Checkmk vs Meraki Dashboard comparison

Checkmk and Cisco are both solutions in the Network Monitoring Software category. Checkmk is ranked #10 with an average rating of 8.4, while Cisco is ranked #21 with an average rating of 8.5. Checkmk holds a 3.8% mindshare in NMS, compared to Cisco’s 1.3% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of Checkmk users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 98% of Cisco users who would recommend it.

Checkmk

Read 9 Checkmk reviews

3,637 Views
3,176 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Meraki Dashboard

Read 55 Meraki Dashboard reviews

2,394 Views
1,766 Comparison Views

98% willing to recommend

Checkmk

Meraki Dashboard

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Download the report

Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 10, 2024

Meraki Dashboard and Checkmk compete in the IT management and monitoring software category. Meraki Dashboard seems to have the upper hand in user-friendliness and seamless cloud-based deployment, while Checkmk offers greater cost-effectiveness and robust on-premises support.

Features: Meraki Dashboard includes comprehensive cloud-based management, Layer 7 filtering, and integration with third-party services. Checkmk offers automatic service discovery, customizable monitoring, and integration with event management tools for handling complex IT environments.

Room for Improvement: Meraki Dashboard could improve its licensing process, VPN client support, and integration beyond Cisco equipment. Checkmk requires enhancements in alert management, integration capabilities, and a more user-friendly interface to assist newcomers.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Meraki Dashboard, as a cloud-based solution, is easy to deploy across different cloud environments and is supported by responsive technical support despite occasional delays. Checkmk offers robust on-premises deployment with straightforward setup and praised customer service, focusing on varied environments.

Pricing and ROI: Meraki Dashboard is priced at a premium, justified by its extensive functionality, with higher licensing costs being a consideration. Users report ROI through reduced management costs. Checkmk is more affordable, making it appealing to budget-conscious organizations and perceived as cost-effective given its enterprise-level features.

To learn more, read our detailed Checkmk vs. Meraki Dashboard Report (Updated: April 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Checkmk vs. Meraki Dashboard

April 2025

Download the complete report

Helped 850,236 peers since 2012

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

Checkmk

Ranking in Network Monitoring Software

10th

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

7.3

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Server Monitoring (5th), IT Infrastructure Monitoring (12th), Cloud Monitoring Software (12th)

Meraki Dashboard

Ranking in Network Monitoring Software

21st

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

6.8

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of May 2025, in the Network Monitoring Software category, the mindshare of Checkmk is 3.8%, up from 2.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Meraki Dashboard is 1.3%, down from 2.0% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Network Monitoring Software

Featured Reviews

Paolo Sala

Application performance and System monitoring at Agos

A reasonably priced tool for system and application monitoring

The main room for improvement is in the solution's presentation and the integration area. In our company, we use the integration capabilities from ServiceNow. We also have another big monitoring solution in place in our company, which is Dynatrace. At the moment, there doesn't exist an out-of-the-box integration for Dynatrace. I think that the integration and the exporting of the data collected are areas where Checkmk lacks but should try to improve the most. The only implementation of Checkmk that allows high availability is the virtual appliance that has the option for the availability of a different box. Otherwise, you have to find a way to implement it manually with some custom solution, which could be an improvement.

Read full review

Bilal-Ahmed

IT Manager at Fawaz

Seamless connectivity and comprehensive control over network devices

All of the features we are looking for are already in control. I think those features, which we are not currently utilizing, are already there. For example, the control for the cameras and everything else. The cameras are not connected through Meraki, but all other devices are on Meraki networks.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The initial setup of Checkmk was easy...It is a very stable solution."

"Checkmk helps me compare data and foresee issues."

"It's versatile, scalable, and easier to use compared to other solutions like Nagios and OMD."

"The most valuable feature of the solution is that it has a lot of different pieces, and they all work together...It is a very scalable solution. Scalability-wise, I rate the solution a ten out of ten."

"Overall, from one to ten, I rate Checkmk a nine."

"Checkmk was built on a platform that was user-friendly, and I could build my charts easily."

"The alerting system in Checkmk really works properly."

"We can monitor multiple sites using the product."

More Checkmk pros

"The feature I find most valuable is the single pane of glass where you can configure a monitor view, all from one dashboard. For example, on the wireless side, you can configure it under the configuration panel, and then view statistics like location analytics, user analytics, etc."

"The overall product rating is ten out of ten."

"What I found most valuable in the Meraki Dashboard is straight monitoring of the different devices, as well as the ability to easily set up VPNs, for example, both Meraki client VPNs and non-Meraki VPNs for different organizations that work with my company. I also like that the tool is a really good firewall."

