Plixer Scrutinizer vs SolarWinds Network Device Monitor comparison

Plixer and SolarWinds are both solutions in the Network Monitoring Software category. Plixer is ranked #74, while SolarWinds is ranked #28 with an average rating of 8.0. Plixer holds a 0.5% mindshare in NMS, compared to SolarWinds’s 0.9% mindshare. Additionally, 92% of Plixer users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 95% of SolarWinds users who would recommend it.

Plixer Scrutinizer

Read 15 Plixer Scrutinizer reviews

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2,000 Comparison Views

92% willing to recommend

SolarWinds Network Device M...

Read 23 SolarWinds Network Device Monitor reviews

2,818 Views
2,762 Comparison Views

95% willing to recommend

Plixer Scrutinizer

SolarWinds Network Device M...

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 10, 2024

SolarWinds Network Device Monitor and Plixer Scrutinizer compete in the network monitoring space. Plixer Scrutinizer arguably holds the upper hand with its advanced features and data insights, potentially justifying its higher cost, while SolarWinds is noted for pricing and customer support.

Features: SolarWinds Network Device Monitor offers straightforward device monitoring, alerting, and ease of use, ideal for basic network oversight. Plixer Scrutinizer provides detailed traffic analysis, comprehensive reporting features, and enhanced threat detection, making it suitable for networks requiring deeper insights and robust performance.

Room for Improvement: SolarWinds could enhance its features by offering more advanced traffic analysis, improved reporting capabilities, and increased threat detection accuracy. Plixer Scrutinizer would benefit from simplified deployment processes, reduced learning curve, and more competitive pricing strategies.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: SolarWinds Network Device Monitor is known for quick deployment and effective customer support, making it accessible for less complex networks. Plixer Scrutinizer involves a more intricate deployment process but provides comprehensive support and guidance during setup.

Pricing and ROI: SolarWinds Network Device Monitor is cost-effective with a lower initial setup cost, suitable for basic network needs, offering decent ROI. Plixer Scrutinizer, though requiring a higher upfront investment, delivers significant ROI through its detailed analytics and advanced functionalities, targeting enterprises requiring in-depth network visibility.

To learn more, read our detailed Plixer Scrutinizer vs. SolarWinds Network Device Monitor Report (Updated: April 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Plixer Scrutinizer vs. SolarWinds Network Device Monitor

April 2026

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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

Plixer Scrutinizer

Ranking in Network Monitoring Software

74th

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

6.9

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Network Traffic Analysis (NTA) (12th)

SolarWinds Network Device M...

Ranking in Network Monitoring Software

28th

Average Rating

7.8

Reviews Sentiment

6.4

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of May 2026, in the Network Monitoring Software category, the mindshare of Plixer Scrutinizer is 0.5%, up from 0.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of SolarWinds Network Device Monitor is 0.9%, up from 0.6% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Network Monitoring Software Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
SolarWinds Network Device Monitor	0.9%
Plixer Scrutinizer	0.5%
Other	98.6%

Network Monitoring Software

Featured Reviews

Ira Mulyanti

Sales Director at ARGA SOLUSI

An affordable product with great integration capabilities

Plixer Core Platform is a valuable feature and a good software. Plixer Scrutinizer uses NetFlow analysis to monitor whatever is there in a network. Price-wise, Plixer Scrutinizer is not an expensive product. Basically, Plixer Scrutinizer is an affordable product. Plixer Scrutinizer is a tool that allows for customization, especially in scenarios where customers need new product features. Plixer Scrutinizer is a tool that can integrate with any other brand or product in the market, so it is not an area of concern.

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Sorin Gogean

IT Infrastructure Senior Network Technician at Autoliv

Offers some features but needs better customization and analysis tools

There are solutions that can perform better, but due to pricing for our corporate implementation, we had to stay with this solution. It accomplishes the necessary tasks, but there is room for improvement. The features are not as customizable as we would prefer, but they are workable. If configured properly, you can perform a drill-down analysis. However, I have not used this feature much for our infrastructure on the network side.

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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

"One feature I found most valuable in Plixer Scrutinizer is the very extensive reporting. Reporting is very flexible, though sometimes you need a little bit of support from Plixer Scrutinizer to create custom-made reporting in a very short time. Reporting is a very strong feature of the product."

"Plixer Scrutinizer is an affordable product. Plixer Scrutinizer is a tool that allows for customization, especially in scenarios where customers need new product features."

"I really feel, after reviewing three at one time and knowing some other ones, the bang and performance for the dollars, and the capacity and the flexibility; it's really second to none in those situations."

"The internal reputation of our IT to resolve historical bandwidth problems has 100 percent improved."

"We have had many requests to understand in the network which devices are connected to others. Most people don't have this information or are able to establish a map of data flow everywhere around the network. Scrutinizer can really help with this. We are using it to understand who is talking to what, how, and which protocols can help us to improve security and analyze flow."

"The solution helps to enrich the data context of our network traffic. It allows me to see what applications are most in use on a slightly historical basis, going back a day or week at tops. It allows me to tune QoS or traffic shaping around what's being used. It saves me from having to unnecessarily upgrade, if I don't need to."

