Cisco UCS Manager vs Nagios XI comparison

Cisco and Nagios are both solutions in the IT Infrastructure Monitoring category. Cisco is ranked #32 with an average rating of 8.8, while Nagios is ranked #17 with an average rating of 6.8. Cisco holds a 1.2% mindshare in IM, compared to Nagios’s 3.5% mindshare. Additionally, 96% of Cisco users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 83% of Nagios users who would recommend it.

Cisco UCS Manager

Read 27 Cisco UCS Manager reviews

3,317 Views
3,085 Comparison Views

96% willing to recommend

Nagios XI

Read 58 Nagios XI reviews

11,324 Views
7,474 Comparison Views

83% willing to recommend

Cisco UCS Manager

Nagios XI

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 9, 2024

Nagios XI and Cisco UCS Manager compete in the network and infrastructure management category. While Nagios XI offers better customization and cost efficiency, Cisco UCS Manager excels in unified resource management and infrastructure integration.

Features: Nagios XI is an open-source tool allowing custom plugin development, offering flexibility tailored to monitoring needs. It has a strong supporting community and excellent scalability, positioning it well in IT markets. Cisco UCS Manager provides integrated management across Cisco data center systems, enabling comprehensive control over server, storage, and networking resources. It stands out in its flexible network configurations, crucial for streamlined infrastructure management.

Room for Improvement: Nagios XI requires additional plugins for extensive monitoring, lacks complex clustering support, and needs manual script configurations, increasing setup complexity. A unified interface and enhanced API support would simplify operations. Cisco UCS Manager could improve by simplifying its interface and enhancing integration flexibility. Streamlining firmware upgrades and offering an easier configuration process would benefit user experience, especially for smaller organizations.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Nagios XI offers deployment in private, hybrid, and public clouds but requires considerable configuration. With a vast community and forums for support, time zone differences could affect direct technical support accessibility. Cisco UCS Manager is typically deployed on-premises, posing challenges for those without technical expertise. Its customer support is reliable, yet deployment complexity can burden smaller enterprises, with licensing and support costs being key considerations.

Pricing and ROI: Nagios XI is cost-effective with an open-source model that saves costs; its proprietary license is valued for its features, offering good ROI for detailed monitoring needs. Cisco UCS Manager, although more expensive due to hardware and licensing, offers robust reliability and integrated management justifying its cost for full-scale infrastructure solutions. Nagios XI attracts budget-conscious buyers, while Cisco UCS Manager appeals to those prioritizing system efficiency.

To learn more, read our detailed Cisco UCS Manager vs. Nagios XI Report (Updated: April 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Cisco UCS Manager vs. Nagios XI

April 2026

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Helped 892,776 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:

ROI

Sentiment score

5.1

Cisco UCS Manager enhances ROI by minimizing hardware failures, downtime, and maintenance, simplifying management, and integrating efficiently with other tools.

Sentiment score

6.6

Nagios XI enhances efficiency and time management but concerns about increased costs affect ROI perception across organizations.

I can manage all LAN uplinks and fiber channel storage uplinks directly from UCS Manager.

Sidi Abdul

CTO at Next Technologies Ltd

Cisco UCS Manager provides cost savings by reducing the time support staff spend on long deployments.

Humphrey Hlatshwayo

Systems Engineer at First Rand Bank Ltd.

For more quotes and insights, download the Cisco UCS Manager report

No quotes available

For more quotes and insights, download the Nagios XI report

Customer Service

Sentiment score

8.2

Cisco UCS Manager support is praised for expertise and responsiveness, though European support and urgent issues may vary.

Sentiment score

6.5

Nagios XI support is mixed; praised for responsiveness but criticized for high cost, complex licensing, and delayed responses.

With Intersight, service requests are automatically generated, enhancing the user experience and providing timely resolutions.

Humphrey Hlatshwayo

Systems Engineer at First Rand Bank Ltd.

For a severity one case, a call ensures immediate assistance and resolution of the matter.

Sidi Abdul

CTO at Next Technologies Ltd

Regarding Cisco tech, they are pretty good.

Rob-Croxford

Consultant at rcnss

For more quotes and insights, download the Cisco UCS Manager report

No quotes available

For more quotes and insights, download the Nagios XI report

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score

7.8

Cisco UCS Manager offers scalable infrastructure solutions, though constrained by chassis limits, with largely positive user feedback.

