Azure Network Watcher vs Nagios Core comparison

Microsoft and Nagios are both solutions in the Network Monitoring Software category. Microsoft is ranked #47 with an average rating of 8.3, while Nagios is ranked #12 with an average rating of 8.3. Microsoft holds a 0.4% mindshare in NMS, compared to Nagios’s 2.5% mindshare. Additionally, 91% of Microsoft users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 80% of Nagios users who would recommend it.

Azure Network Watcher

Read 12 Azure Network Watcher reviews

670 Views
630 Comparison Views

91% willing to recommend

Nagios Core

Read 51 Nagios Core reviews

3,994 Views
3,475 Comparison Views

80% willing to recommend

Azure Network Watcher

Nagios Core

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 10, 2024

Nagios Core and Azure Network Watcher are competitors in the network monitoring category. Each product offers distinct advantages with Nagios Core valued for customization and variety, while Azure Network Watcher stands out in cloud integration and advanced diagnostics.

Features: Nagios Core offers flexibility with customizable monitoring, an extensive plugin ecosystem, and robust alerting systems. Azure Network Watcher provides network insights, packet tracing, and topology visualization.

Room for Improvement: Nagios Core has a complex command-line configuration, an outdated interface, and requires manual changes for dynamic configurations. Azure Network Watcher needs better third-party tool integration, enhanced visualization, and detailed logging improvements.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Nagios Core requires significant setup for on-premises and hybrid environments and relies on community support. Azure Network Watcher, with seamless Azure integration, is cloud-based and backed by Microsoft customer service.

Pricing and ROI: Nagios Core's open-source model is cost-effective with no licensing fees, offering a high ROI in operational efficiency. Azure Network Watcher, while potentially expensive for smaller businesses, aligns with enterprise budgets and justifies costs through robust features.

To learn more, read our detailed Azure Network Watcher vs. Nagios Core Report (Updated: September 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Azure Network Watcher vs. Nagios Core

September 2025

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Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Categories and Ranking

Azure Network Watcher

Ranking in Network Monitoring Software

47th

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

6.0

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Nagios Core

Ranking in Network Monitoring Software

12th

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

7.0

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

IT Infrastructure Monitoring (11th)

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2025, in the Network Monitoring Software category, the mindshare of Azure Network Watcher is 0.4%, down from 0.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Nagios Core is 2.5%, down from 3.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Network Monitoring Software Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Nagios Core	2.5%
Azure Network Watcher	0.4%
Other	97.1%

Network Monitoring Software

Featured Reviews

Bijoyendra Roychowdhury

Program Manager at Capgemini

Network monitoring provides comprehensive analytics while the interface requires further development

The quality of Azure Network Watcher is quite good in terms of the in-depth analysis you can create from these matrices. There are other monitoring tools such as New Relic, AppDynamics, and Dynatrace which provide very detailed network tracing. Cloud providers such as Azure or AWS do not have that kind of GUI-based capability at this point, but using PowerShell or Python, you can develop it yourself. From the GUI perspective, it still needs to evolve in terms of quality and standard, though overall, it is quite good for troubleshooting. Regarding areas for improvement, when comparing to other network tools beyond Azure Monitor or Azure Network Watcher, those tools can identify single failed packets. This level of granularity is not currently possible with cloud providers as they only go to a certain level rather than the granular level needed for deep troubleshooting, though they do provide hints with available matrices.

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Nishith-Vyas

Tech Lead at STL Digital Limited

Valuable reporting and alert system with room for PDF export improvements

The NetEase reporting structure needs improvement, especially the availability report, which is weak. It should be generated automatically with minimal human intervention and should be exportable as a PDF. Besides that, an integrated PDF export feature for reports is necessary. Also, the alert mechanism and graphing mechanism need to be integrated properly into Nagios Core. Currently, integrating these requires advanced Linux knowledge. Integration of more visualization tools like Grafana and Prometheus for better graphing and visualization is also recommended.

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Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"We use the solution to monitor network services. It helps to capture any network issues."

"It provides good visibility."

"The solution is good for monitoring device behavior."

"I like the visibility."

"The stability is very good. I rate it a ten out of ten."

"The most valuable features I have found are typology, visualization, and capture."

"The solution is stable."

"What I like most about Azure Network Watcher is that it's focused more on the architecture. I also like that it has a packet capture feature that tells you how the packet travels and whether it's exiting Azure, etc."

More Azure Network Watcher pros

"Nagios monitors our servers, so we know if anything goes wrong and can solve the problem before it happens."

"Our customers like that Nagios Core is an open source solution. It can be customized to our customers' specific needs."

"The solution is quite efficient."

"Monitoring with Nagios Core is helpful because it provides immediate alerts if something goes down, such as a server, or wireless router, or if there's a cable break. This allows us to respond promptly to any issues."

