Nagios Core vs PRTG Enterprise Monitor comparison

Nagios and Paessler GmbH are both solutions in the Network Monitoring Software category. Nagios is ranked #12 with an average rating of 8.3, while Paessler GmbH is ranked #35 with an average rating of 7.3. Nagios holds a 2.5% mindshare in NMS, compared to Paessler GmbH’s 0.6% mindshare. Additionally, 80% of Nagios users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 88% of Paessler GmbH users who would recommend it.

Nagios Core

Read 51 Nagios Core reviews

3,994 Views
3,475 Comparison Views

80% willing to recommend

PRTG Enterprise Monitor

Read 10 PRTG Enterprise Monitor reviews

636 Views
636 Comparison Views

88% willing to recommend

Nagios Core

PRTG Enterprise Monitor

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 10, 2024

Nagios Core and PRTG Enterprise Monitor are competing network monitoring solutions. PRTG Enterprise Monitor seems to have the upper hand due to its comprehensive suite of features, despite higher costs and complexity.

Features: Nagios Core offers flexible plugin architecture, enabling broad customization and integration with third-party tools. It provides a modular approach that allows organizations to tailor their monitoring needs but may require more technical input. PRTG Enterprise Monitor provides an all-in-one platform, including bandwidth monitoring, traffic analysis, and a variety of pre-configured sensors. It is designed to handle larger IT environments with an integrated feature set, offering robust monitoring capabilities out of the box.

Room for Improvement: Nagios Core could improve in ease of deployment and direct customer service, as it relies heavily on community support. Its interface might be enhanced for a more modern user experience. PRTG Enterprise Monitor could benefit from offering more flexible pricing models to accommodate smaller organizations. Reducing complexity in its feature set might appeal to users with less technical expertise. Improving the depth of customization options could help cater to specific advanced monitoring scenarios.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: PRTG Enterprise Monitor facilitates a user-friendly setup with guided configurations and strong customer service support, making it suitable for fast deployment scenarios. Conversely, Nagios Core requires a higher level of technical expertise for installation and configuration, as it lacks formal direct customer support services. However, its open-source nature offers extensive community-driven assistance, which may be attractive to technical teams.

Pricing and ROI: Nagios Core’s open-source model reduces setup costs, potentially offering higher ROI for organizations able to leverage its community-driven ecosystem. PRTG Enterprise Monitor, with its all-inclusive pricing strategy, simplifies budgeting and delivers value through its comprehensive feature set and service. Despite higher initial costs, it offers a substantial ROI for enterprises needing robust, all-encompassing monitoring solutions.

To learn more, read our detailed Nagios Core vs. PRTG Enterprise Monitor Report (Updated: September 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Nagios Core vs. PRTG Enterprise Monitor

September 2025

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Helped 869,089 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:

Categories and Ranking

Nagios Core

Ranking in Network Monitoring Software

12th

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

7.0

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

IT Infrastructure Monitoring (11th)

PRTG Enterprise Monitor

Ranking in Network Monitoring Software

35th

Average Rating

7.4

Reviews Sentiment

6.6

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 Nagios Core is 2.5%, down from 3.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of PRTG Enterprise Monitor is 0.6%, up from 0.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Network Monitoring Software Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Nagios Core	2.5%
PRTG Enterprise Monitor	0.6%
Other	96.9%

Network Monitoring Software

Featured Reviews

Nishith-Vyas

Tech Lead at STL Digital Limited

Valuable reporting and alert system with room for PDF export improvements

The NetEase reporting structure needs improvement, especially the availability report, which is weak. It should be generated automatically with minimal human intervention and should be exportable as a PDF. Besides that, an integrated PDF export feature for reports is necessary. Also, the alert mechanism and graphing mechanism need to be integrated properly into Nagios Core. Currently, integrating these requires advanced Linux knowledge. Integration of more visualization tools like Grafana and Prometheus for better graphing and visualization is also recommended.