Sentiment score

7.1

Nagios XI is scalable for small to medium environments but faces challenges in large infrastructures and cloud adaptability.

Adding new chassis and extra blades is streamlined.

Sidi Abdul

CTO at Next Technologies Ltd

I would rate the scalability at nine out of ten, probably.

Rob-Croxford

Consultant at rcnss

For more quotes and insights, download the Cisco UCS Manager report

If the user interface isn’t presenting data well, it becomes difficult to manage when scaling.

Emmanuel Appiah Boateng

Network and Security Engineer at a educational organization with 1,001-5,000 employees

For more quotes and insights, download the Nagios XI report

Stability Issues

Sentiment score

7.6

Cisco UCS Manager is praised for its stability, reliability, and prompt support, often outperforming competitors in overall robustness.

Sentiment score

7.3

Nagios XI is stable, but large deployments may experience performance issues, database problems, and minor network dependencies.

If there's a really complex problem, I would probably give it a ten since it gets escalated quickly.

Rob-Croxford

Consultant at rcnss

For more quotes and insights, download the Cisco UCS Manager report

It is very stable.

Emmanuel Appiah Boateng

Network and Security Engineer at a educational organization with 1,001-5,000 employees

For more quotes and insights, download the Nagios XI report

Room For Improvement

Cisco UCS Manager needs a streamlined interface, enhanced support, simpler updates, better integration, affordability, and improved monitoring.

Nagios XI's interface is outdated, lacks scalability, needs better cloud integration, APIs, automation, and improved documentation.

We would benefit from advancements in AI that offer firmware recommendations automatically, reducing the need for human intervention and vendor communication.

Humphrey Hlatshwayo

Systems Engineer at First Rand Bank Ltd.

It doesn't work straight out of the UCS, so someone who knows what they're doing is needed immediately, and it can be quite confusing.

Rob-Croxford

Consultant at rcnss

While it has been improved from using Java to HTML, simplifying the tabs would enhance user experience.

Sidi Abdul

CTO at Next Technologies Ltd

For more quotes and insights, download the Cisco UCS Manager report

Many tools have poor user interfaces, making them hard to manage and navigate.

Emmanuel Appiah Boateng

Network and Security Engineer at a educational organization with 1,001-5,000 employees

The GUI could be improved. It's a bit too basic.

Amir Said

Site Duty Manager at Assw

For more quotes and insights, download the Nagios XI report

Setup Cost

Cisco UCS Manager is seen as expensive but offers competitive value with bundled discounts, quality, and reliability.

Nagios XI provides cost-efficient enterprise-level monitoring with reasonable pricing, appreciated for its features and open-source options.

Recently, we acquired an excellent bundle with significant discounts, with offers like buying three servers and getting one free, along with UCSC and fabric included for free.

Sidi Abdul

CTO at Next Technologies Ltd

As long as they can afford it, there is a setup cost involved.

Rob-Croxford

Consultant at rcnss

For more quotes and insights, download the Cisco UCS Manager report

We are using the free, open-source version.

Amir Said

Site Duty Manager at Assw

The pricing for the Nagios XI product is good and better than other solutions.

Emmanuel Appiah Boateng

Network and Security Engineer at a educational organization with 1,001-5,000 employees

For more quotes and insights, download the Nagios XI report

Valuable Features

Cisco UCS Manager offers unified management, easy deployment, flexible configurations, high availability, and cross-infrastructure security compatibility.

Nagios XI provides customizable, flexible, and scalable IT infrastructure monitoring with real-time alerts and extensive plugin support.

It supports ease of deployment, allowing for quick mass deployments in the data center, saving time and resources by doing so from a remote location.

Humphrey Hlatshwayo

Systems Engineer at First Rand Bank Ltd.

Whenever there's a failure of any component, it's very easy to swap because you just disassociate that profile, remove the faulty blade, connect the new blade, and associate that profile, maintaining the same MAC address and worldwide port name.

Sidi Abdul

CTO at Next Technologies Ltd

One of the valuable features is the user interface base, specifically the C user interface.

Rob-Croxford

Consultant at rcnss

For more quotes and insights, download the Cisco UCS Manager report

Nagios XI simplifies our setup and reduces the time spent configuring monitoring tools.

