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Microsoft System Center vs PRTG Network Monitor comparison

Microsoft and Paessler GmbH are both solutions in the Cloud Monitoring Software category. Microsoft is ranked #19 with an average rating of 8.4, while Paessler GmbH is ranked #11 with an average rating of 7.7. Microsoft holds a 0.4% mindshare in CMS, compared to Paessler GmbH’s 4.8% mindshare. Additionally, 85% of Microsoft users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 91% of Paessler GmbH users who would recommend it.
Microsoft System Center
Read 19 Microsoft System Center reviews
  • 469 Views
  • 272 Comparison Views
85% willing to recommend
PRTG Network Monitor
Read 103 PRTG Network Monitor reviews
  • 8,261 Views
  • 3,635 Comparison Views
91% willing to recommend
 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Jun 15, 2025

Microsoft System Center and PRTG Network Monitor compete in the IT management and monitoring category. PRTG Network Monitor has the upper hand due to its versatile monitoring capabilities and user-friendly deployment.

Features: Microsoft System Center offers comprehensive tools for automation and third-party hypervisor control, ideal for Windows environments. It integrates well with Microsoft products, facilitating updates and monitoring. PRTG Network Monitor is known for its rapid deployment, scalability, and diverse monitoring capabilities without requiring complex customization. It provides detailed network performance insights and is cost-effective with strong support for various operating systems.

Room for Improvement: Microsoft System Center struggles with non-Microsoft product integration and has a cumbersome interface that impacts usability. Its documentation is outdated, and it demands significant computing resources. PRTG Network Monitor could improve in application monitoring, report customization, and dashboard flexibility. Enhanced support for advanced monitoring features and integration with modern technologies would be beneficial.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Microsoft System Center primarily supports on-premises deployment, lacking flexibility for diverse infrastructure. Users find customer service engagement demanding, with slow response times. PRTG Network Monitor supports hybrid and public cloud deployment, with an easy setup process noted for user-friendliness. However, its support engagement could be improved, with users often relying on forums for help.

Pricing and ROI: Microsoft System Center is relatively costly due to yearly licensing and support contracts but offers substantial ROI through automation. PRTG Network Monitor stands as a cost-effective solution with flexible licensing and all-inclusive packages, supporting a perpetual licensing model beneficial for long-term use. Both products provide considerable ROI, with PRTG appealing to businesses seeking budget-friendly options.

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To learn more, read our detailed Microsoft System Center vs. PRTG Network Monitor Report (Updated: July 2025).
Buyer's Guide
Microsoft System Center vs. PRTG Network Monitor
July 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:
 

ROI

Sentiment score
8.6
Organizations reaped over 50% ROI with Microsoft System Center, automating tasks and enhancing efficiency while reducing costs.
Sentiment score
6.9
PRTG Network Monitor boosts efficiency and cost savings by automating monitoring, preventing issues, and consolidating data for fast ROI.
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
5.0
Microsoft System Center's support is inconsistent, with mixed reviews on response times, cost, and users preferring self-resolution.
Sentiment score
6.9
PRTG Network Monitor support is responsive, with online resources available, but improvements are needed for complex queries and remote assistance.
No quotes available
For more quotes and insights, download the Microsoft System Center report
Tutorials are available so I can manage any issue with PRTG Network Monitor easily.
The setup process is well-documented, making it easy to deploy.
For more quotes and insights, download the PRTG Network Monitor report
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
7.4
Microsoft System Center is praised for its strong scalability, efficiently managing environments from small setups to large infrastructures.
Sentiment score
7.3
PRTG Network Monitor offers scalable network monitoring with remote probes, supporting small to enterprise environments despite potential high-sensor performance issues.
No quotes available
For more quotes and insights, download the Microsoft System Center report
On a scale of one to ten, scalability is rated as 9.5.
You can install them in each network, even if they are not connected, and it works.
PRTG Network Monitor has the ability to scale and add new devices.
For more quotes and insights, download the PRTG Network Monitor report
Tochukwu Uzomba - PeerSpot reviewerPetr Pouzar - PeerSpot reviewer
SA
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
7.8
Microsoft System Center is stable, reliable, and users rate its stability 8/10, with minimal issues in virtualized environments.
Sentiment score
7.9
PRTG Network Monitor is stable and reliable, with performance issues typically linked to setup, maintenance, and configuration.
 