"What I like about Nagios Core is that it helps me ensure everything is running smoothly by checking the status of hosts and services."

"The most valuable feature of Nagios Core is it allows us to develop and add as many plugins as we want."

"The reporting structure and the feature set are valuable to me."

"Dashboard provides monitor of total assets."

More Nagios Core pros

Cons

"Technical support from Microsoft needs significant improvement compared to other product vendors."

"User experience could be improved."

"I would like to see in the future if we can troubleshoot as a firewall because it is equipment as a network player and some diagnostics."

"Azure Network Watcher could improve by having other built-in applications. For example, an application to log activities for in and outbound traffic."

"Lacks sufficient security features."

"The solution could improve by limiting the need to clarify the logs. When the clarification is minimized, it is better for everyone involved."

"Azure is good, however, the Fortinet GUI is more intuitive and I like it more than anything else."

"The initial setup and deployment could be improved to be simplified."

More Azure Network Watcher cons

"The UI is a little outdated and graphics could be displayed in a better way."

"I believe Nagios Core will need to provide an option for big data platforms in the future."

"Nagios Core can improve the graphical interface, it would make things a little easier."

"The interface could be improved."

"It would be nice if the company offered a sales or contract manager that was dedicated to our company so that we would have some sort of link to Nagios, and if we had issues or questions, we'd be able to contact them directly."

"Would benefit from aggregations if a particular server goes down."

"The mapping is a little hard."

"The scalability needs improvement, it's not scalable at this time."

More Nagios Core cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The price of the solution is reasonable."

"Price-wise, I have no information on how much Azure Network Watcher costs."

"Azure Network Watcher is a little bit expensive."

"The pricing is good. It's not too expensive."

"I would rate the solution's pricing an eight out of ten."

"It's free."

"We are using the free version."

"Nagios Core is a cheap solution."

"We have saved a lot of time, money, and effort in reducing disaster times, which is owed to Nagios quick alerting."

"It's free."

"Lessening the price point would be an improvement."

"The solution is expensive."

More Nagios Core pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

16%

Computer Software Company

10%

Government

University

Computer Software Company

14%

Government

Comms Service Provider

Manufacturing Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	6
Large Enterprise	6

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	20
Midsize Enterprise	11
Large Enterprise	22

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Azure Network Watcher?

I like the visibility.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Azure Network Watcher?

Azure Network Watcher is affordable from the perspective of basic costing. It doesn't cost too much at this point unless you are requesting customizable detailed matrices. For the default configura...

See all answers

What needs improvement with Azure Network Watcher?

See all answers

What do you like most about Nagios Core?

What I like about Nagios Core is that it helps me ensure everything is running smoothly by checking the status of hosts and services.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Nagios Core?

Nagios Core is a free and open-source product. We don't charge for the product itself, but we charge for the man-hour costs related to installation, configuration, ongoing operation, and maintenance.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Nagios Core?

The dashboard should be improved. It's very simple. I don't have a very clear or specific suggestion. You can change the skin of the dashboard, however, it's good for me.

See all answers

Comparisons

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Compared 31% of the time

Microsoft Network Monitor vs Azure Network Watcher

Compared 25% of the time

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Compared 24% of the time

SolarWinds NPM vs Azure Network Watcher

Compared 20% of the time

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Icinga vs Nagios Core

Compared 21% of the time

Nagios XI vs Nagios Core

Compared 14% of the time

Zabbix vs Nagios Core

Compared 12% of the time

Centreon vs Nagios Core

Compared 7% of the time

Checkmk vs Nagios Core

Compared 6% of the time

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Azure Network Watcher

October 2025

Download Azure Network Watcher product report

Buyer's Guide

Nagios Core

September 2025

Download Nagios Core product report

Overview

Azure Network Watcher is a comprehensive network monitoring and diagnostic service offered by Microsoft Azure. It provides a range of tools and capabilities to help users monitor, diagnose, and gain insights into their Azure network infrastructure. With Network Watcher, users can capture and analyze network traffic, monitor network performance, troubleshoot connectivity issues, and gain visibility into network topology. It also offers features like packet capture, flow logs, connection monitoring, and VPN diagnostics to ensure the smooth operation of Azure networks. Network Watcher enables users to proactively identify and resolve network issues, optimize network performance, and enhance the overall reliability and security of their Azure network environment.

Microsoft

This is IT infrastructure monitoring's industry-standard, open-source core. Free without professional support services.

Nagios

Sample Customers

Information Not Available

Airbnb, Cisco, PayPal, FanDuel

Buyer's Guide

Azure Network Watcher vs. Nagios Core

September 2025

Free Report: Azure Network Watcher vs. Nagios Core

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