Emmanuel Appiah Boateng

Network and Security Engineer at a educational organization with 1,001-5,000 employees

The alerting system is very effective.

Amir Said

Site Duty Manager at Assw

For more quotes and insights, download the Nagios XI report

Categories and Ranking

Cisco UCS Manager

Ranking in IT Infrastructure Monitoring

32nd

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

7.0

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Nagios XI

Ranking in IT Infrastructure Monitoring

17th

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

6.8

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Network Monitoring Software (16th), Server Monitoring (9th), Cloud Monitoring Software (20th)

Mindshare comparison

As of May 2026, in the IT Infrastructure Monitoring category, the mindshare of Cisco UCS Manager is 1.2%, down from 1.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Nagios XI is 3.5%, down from 3.7% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

IT Infrastructure Monitoring Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Nagios XI	3.5%
Cisco UCS Manager	1.2%
Other	95.3%

IT Infrastructure Monitoring

Featured Reviews

Rob-Croxford

Consultant at rcnss

A market leader with an enhanced user interface for seamless experience

There is room for improvement in terms of cost and complexity to set up. It doesn't work straight out of the UCS, so someone who knows what they're doing is needed immediately, and it can be quite confusing. Some settings are still fairly well hidden, even the basic ones. Companies don't really understand how long it takes to set up. Also, when changes are pushed, it can take their phone line off the system for twenty minutes to half an hour. Out-of-the-box functionality is an issue, too. I know that my company is different, however, the basics are always the same. You do your tap lines, zip lines, and stuff like that, then you get your internal phone line system. That can all be automated and scripted, and it's probably part of the automation process. However, I haven't really seen it.

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Emmanuel Appiah Boateng

Network and Security Engineer at a educational organization with 1,001-5,000 employees

Simplifies setup and requires user interface enhancement

Nagios XI is easy to install, which sets it apart from other open-source solutions I've tried. Typically, setting up a monitoring system on Linux involves cloning files from GitHub, building it, and installing many dependencies, but with Nagios XI, it wasn't like that. Nagios XI simplifies our setup and reduces the time spent configuring monitoring tools.

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Comparison Review

it_user174738

IT Developer at a tech services company with 51-200 employees

May 31, 2015

Nagios vs. Zabbix vs. PRTG vs. Spiceworks vs. Solarwinds Network Performance Monitor

I have researched a quite a few network monitoring tools which can be used for various monitoring purposes of not only the servers, but the intermediate routers as well. There are majorly three types of these softwares. Ones which are completely open-source, you can do almost anything you want…

Read full review

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

15%

Manufacturing Company

11%

Government

Computer Software Company

Financial Services Firm

10%

Computer Software Company

Comms Service Provider

Manufacturing Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	8
Midsize Enterprise	3
Large Enterprise	18

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	22
Midsize Enterprise	17
Large Enterprise	21

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco UCS Manager?

My experience with the pricing of Cisco UCS Manager ( /products/cisco-ucs-manager-reviews ) is that it is reasonable. Recently, we acquired an excellent bundle with significant discounts, with offe...

See all answers

What needs improvement with Cisco UCS Manager?

For improvements, while the current graphical user interface is satisfactory, it could be further simplified for different tasks. While it has been improved from using Java to HTML, simplifying the...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Cisco UCS Manager?

Our primary use case involves working with Cisco UCS B-Series ( /products/cisco-ucs-b-series-reviews ), specifically the UCS X modular deployment. We are setting up a new deployment shortly.

See all answers

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

The pricing for the Nagios XI product is good and better than other solutions. I would give it a four or five.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Nagios XI?

The user interface needs improvement. Many tools have poor user interfaces, making them hard to manage and navigate.

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Nagios XI?

I normally use Nagios XI for our servers. It's not particularly used for network equipment, however, I use it for monitoring our server performance, including CPU, memory, data, and services runnin...