Room For Improvement

Microsoft System Center struggles with integration, complexity, performance issues, and requires enhancements in interface, documentation, and cloud capabilities.
PRTG Network Monitor requires enhancements in performance, cloud integration, user interface, and affordability to meet user demands effectively.
No quotes available
For more quotes and insights, download the Microsoft System Center report
PRTG Network Monitor can sometimes be too detailed and cluttered at the beginning, making it heavy to use.
They previously had a perpetual model, which meant that you bought a license and if you missed the end of the time, it still worked; you just lost the possibility of some upgrades.
They need to improve application performance monitoring, error tracing mechanisms, and log management.
For more quotes and insights, download the PRTG Network Monitor report
reviewer980832 - PeerSpot reviewerPetr Pouzar - PeerSpot reviewerTochukwu Uzomba - PeerSpot reviewer
 

Setup Cost

Microsoft System Center costs $25,000 annually, requiring yearly licensing, rated mid-high in expense, with no extra charges.
PRTG Network Monitor provides flexible pricing and comprehensive features, appealing to enterprises with various budget and monitoring needs.
No quotes available
For more quotes and insights, download the Microsoft System Center report
It's not too high, nor too low, but it's reasonable.
The prices are very high for PRTG Network Monitor.
Pricing is by the number of devices, not by sensor.
For more quotes and insights, download the PRTG Network Monitor report
reviewer980832 - PeerSpot reviewer
SA
Tochukwu Uzomba - PeerSpot reviewer
 

Valuable Features

Microsoft System Center offers seamless integration, automation, intuitive GUI, third-party management, and efficient reporting, enhancing system control and functionality.
PRTG Network Monitor offers rapid deployment, scalability, detailed insights, cost-effective licensing, and real-time monitoring, ensuring high customer satisfaction.
No quotes available
For more quotes and insights, download the Microsoft System Center report
PRTG Network Monitor already provided me with 100 free sensors, which is enough for my network monitoring.
PRTG Network Monitor is easy to set up. Within a few minutes, it is operational.
It is advantageous because it can be deployed on-premises.
For more quotes and insights, download the PRTG Network Monitor report
SA
Tochukwu Uzomba - PeerSpot reviewerreviewer980832 - PeerSpot reviewer
 

Categories and Ranking

Microsoft System Center
Ranking in Cloud Monitoring Software
19th
Average Rating
7.8
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
19
Ranking in other categories
Application Infrastructure (13th)
PRTG Network Monitor
Ranking in Cloud Monitoring Software
11th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
7.1
Number of Reviews
103
Ranking in other categories
Network Monitoring Software (5th), IT Infrastructure Monitoring (6th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of August 2025, in the Cloud Monitoring Software category, the mindshare of Microsoft System Center is 0.4%, up from 0.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of PRTG Network Monitor is 4.8%, up from 4.7% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Cloud Monitoring Software
 

Featured Reviews

Ajinkya Mohod - PeerSpot reviewer
Makes user management and application management easy for users
Speaking about the impact of the automation feature that impacted our company's operational efficiency, I can say that the complete tool works on automation. You just have to configure it, and it works, especially in areas like auto-patching updates. I suggest that others can definitely go ahead with Microsoft System Center, especially beginners who choose it, can get hands-on experience with it, and acquire a good understanding of how things work. In terms of the value and benefits derived from the use of the solution, I can say that my company's operations have been made simpler because of the product, especially in areas like user management and application management where we have been benefited a lot. I rate the tool a nine out of ten.
Read full review
Noman-Saleem - PeerSpot reviewer
Detects suden changes but significant pricing concerns affect the effectiveness of network traffic troubleshooting
We use PRTG Network Monitor for monitoring traffic on interfaces and the behavior of network traffic. If there are sudden changes in traffic or any configuration issues, we can sort them out using PRTG. It's very helpful for troubleshooting and monitoring traffic utilization on our interfaces…
Read full review
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Comparison Review

