Checkmk vs NETSCOUT vSTREAM comparison

Checkmk and NETSCOUT are both solutions in the Network Monitoring Software category. Checkmk is ranked #14 with an average rating of 8.5, while NETSCOUT is ranked #84. Checkmk holds a 3.7% 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

4,452 Views
3,829 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

NETSCOUT vSTREAM

Read 3 NETSCOUT vSTREAM reviews

454 Views
418 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: September 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Checkmk vs. NETSCOUT vSTREAM

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

Checkmk

Ranking in Network Monitoring Software

14th

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

7.3

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Server Monitoring (8th), IT Infrastructure Monitoring (24th), Cloud Monitoring Software (16th)

NETSCOUT vSTREAM

Ranking in Network Monitoring Software

84th

Average Rating

8.0

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2025, in the Network Monitoring Software category, the mindshare of Checkmk is 3.7%, up from 2.5% 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 Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Checkmk	3.7%
NETSCOUT vSTREAM	0.3%
Other	96.0%

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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Keval Lodaya

Network Engineer at Inniti Network Solution

A user-friendly solution that is easy to install and improves visibility

I would like to see improvements made to the user guide. From my personal experience, it is helpful to see a list of steps describing what to do next in different situations. An example is what to do and what to back up in the case of certain types of failure. There are also cases where a customer can't understand specific features. Enhancements to the user guide would be helpful for this. More features for network fragmentation would be helpful.

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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

"I really like the auto-discovery feature."

"Checkmk helps me compare data and foresee issues."

"The most valuable features of Checkmk are its resource monitoring, infra monitoring, and log factor configuration."

"We can monitor multiple sites using the product."

"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."

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

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

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

"The initial setup is a bit complex."

"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."

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

"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."

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

"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."

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

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

More Checkmk cons

"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."

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

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Checkmk is a fairly reasonably priced solution."

"The product is affordable."

"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

12%

Government

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

16%

Energy/Utilities Company

13%

Government

10%

Computer Software Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	4
Midsize Enterprise	3
Large Enterprise	2

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 41% of the time

LibreNMS vs Checkmk

Compared 9% of the time

Icinga vs Checkmk

Compared 8% of the time

PRTG Network Monitor vs Checkmk

Compared 5% of the time

Nagios Core vs Checkmk

Compared 4% 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

October 2025

Download Checkmk product report

Buyer's Guide

Network Monitoring Software

October 2025

Download NETSCOUT vSTREAM product report

Also Known As

No data available

vSTREAM

Overview

Checkmk provides a comprehensive monitoring solution designed to streamline IT infrastructure management with features like auto-discovery, custom checks, and effective alerting.

Checkmk serves as a powerful tool for organizations managing large networks of servers, databases, and network appliances across multiple locations. It simplifies monitoring tasks with features like auto-discovery, custom scripting, and Slack integration. Users benefit from its resource monitoring capabilities and scalability, although there are areas for improvement, such as alert acknowledgment and greater usability. It supports both Linux and Windows environments, enabling effective oversight of IT infrastructure. The growing body of documentation enhances its adaptability in complex settings.

What are the key features of Checkmk?

Auto-Discovery: Identifies new hosts and applies monitoring rules automatically.
Custom Monitoring Checks: Tailor checks for databases and specific applications.
Slack Integration: Receive downtime alerts directly in Slack channels.
Automation for Scripts: Streamline repetitive tasks with scripts.
Effective Alerting System: Offers timely notifications on network activities.

What benefits can users expect?

Resource Efficiency: Saves time on configuration with automated features.
Scalability: Easily adapts to growing network and system requirements.
Cost-Effectiveness: Suitable option for budget-conscious users.
User-Friendly Setup: Easy to configure, reducing the learning curve.

Industries deploying Checkmk frequently utilize it for monitoring IT infrastructure, including servers and network appliances, to manage proactive issue identification and compliance. Companies employ it in the proof of concept phase or for ongoing monitoring, covering hosts, services, and custom application metrics.

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

September 2025

Free Report: Checkmk vs. NETSCOUT vSTREAM

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