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Comparisons

Cisco Intersight vs Cisco UCS Manager

Compared 56% of the time

Nutanix Prism vs Cisco UCS Manager

Compared 5% of the time

HPE OneView vs Cisco UCS Manager

Compared 5% of the time

SolarWinds NPM vs Cisco UCS Manager

Compared 4% of the time

vRealize Network Insight vs Cisco UCS Manager

Compared 2% of the time

More Cisco UCS Manager Competitors

Zabbix vs Nagios XI

Compared 5% of the time

DX Spectrum vs Nagios XI

Compared 4% of the time

SolarWinds NPM vs Nagios XI

Compared 4% of the time

Opsview vs Nagios XI

Compared 4% of the time

SCOM vs Nagios XI

Compared 3% of the time

More Nagios XI Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Cisco UCS Manager

May 2026

Download Cisco UCS Manager product report

Buyer's Guide

Nagios XI

April 2026

Download Nagios XI product report

Overview

Cisco UCS Manager enables streamlined operations through unified storage, networking, and computing management, offering enhanced reliability and flexibility.

Cisco UCS Manager provides enhanced management capabilities for infrastructures, simplifying server deployment and operations. Its user-friendly interface aids in easy configuration and visibility, including robust reporting. UCS Manager supports efficient firmware and OS updates for large deployments, ensuring smooth operations across physical and virtual environments.

What key features does Cisco UCS Manager offer?

Hardware Profile Association: Ensures seamless hardware configurations.
Unified Management: Centralizes control of storage, networking, and computing resources.
Service Profiles: Simplifies server deployment and management.
User-Friendly Dashboards: Provides intuitive interface and strong reporting.
High Availability: Facilitates resource expansion and stability.

What benefits are important when considering Cisco UCS Manager?

Operational Efficiency: Reduces downtime and enhances deployment speed.
Centralized Control: Streamlines management across blades and configurations.
Scalability: Supports mass deployments and expansion.
Visibility and Reporting: Improves infrastructure monitoring and analytics.

In industries managing extensive IT infrastructures, such as healthcare and finance, Cisco UCS Manager is crucial for optimizing server and network operations. It enables efficient creation of server profiles, integration with networking systems, and comprehensive monitoring, ensuring high availability and reduced setup time for complex environments.

Cisco

Nagios XI offers powerful monitoring with customizable scripts and extensive plugin support, making it ideal for those overseeing IT services and infrastructure. It features an intuitive dashboard, real-time alerts, and comprehensive device support, ensuring flexible and scalable network monitoring.

Nagios XI stands out due to its robust monitoring capabilities, emphasizing flexibility and vast plugin support for custom scripts and service monitoring. Users value its intuitive dashboard for real-time alerts and device compatibility, which simplifies installation and enhances scalability and network visualization. Its open-source foundation assures performance and stability, while a setup wizard aids initial configuration. Despite its strengths, Nagios XI could benefit from a more user-friendly interface, enhanced installation processes, better network map customization, improved cloud integration, and alerting capabilities. Users often face hurdles with its scalability, configuration management, and reporting flexibility, and enterprise clients desire improved dashboards, clustering support, and AI integration.

What are some key features of Nagios XI?

Monitoring Capabilities: Offers comprehensive monitoring for networks, servers, and IT services.
Plugin Support: Supports a wide range of plugins, enabling custom script creation for diverse monitoring needs.
Intuitive Dashboard: Provides real-time alerts and a user-friendly display.
Scalability: Supports growth with robust scalability and network visualization capabilities.
Open-Source Performance: Benefits from an open-source framework, ensuring performance and stability.

What are the potential benefits and ROI?

Comprehensive Monitoring: Enables thorough oversight of IT services and infrastructure.
Customizability: Allows for tailored solutions via plugins and scripts.
Real-Time Alerts: Provides immediate notification of system issues.
Ease of Installation: Simplified processes through the setup wizard.
Scalable Solutions: Adapts to growing organizational needs, enhancing long-term use and support.

Nagios XI is widely used in monitoring network servers, infrastructure environments, and IT services. Organizations rely on Nagios XI for comprehensive monitoring of hardware, memory storage, CPUs, databases, services, and applications. It's frequently implemented to manage multiple servers, routers, switches, modems, and power supplies, and integrates with virtual and cloud servers. By supporting custom scripts and data collection, it allows for effective alerts and notifications for network and equipment statuses across various sectors.

Nagios

Sample Customers

Management Science Associates, Peak 10, Virtual Consulting Professionals

Nagios has over one million users globally, including AOL, DHL, McAfee, MCI, MTV, Yahoo!, Universal, Toshiba, Sony, Siemens, and JPMorgan Chase.

Buyer's Guide

Cisco UCS Manager vs. Nagios XI

April 2026

Free Report: Cisco UCS Manager vs. Nagios XI

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