it_user174738 - PeerSpot reviewer
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
No data available
Computer Software Company
12%
Government
9%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Comms Service Provider
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Microsoft System Center?
The product's initial setup phase was easy.
See all answers
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Microsoft System Center?
Microsoft System Center's licensing is costly.
See all answers
What needs improvement with Microsoft System Center?
Microsoft System Center should be easier to manage. However, it is complex to deploy, so people hesitate to use it. Though it has many features, such as licensing, asset tracking, and software depl...
See all answers
What is the best network monitoring software for large enterprises?
PRTG network monitor is one of the best tool i have ever used for the monitoring. It have auto discovery option. it avoid the configuring the device in PRTG. It automatically discover the device an...
See all answers
What do you like most about PRTG Network Monitor?
The tool is integrated with our email for the alerts.
See all answers
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for PRTG Network Monitor?
The pricing is in the middle. It's not too high, nor too low, but it's reasonable.
See all answers
 

Comparisons

VMware Aria Operations for Applications vs Microsoft System Center Logo
VMware Aria Operations for Applications vs Microsoft System Center
Compared 38% of the time
JBoss Enterprise Application Platform vs Microsoft System Center Logo
JBoss Enterprise Application Platform vs Microsoft System Center
Compared 27% of the time
Veeam Data Platform vs Microsoft System Center Logo
Veeam Data Platform vs Microsoft System Center
Compared 19% of the time
IBM BPM vs Microsoft System Center Logo
IBM BPM vs Microsoft System Center
Compared 15% of the time
More Microsoft System Center Competitors
Zabbix vs PRTG Network Monitor Logo
Zabbix vs PRTG Network Monitor
Compared 8% of the time
PRTG Enterprise Monitor vs PRTG Network Monitor Logo
PRTG Enterprise Monitor vs PRTG Network Monitor
Compared 6% of the time
SolarWinds NPM vs PRTG Network Monitor Logo
SolarWinds NPM vs PRTG Network Monitor
Compared 5% of the time
Centreon vs PRTG Network Monitor Logo
Centreon vs PRTG Network Monitor
Compared 5% of the time
LibreNMS vs PRTG Network Monitor Logo
LibreNMS vs PRTG Network Monitor
Compared 5% of the time
More PRTG Network Monitor Competitors
 

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide
Microsoft System Center
August 2025
Microsoft System Center reportDownload Microsoft System Center product report
Buyer's Guide
PRTG Network Monitor
August 2025
PRTG Network Monitor reportDownload PRTG Network Monitor product report
 

Also Known As

MS System Center
No data available
 

Overview

System Center helps customers realize the benefits of the Microsoft Cloud Platform by delivering unified management. Experience fast time-to-value with out-of-the-box monitoring, provisioning, configuration, automation, protection and self-service.
Microsoft

PRTG Network Monitor runs on a Windows machine within your network, collecting various statistics from the machines, software, and devices which you designate. PRTG comes with an easy-to-use web interface with point-and-click configuration. You can easily share data from it with non-technical colleagues and customers, including via live graphs and custom reports. This will let you plan for network expansion, see what applications are using most of your connection, and make sure that no one is hogging the entire network just to torrent videos.

To monitor a large IT environment, it's important to be able to scale PRTG up. Paessler PRTG Enterprise Monitor includes all the proven capabilities of PRTG Network Monitor, which are enhanced by exclusive ITOps Board for a service-oriented, central overview of multiple PRTG servers.

Paessler GmbH
 

Sample Customers

Kassen_rztliche Vereinigung Nordrhein, Magyar Telekom Nyrt., Adeka, QualCare, Aeriandi, UniCredit Bank d.d., Mostar, Allianz Australia Ltd., Grupo Familia
Jameson Bank, Sidnix, RungeICT, MedicalAnimal, Truck-lite, GamingGrids, The Covell Group, Forsythn County Schools, NetMass, Musgrove Park Hospital, Lanes Health, Columbia Southern University, Vodafone, Intrust Bank
Buyer's Guide
Microsoft System Center vs. PRTG Network Monitor
July 2025
Free Report: Microsoft System Center vs. PRTG Network Monitor
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