is witnessing a concentrated shift to an employee-centric Work From Home/Work From Anywhere (WFH/WFA) environment. Organizations need to actively maintain, secure, monitor, and control the IT assets leased out to such employees.

Common features explained

• Infrastructure monitoring: used to continuously track and manage the performance, health, and availability of IT infrastructure components to ensure optimal operation and proactive issue resolution.
• Alerting: used for rapid information about user and system events.
• Real-time monitoring and management: See, for more.
• 3rd party integrations: Availability of harmonious integration with popular tools.

Differentiating features explained

• Ticket system: The delivery of issues at hand to 3rd parties.
• Compliance management: helps ensure IT systems follow rules and policies. It supports self-audits, secures records so they can’t be changed or denied, and provides reports for standards like HIPAA, GDPR, or ISO 27001.
• Troubleshooting: is used to remotely diagnose, isolate, and resolve issues within the IT infrastructure, minimizing downtime and ensuring continuous operation.
• Automated update: used to automatically deploy the latest software patches and updates across managed devices to enhance security, performance, and stability without manual intervention.
• Audit trail: used to maintain a detailed, chronological record of all activities and changes made within the IT environment, enabling accountability, transparency, and compliance auditing.
• Data visualization: Helps with making sense of data about alerts, performance, compliance, security, and more by transforming raw data into visual formats.
• Device auto-discovery: Automatic discovery of devices or users within the scope of the network.

Further reading

• Data Loss Prevention (DLP) Software
• Top 10+ RMM Software

External Links

• 1. 17 Industry Leaders Share Pros And Cons Of Tapping Into Open-Source Code. Forbes
• 2. Disadvantages of open source software | nibusinessinfo.co.uk. NI Business Info