Read full review

Moshiur-Rahman Khan

CEO at IOPoint.com

Offers perfect real-time bandwidth monitoring and SNMP functionality

The licensing policy needs to change. The current model requires customers to purchase a minimum of two thousand licenses, which is not flexible for all customers. They should consider a more flexible licensing approach. Furthermore, alignment with customer expectations rather than offering numerous features that are not requested would be beneficial.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"The most valuable feature depends on the project. It's great if you need to check to ensure a service is running 24/7. I can use the full solution for free, and it's flexible. If I need to add a dashboard, I can integrate it with Nagios. Cloud synchronization is wonderful."

"The most valuable feature is the performance parameters of the system."

"I would rate the overall solution ten points out of ten."

"I like that it's very simple to install, easy to manage and deploy, and easy to use for monitoring."

"Other products are good but from the configuration point of view Nagios is really very lightweight. The price is really good in my opinion. Another important thing is that my Nagios engine still works with Dual core 8GB ram for the last 10 years."

"The reporting structure and the feature set are valuable to me."

"Our customers like that Nagios Core is an open source solution. It can be customized to our customers' specific needs."

"I like the way the solution sends alerts and how it keeps on escalating them."

More Nagios Core pros

"It can identify downtimes and disruptions."

"I would recommend PRTG Enterprise Monitor to others as it works well with Android devices, and you can try the free version before purchasing."

"The product is easy to understand."

"If an event is detected, such as a resource running low on storage or RAM, the product will notify you via email. Upon receiving the notification, action must be taken to address and resolve the issue. The feature I find most effective is its comprehensive nature. It's like having a permanent eye monitoring the network and all its nodes. Instead of manual monitoring, it detects anomalies automatically and alerts us accordingly."

"The solution's ability to monitor each and every aspect of our devices, such as memory utilization and port connectivity, is valuable."

"The solution offers perfect real-time bandwidth monitoring and SNMP functionality."

"PRTG is good and very easy to use."

"The product's most valuable feature is network analysis."

More PRTG Enterprise Monitor pros

Cons

"It is a bit slow due to latency."

"I would like to see a sensor that shows the traffic of a user and what they're doing on the network."

"Making it a little easier to configure and set up from the start would help. There are multiple layers that you have to wade through to be able to set it up, to do it the right way, and to get it to do what you want it to do."

"The NetEase reporting structure needs improvement, especially the availability report, which is weak."

"I would like to see more training videos."

"The core version is no match for the XI version."

"Nagios Core does not have a graphic display."

"I believe Nagios Core will need to provide an option for big data platforms in the future."

More Nagios Core cons

"The solution could be improved by including a processing monitor, possibly with a language interface like Lua, allowing for writing custom sensors and processing outcomes of inputs."

"The support must be improved."

"In my opinion, one area that could be improved in PRTG Enterprise Monitor is the capability to send SMS notifications. Notifications are crucial for alerting us to areas that require attention."

"There could be more security features included in PRTG Enterprise Monitor."

"The licensing policy needs to change. The current model requires customers to purchase a minimum of two thousand licenses, which is not flexible for all customers."

"They should work on minimizing false positives by sending alerts promptly and confirming errors with minimal troubleshooting requirements."

"The solution could be improved by introducing security features similar to those available in Teams, as the current version only monitors devices and does not integrate IoT or OT devices."

"The licensing policy needs to change."

More PRTG Enterprise Monitor cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The enterprise version has technical support. The version we are using is free."

"Most the plugin features are free."

"I would rate the solution's pricing an eight out of ten."

"The Nagios Core (PNP4Nagios + Core) is free and can be setup by Netadmin within a few hours. The only additional cost is the cloud server."

"We are using the free version of Nagios Core."

"Nagios Core is a cheap solution."

"Nagios Core is free to use."

"We are using the open-source, unpaid version."

More Nagios Core pricing and cost advice

"The pricing is $2,149 for software without maintenance, and licenses are sold in the minimum bundle of 500 interfaces."

"The solution is affordable."

"I rate the product's pricing an eight to seven out of ten."

"PRTG Enterprise Monitor's pricing is reasonable."