"We find that Meraki has all the features you need to be able to enable complex network protocols for AV equipment. We deal with a streaming product over IP, and Meraki is fantastic at that."

"There are some whitelist blacklist capabilities in the MX dashboard, which is very helpful."

"It is very easy to manage. It has good security, and it is working well with our firewall."

"We've been spending a lot less time on tickets and deployments, so we have more time to do other things."

"The most valuable feature is their support, they get better every day."

More Meraki Dashboard pros

Cons

"Sometimes we receive alerts, and it can become annoying when you acknowledge an alert. It is very clunky when you acknowledge the alert. The process is not very intuitive, and there are instances where it feels a bit cumbersome to acknowledge an alert."

"Checkmk does not allow running scripts at varying intervals."

"The main challenge for us is that we're moving from Nagios to Checkmk, and we're still getting used to the new way of working."

"If an alert is generated for a specific pattern in the log, and if Checkmk catches that log, it will stay there even after the alert is resolved."

"It is easy for tech-savvy people, but newcomers might find it intimidating."

"The initial setup is a bit complex."

"In Checkmk, the documentation can probably be improved a bit more."

"I think that the integration and the exporting of the data collected are areas where Checkmk lacks but should try to improve the most."

More Checkmk cons

"It would be nicer if the dashboard was lighter."

"The downside to the simplicity is that you can't get as granular as you could with the Cisco APs."

"What we would like from the IT perspective is a lot more granular control, more visibility into the packets, into the routing, and things of that nature."

"Meraki Dashboard could improve integration with non-Cisco platforms."

"More integration would be an improvement."

"For instance, you should be able to see if something has been blocked by a firewall rule by looking at a live log of traffic moving through the device. It helps you troubleshoot issues and understand if your rules are working. You need to ensure the firewall is blocking the right things. That's unavailable in the Meraki Dashboard. You have to send the logs to a log server. We use SolarWinds locally, but it's not natively built into Meraki. We're also using Cisco ISA and another tool called Smoothwall."

"There is a need for price reductions in developing countries, as the cost of Meraki is quite high."

"In general, how I add firewall rules is not great."

More Meraki Dashboard cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The price of Checkmk is cheaper compared to other enterprise products."

"The product is affordable."

"Checkmk is a fairly reasonably priced solution."

"I’m not sure of the exact cost, however, it’s my understanding the Meraki WiFi is around $800. That’s for a three-year license. It’s about $150 a year."

"Licensing for Meraki Dashboard is paid every year, and it's on a per-device model that costs roughly $300 to $400 per device, but that comes with full support and troubleshooting, etc. Compared to similar products, Meraki Dashboard is quite high-end, but the costs you pay are all-in."

"Licensing is around under 1000 pounds. The licensing is either one year, three years, five years or ten years and during the licensing, we can choose to renew it per year or per every three years. We've got a license for three years. It's about 160 or about 200 pounds each."

"Meraki Dashboard's pricing is reasonable. It is sold yearly, typically for one, three, or five years. I rate its pricing a five out of ten."

"The pricing of the tool is relatively high compared to other solutions. It comes with a premium that exceeds that of its competitors by approximately 25 percent."

"The pricing for a small setup is only a few hundred dollars a year. The fee is subscription-based."

"Licensing fees are paid on a yearly basis."

"The licensing fees are $180 USD, per AP, for three years."

More Meraki Dashboard pricing and cost advice

See which vendors are best for you

Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Network Monitoring Software solutions are best for your needs.

See recommendations

850,236 professionals have used our research since 2012.

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

14%

Government

Financial Services Firm

Manufacturing Company

Computer Software Company

23%

Financial Services Firm

Educational Organization

Manufacturing Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Checkmk?

The most valuable feature of the solution is that it has a lot of different pieces, and they all work together...It is a very scalable solution. Scalability-wise, I rate the solution a ten out of ten.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Checkmk?

I will get more information about Checkmk when the proof of concept is done. It's going to be before the summer. There will be a report about the tool and a recommendation to use it. So far, it loo...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Checkmk?

Checkmk ( /products/checkmk-reviews ) is a monitoring tool, so that's what I will use it for. Right now, it's not in production, but it's in a proof of concept phase. It looks good, so probably, du...

See all answers

What do you like most about Meraki Dashboard?

We greatly utilize the network because we can plug it into the DNS, VPN, or equipment. It's very good. Meraki Dashboard enhances wireless network management. We appreciate its flexibility, as it al...

