Checkmk vs NETSCOUT vSTREAM comparison

Checkmk and NETSCOUT are both solutions in the Network Monitoring Software category. Checkmk is ranked #10 with an average rating of 8.4, while NETSCOUT is ranked #79. Checkmk holds a 3.8% mindshare in NMS, compared to NETSCOUT’s 0.3% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of Checkmk users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of NETSCOUT users who would recommend it.

Checkmk

Read 9 Checkmk reviews

3,637 Views
3,176 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

NETSCOUT vSTREAM

Read 3 NETSCOUT vSTREAM reviews

432 Views
333 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Checkmk

NETSCOUT vSTREAM

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 10, 2024

NETSCOUT vSTREAM and Checkmk are competing in network monitoring and IT infrastructure management. Checkmk often has the upper hand due to its comprehensive features across a wide array of devices and services. However, NETSCOUT vSTREAM's unique traffic analysis capabilities make it a preferred choice for specific scenarios requiring in-depth network visibility.

Features: NETSCOUT vSTREAM is known for its robust network traffic analysis, providing detailed visibility into performance issues. It also excels in managing large-scale network environments. Additionally, it offers advanced analytics for nuanced traffic insights. Checkmk's strength lies in its extensive monitoring system that efficiently manages a wide range of devices. It offers a well-structured alert system and is highly valued for its comprehensive infrastructure observability. Checkmk also delivers efficient performance across multiple platforms.

Room for Improvement: NETSCOUT vSTREAM could enhance its breadth of device monitoring to compete more directly with broader solutions. Its integration with non-network devices is limited. There is room to improve user interface intuitiveness. Checkmk might improve in-depth network traffic details comparable to NETSCOUT's offerings. Its setup complexity in non-typical environments could be simplified. Further development of advanced analytics could expand its functionality.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: NETSCOUT vSTREAM is recognized for a simplified deployment process that supports large-scale networks, allowing for clear traffic data analysis. While its integration is seamless with network assets, customer service has less flexibility. Checkmk offers a comprehensive deployment model and responsive customer support, facilitating easier adoption and continuous assistance across different environments.

Pricing and ROI: NETSCOUT vSTREAM often requires higher initial investments, which can be justified for large operations seeking specific network traffic insights. Despite its cost, the platform provides valuable analytics for targeted needs. Checkmk is competitively priced, offering strong ROI due to its scalable monitoring system. Its budget-friendly approach provides expansive functionality and value suitable for varied business sizes.

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

Buyer's Guide

Checkmk vs. NETSCOUT vSTREAM

April 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

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)

NETSCOUT vSTREAM

Ranking in Network Monitoring Software

79th

Average Rating

8.0

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 NETSCOUT vSTREAM is 0.3%, down from 0.3% 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.

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Moreno Musardo

Consultant

Troubleshooting at the packet level helps us resolve issues more quickly

The solution provides increased visibility during an IT deployment. It enables us to troubleshoot a service when it is down. As we expand our company, more users are using the tool to quickly resolve issues. It helps us and them get to root cause quickly. For example, last week a DNS was not running anymore. We checked the packet and saw that there was a buffer overload. It has cut our overall troubleshooting time. Sometimes it took a month to troubleshoot something that we can now do within days. nGenius has helped increase application or network uptime. The DNS I mentioned is now a better server with more capacity than before, because of our troubleshooting. We see a measurable decrease in mean time to know and mean time to repair. We see that when our customers are using this tool, their stability on the link is getting better and better, every time they use it. Also, we use the solution for unified communication application performance and it helps with uptime and end-user experience. Sometimes the quality of voice calls is not good enough, so we use the Media Monitor to check the quality in real-time.

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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

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

"The alerting system in Checkmk really works properly."

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

"Checkmk helps me compare data and foresee issues."

"I really like the auto-discovery feature."

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

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

"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."

More Checkmk pros

"vSTREAM gives us better visibility and reporting about our network infrastructure, allowing for cost-optimization."

"One of the valuable features is the packet decoding."

Cons

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

"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."

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

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

"Checkmk does not work too easily with the PowerStore. I use a PowerShell script as Checkmk runs on Linux and a Windows system, connecting with the Checkmk agent."

"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."

"The initial setup is a bit complex."

"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."

More Checkmk cons

"Room for improvement exists in filtering in the packet decode."

"I would like for it to have a smaller footprint of the virtual appliance and better performance."

"I would like to see improvements made to the user guide."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The product is affordable."

"Checkmk is a fairly reasonably priced solution."

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

"Licensing is quite expensive."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

14%

Government

Financial Services Firm

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

14%

Computer Software Company

13%

Government

12%

Energy/Utilities Company

10%

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

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.

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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...

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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...

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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

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NETSCOUT nGeniusONE vs NETSCOUT vSTREAM

Compared 100% of the time

More NETSCOUT vSTREAM Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Checkmk

May 2025

Download Checkmk product report

Buyer's Guide

Network Monitoring Software

April 2025

Download NETSCOUT vSTREAM product report

Also Known As

No data available

vSTREAM

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

The vSTREAM virtual appliance complements existing Adaptive Session Intelligence (ASI)-based instrumentation to provide the same level of visibility within virtualized and cloud infrastructures that is already possible in physical environments. The vSTREAM virtual appliance is ideal for monitoring service-critical traffic running within virtualized or cloud infrastructures, either locally on a host or as an aggregation point for multiple hosts. With complete visibility across physical, virtual and cloud networks, the vSTREAM virtual appliance presents real-time views of end-to-end call trace data and network-wide KPIs, to protect the reliability and availability of networks and application services.

NETSCOUT

Sample Customers

Information Not Available

Metropolitan Police Agency, Banpara, PropertyRoom.com

Buyer's Guide

Checkmk vs. NETSCOUT vSTREAM

April 2025

Free Report: Checkmk vs. NETSCOUT vSTREAM

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