Checkmk vs Nmap comparison

Checkmk and Nmap are both solutions in the Network Monitoring Software category. Checkmk is ranked #8 with an average rating of 8.4, while Nmap is ranked #11 with an average rating of 8.7. Checkmk holds a 3.9% mindshare in NMS, compared to Nmap’s 0.5% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of Checkmk users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Nmap users who would recommend it.

Checkmk

Read 9 Checkmk reviews

3,674 Views
2,684 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Nmap

Read 22 Nmap reviews

1,099 Views
474 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Checkmk

Nmap

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 10, 2024

Nmap and Checkmk are both key players in network management and monitoring. Nmap has an advantage in environments where network security is a priority due to its strong network scanning and vulnerability detection features. Checkmk leads in network performance monitoring with its comprehensive monitoring capabilities.

Features: Nmap offers efficient network discovery, device auditing, and open port detection, making it well-suited for security scanning. Checkmk delivers extensive monitoring with real-time data visualization, covering server, application, and service monitoring. Its integrated dashboard and broad scope enhance its value in network performance.

Room for Improvement: Nmap could improve with enhanced customer support and better integration with existing systems. Its user interface might benefit from modernization, and expanding its monitoring capabilities can increase its value. Checkmk could work on reducing its pricing to be more competitive, simplifying its dashboard complexity, and offering more customizable reporting options.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Checkmk provides a user-friendly deployment experience with robust support options, facilitating quick integration. Nmap is known for its straightforward setup and minimal resource requirements, though it lacks comprehensive customer support compared to Checkmk.

Pricing and ROI: Nmap offers a cost-effective solution with low setup costs, benefiting from being free and open-source, thus providing substantial ROI. Checkmk, even with higher initial costs, ensures long-term ROI with its extensive features that reduce downtime and enhance visibility across networks.

To learn more, read our detailed Checkmk vs. Nmap Report (Updated: June 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Checkmk vs. Nmap

June 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

8th

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

7.3

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Server Monitoring (6th), IT Infrastructure Monitoring (13th), Cloud Monitoring Software (12th)

Nmap

Ranking in Network Monitoring Software

11th

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

7.7

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of June 2025, in the Network Monitoring Software category, the mindshare of Checkmk is 3.9%, up from 2.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Nmap is 0.5%, down from 0.6% 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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AntoSebastin

Cyber Security Consultant - APAC at Logon Software

Scans the network and identifies vulnerabilities on each machine

Nmap is mostly helpful during compliance checks. We run the scanner to see how many devices are on our network and find vulnerabilities in those that aren't compliant. We also use it monthly to scan our network and identify devices that aren't connected properly. This helps us detect any issues related to the operating systems of these devices. The tool's most valuable feature is its vulnerability scanning. It allows us to scan a specific range of IP addresses and discover devices within that range. This makes it easy to identify devices and view their details. Port scanning is crucial for network management tasks. It helps us identify vulnerabilities by finding open ports that may be unused or misconfigured. This tool makes it easy to detect such issues. The OS detection feature is great. Unlike other tools, Nmap provides accurate information about asset vulnerabilities, helping us easily detect and address them. Using Nmap provides value to the company, especially during compliance audits. It helps generate reports on assets, updates on workstations, and insights into network activities and potential attacks. Additionally, Nmap detects vulnerabilities and provides port details, allowing us to close unused ports on the client machines.

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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

"The alerting system in Checkmk really works properly."

"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."

"I really like the auto-discovery feature."

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

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

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

"Checkmk helps me compare data and foresee issues."

"We can monitor multiple sites using the product."

More Checkmk pros

"The best feature of Nmap is that it lets me see useful information about each endpoint in my entire network environment. For example, I can see every single connection of the network as well as each and every port."

"The real-time reporting feature of Nmap is particularly valuable. It generates detailed reports on the source and destination IP addresses, the protocols used, and the types of traffic."

"Nmap is easy to use. It's a command-line interface, and the output is quite good."

"Nmap's performance is great, and I've never noticed any issues in this respect. It really doesn't put a heavy load on the machine when using it."

"From a functionality standpoint, it's robust and straightforward to comprehend."

"Nmap has a powerful command line tool and a set of diagnostic features."

"The tool's most valuable feature is its scripts. These scripts prove beneficial when security features may obscure or block connections. Nmap helps identify vulnerabilities across different systems, including web servers and various server types."

"The solution detects the operating systems, which makes testing the software much easier before making the payload."

More Nmap pros

Cons

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

"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."

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

"The initial setup is a bit complex."

"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."

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

"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."

More Checkmk cons

"The challenge often lies in finding suitable courses and professional resources."

"The solution is not that easy for a beginner to learn."

"The solution's initial setup could be better."

"Nmap major operates through the CLI; there's no GUI component, and that's where the challenge is."

"Nmap needs to improve its scanning speed."

"Customization is not very user-friendly in Nmap."

"Since I started using Nmap, it has been completely based on the command prompt and I think it would help other users if they implemented a decent GUI as well."

"One of the drawbacks of the standard Nmap utility is that it does not come with a graphical user interface, unlike a number of other open-source alternatives such as Zenmap."

More Nmap cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The product is affordable."

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

"Checkmk is a fairly reasonably priced solution."

"Nmap is an open-source product. You don't need a license to install it."

"It's an open-source solution. Commerically, only the support service is available."

"Nmap is open source software, which suits us well because we are a manufacturing company and not an IT company, for example. If we were an IT company, we would probably need to pay for extra support or instead go for another software solution. But as it is, we don't have any need for high-end troubleshooting tools."

"The solution is open source so it is free."

"It's an open-source product, and I haven't seen any premiums. Options are available for those who purchase, but for my use case, everything I need is available in the community and forums."

"The solution is free of cost, but there are specific services that we have to buy."

"I am using the standard free version of Nmap."

"I am using the free version of Nmap."

More Nmap pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

14%

Government

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

Computer Software Company

12%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Retailer

Educational Organization

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.

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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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What do you like most about Nmap?

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Nmap?

I am using the free version of Nmap.

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Nmap?

Nmap is used for network scanning to map the network, identify devices, and assess their status. It helps determine open ports and services running on a particular endpoint or server within an ente...

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Checkmk

June 2025

Download Checkmk product report

Buyer's Guide

Nmap

June 2025

Download Nmap 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

Nmap ("Network Mapper") is a free and open source (license) utility for network discovery and security auditing. Many systems and network administrators also find it useful for tasks such as network inventory, managing service upgrade schedules, and monitoring host or service uptime. Nmap uses raw IP packets in novel ways to determine what hosts are available on the network, what services (application name and version) those hosts are offering, what operating systems (and OS versions) they are running, what type of packet filters/firewalls are in use, and dozens of other characteristics. It was designed to rapidly scan large networks, but works fine against single hosts. Nmap runs on all major computer operating systems, and official binary packages are available for Linux, Windows, and Mac OS X. In addition to the classic command-line Nmap executable, the Nmap suite includes an advanced GUI and results viewer (Zenmap), a flexible data transfer, redirection, and debugging tool (Ncat), a utility for comparing scan results (Ndiff), and a packet generation and response analysis tool (Nping).

Nmap

Sample Customers

Information Not Available

Lockheed Martin, Eastern Bank Boston, Perspecta, Harris Corporation, Discovery Communication

Buyer's Guide

Checkmk vs. Nmap

June 2025

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