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Meraki Dashboard?

The cost of the Meraki solution is high, which may not be affordable for smaller companies, especially in developing countries.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Meraki Dashboard?

There is a need for price reductions in developing countries, as the cost of Meraki is quite high. Additionally, it would be beneficial if Meraki Dashboard could integrate more Cisco devices such a...

See all answers

Comparisons

Zabbix vs Checkmk

Compared 48% of the time

Icinga vs Checkmk

Compared 9% of the time

LibreNMS vs Checkmk

Compared 7% of the time

PRTG Network Monitor vs Checkmk

Compared 4% of the time

Observium vs Checkmk

Compared 3% of the time

More Checkmk Competitors

Cisco DNA Center vs Meraki Dashboard

Compared 22% of the time

Zabbix vs Meraki Dashboard

Compared 14% of the time

ThousandEyes vs Meraki Dashboard

Compared 13% of the time

SolarWinds NPM vs Meraki Dashboard

Compared 6% of the time

Mist AI and Cloud vs Meraki Dashboard

Compared 6% of the time

More Meraki Dashboard Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Checkmk

May 2025

Download Checkmk product report

Buyer's Guide

Meraki Dashboard

April 2025

Download Meraki Dashboard product report

Overview

Checkmk is a powerful tool for monitoring IT infrastructure, providing vital insights on servers, databases, network devices, and custom applications.

Primarily used for supervising IT infrastructure, Checkmk helps organizations ensure service availability by monitoring hosts, processes, load, storage, and network appliances. With support for both Linux and Windows environments across multiple data centers, Checkmk performs compliance checks and preserves historical data for core network devices.

What are the key features of Checkmk?

Auto-discovery: Automatically identifies new hosts and applies monitoring rules.
Custom monitoring: Enhances MySQL performance tracking.
Slack integration: Provides immediate downtime alerts.
Graphical trend analysis: Offers 400 days of trend data.
Multiple site monitoring: Ensures seamless data synchronization through task automation.
Resource and infrastructure monitoring: Configures log factors to fit budget constraints.
System metric imports: Includes servers, SQL, file systems, and application monitoring.

What benefits and ROI should users look for in reviews?

Time-saving: Auto-discovery and task automation streamline processes.
Proactive alerts: Immediate downtime notifications optimize response times.
Historical insights: Long-term graphical trend analysis aids strategic planning.
Cost efficiency: Resource monitoring aligned with budget constraints.

Checkmk is deployed extensively in large enterprise environments for monitoring critical infrastructure. It proves particularly useful under conditions of frequent power outages or network issues, helping maintain smooth operations. While the alert acknowledgment process and interface require improvements, and the lack of an agent-less platform complicates server management, the strengths in auto-discovery, integration, and comprehensive monitoring make Checkmk a strong contender for IT infrastructure monitoring.

Checkmk

Meraki Dashboard is a comprehensive cloud-based platform that offers centralized management and control for all Meraki networking and security products. It provides a user-friendly interface, allowing administrators to easily monitor and configure their network infrastructure from anywhere. With real-time visibility, troubleshooting becomes effortless, ensuring optimal performance and minimizing downtime.

The intuitive dashboard offers a holistic view of the network, enabling quick identification of potential issues and proactive measures. It simplifies network deployment and scaling, with zero-touch provisioning and automatic firmware updates. The robust security features include advanced threat protection, content filtering, and VPN connectivity.

Meraki Dashboard also offers powerful analytics and reporting capabilities, providing valuable insights into network usage, application performance, and user behavior. With its seamless integration and scalability,

Meraki Dashboard is the ideal solution for organizations of all sizes, ensuring efficient network management and enhanced productivity.

Cisco

Sample Customers

Information Not Available

Coop eG, Peet's Coffee & Tea, Priefert Manufacturing, Century Care Management, Clifton College, Zürs Ski Resort, Capital FM Arena, MAXI Autohöfe

Buyer's Guide

Checkmk vs. Meraki Dashboard

April 2025

Free Report: Checkmk vs. Meraki Dashboard

Find out what your peers are saying about Checkmk vs. Meraki Dashboard and other solutions. Updated: April 2025.

DOWNLOAD NOW

850,236 professionals have used our research since 2012.

See our Checkmk vs. Meraki Dashboard report.

See our list of best Network Monitoring Software vendors.

We monitor all Network Monitoring Software reviews to prevent fraudulent reviews and keep review quality high. We do not post reviews by company employees or direct competitors. We validate each review for authenticity via cross-reference with LinkedIn, and personal follow-up with the reviewer when necessary.