"PRTG Enterprise Monitor is an expensive product."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

14%

Manufacturing Company

Government

Comms Service Provider

Educational Organization

13%

University

12%

Healthcare Company

Computer Software Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	20
Midsize Enterprise	11
Large Enterprise	22

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	7
Midsize Enterprise	2
Large Enterprise	1

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Nagios Core?

What I like about Nagios Core is that it helps me ensure everything is running smoothly by checking the status of hosts and services.

See all answers

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

Nagios Core is a free and open-source product. We don't charge for the product itself, but we charge for the man-hour costs related to installation, configuration, ongoing operation, and maintenance.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Nagios Core?

The dashboard should be improved. It's very simple. I don't have a very clear or specific suggestion. You can change the skin of the dashboard, however, it's good for me.

See all answers

What do you like most about PRTG Enterprise Monitor?

If an event is detected, such as a resource running low on storage or RAM, the product will notify you via email. Upon receiving the notification, action must be taken to address and resolve the is...

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for PRTG Enterprise Monitor?

I have no idea about the pricing as I am not the sales person. The sales team coordinates these matters.

See all answers

What needs improvement with PRTG Enterprise Monitor?

I have not tried to customize the dashboard yet as our NOC is relatively new to the company. Our focus has been mainly on covering all blind spots. We have a standardized dashboard, and the only cu...

See all answers

Comparisons

Icinga vs Nagios Core

Compared 21% of the time

Nagios XI vs Nagios Core

Compared 14% of the time

Zabbix vs Nagios Core

Compared 12% of the time

Centreon vs Nagios Core

Compared 7% of the time

Checkmk vs Nagios Core

Compared 6% of the time

More Nagios Core Competitors

PRTG Network Monitor vs PRTG Enterprise Monitor

Compared 79% of the time

HPE Aruba Networking UXI vs PRTG Enterprise Monitor

Compared 15% of the time

Checkmk vs PRTG Enterprise Monitor

Compared 6% of the time

More PRTG Enterprise Monitor Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Nagios Core

September 2025

Download Nagios Core product report

Buyer's Guide

PRTG Enterprise Monitor

September 2025

Download PRTG Enterprise Monitor product report

Overview

This is IT infrastructure monitoring's industry-standard, open-source core. Free without professional support services.

Nagios

PRTG Enterprise Monitor serves enterprises by ensuring comprehensive monitoring of servers, services, and applications, empowering users to track sensor data effectively and detect performance or security issues across their networks.

PRTG Enterprise Monitor is widely recognized for its capability to efficiently monitor technical sensors such as ping, uptime, CPU load, and memory usage. It supports users in tracking network resource performance, detecting malicious activity, and preventing failures. Its custom frameworks enable monitoring of certificate expirations and process availability. The intuitive interface requires no specialized IT background, featuring agentless operations that enhance responsiveness and SNMP monitoring valued across platforms. The tool is appreciated for its anomaly detection and notification features, allowing users to address issues proactively. Installation is straightforward and support is robust, although users seek enhancements in real-time SMS alerts, SAP system integration, fault management, and more flexible manual configurations.

What are the key features of PRTG Enterprise Monitor?

Network Analysis: Offers in-depth insights into network performance.
Custom Dashboards: Provides a library for tailored dashboard creation.
Alerting System: Effective user notifications prevent escalation of issues.
Agentless Monitoring: Enhances response times without installing agents.
SNMP Monitoring: Useful for monitoring multiple platforms.

What benefits and ROI should users consider?

Easy Installation: Simplifies the setup process for companies.
Proactive Anomaly Detection: Identifies and resolves issues swiftly.
Comprehensive Coverage: Ensures efficient fault detection and management.
User Support: Strong support capabilities aid troubleshooting.

Enterprises in industries such as IT services, finance, and healthcare rely on PRTG Enterprise Monitor for monitoring critical infrastructure. This includes ensuring internet connectivity, monitoring mail services, and tracking network performance and security, thereby maintaining operational efficiency and service availability.

Paessler GmbH

Sample Customers

Airbnb, Cisco, PayPal, FanDuel

Information Not Available

Buyer's Guide

Nagios Core vs. PRTG Enterprise Monitor

September 2025

Free Report: Nagios Core vs. PRTG Enterprise Monitor

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