"It helps us determine what is going on with our Internet and who is hogging it all up, and if we get a real high throughput or a throughput that's going over and getting dropped fairly quickly, we can tell who (or what device) is consuming that traffic."

"As a network engineer, the ability to identify what traffic on the link is consuming all the bandwidth at any given time, and provide immediate feedback to the business, is the most valuable feature."

More Plixer Scrutinizer pros

"SolarWinds Network Device Monitor is the best solution for closely monitoring how the link is performing when compared to ManageEngine OpManager."

"The most valuable feature of SolarWinds Network Device Monitor is it can alert you when a device is not working."

"The alerts we are getting when we start losing connection access have been helpful."

"In terms of general network monitoring features, I find SolarWinds Network Device Monitor very flexible and comfortable to use. The software itself is extremely useful when it comes to monitoring how our data moves between different networks and environments."

"The solution and its interface are elaborate and fully integrate all monitored items for easy analysis and troubleshooting."

"We are doing more with SolarWinds Network Device Monitor than we were doing in the past with WhatsApp Gold; when we moved to SolarWinds Network Device Monitor, the whole observability part started to grow."

"The most valuable feature of SolarWinds Network Device Monitor is it shows you the utilization of devices to allow you to take proactive action before something goes down or reaches the saturation point. You can take proactive action to fix the problem before it occurs."

"There are vital features of auto-plugin core ports"

More SolarWinds Network Device Monitor pros

Cons

"The solution creates a visual map of a particular location and how the network flows. You need to spend time to generate all those maps."

"It would be useful if there was a way to back up the configuration information. E.g., if you wanted to deploy a new instance or disaster recovery, you could quite easily deploy and restore the config, as opposed to having to restore all the NetFlow data. If there was just a button that said "backup config information", that would be good."

"From what I understand it is that the solution is not very scalable in a high volume traffic environment with a large number of flows."

"They're working on the security areas, so it can provide more insight."

"I wish the reporting side was easier to work with, but it does a decent job."

"I wish the reporting side was easier to work with, but it does a decent job. I also wish the reporting side was a little more intuitive or they offered more reporting examples."

"Though Plixer Scrutinizer has network detection and response, it's an area that needs just a little more rounding out."

"There is room for improvement around the data that they have on the website about solutions."

More Plixer Scrutinizer cons

"SolarWinds Network Device Monitor could improve the features. We don't have the complete model for the database, and the monitoring for the database is up and down."

"It would be beneficial if SolarWinds Network Device Monitor could provide a feature to monitor CRC errors specifically on individual interfaces rather than the entire device. This would help in detecting intermittent issues and packet drops on main links more accurately, especially when there are CRC errors. It's important for us to be aware of these issues to avoid any voice quality problems or interruptions on our MTS links."

"When an organization's network grows, the complexity of the dashboard becomes an area of concern where improvements are required."

"The data is in the system but we are unable to pull it because reporting is not integrated and versatile."

"The security needs improvement, which is why we are moving away from SolarWinds."

"Technical support needs to respond to its customers faster. We are not 100% satisfied with the level of support we get."

"In terms of price, it could be less expensive."

"There were certain aspects that weren't supported exactly. I was just able to monitor some basic things."

More SolarWinds Network Device Monitor cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Currently, the license for Plixer Scrutinizer is subscription-based and at a yearly fee. The price would depend on the amount of traffic you pull in. For example, there are several blocks from a 10K flow, a 40K flow, and a 100K flow, and based on the number of devices that you receive the flows from, that's the license, and it is not a per-interface pricing model, so that is a very strong, very competitive pricing feature of Plixer Scrutinizer. Licensing for the product is also not based on the number of storage, compared to some competing products that are priced based on the amount of storage you need, particularly based on the retention and the amount of data. Plixer Scrutinizer licensing is based on the device, and it's more in the direction of $10,000 because, with just $1,000, you don't have anything."

"The licensing cost for Plixer Scrutinizer is in the middle. It's not the cheapest, but it's not the most expensive. Its licensing model is based on how many exporters, how many devices export information to the system. Plixer Scrutinizer has different modules you could add such as the security module which would cost extra."

"We have increased the license over time. We have added more licenses as the network has grown."

"I rate Plixer Scrutinizer's price a three on a scale of one to ten, where one is low price or affordable, and ten is high price or expensive."

"Our entire solution, amortized over five years, is in the vicinity of $40,000 to $50,000 a year."

"We recently bought a license upgrade, so we will integrate more exporters. We upgraded from a 25 exporter license to a 50 exporter license. Therefore, there will be more flows, and this will be an extension. I don't know when we will purchase a faster server, because the server that we have is quite new."

"Compared to some of the other tools we have, it's incredibly reasonably priced."

"We pay our one-off cost for the licenses, per device, in blocks of 50. And then we pay an annual maintenance fee of about $15,000 Australian, which is, at this point in time, about $9,000 US, for those 250 devices. The upfront costs for the 250-license use, were about $50,000 Australian, which is about $32,000 US."

More Plixer Scrutinizer pricing and cost advice

"The price of the SolarWinds Network Device Monitor is good."

"SolarWinds Network Device Monitor is not an expensive solution."

"The product is expensive."

"Thankfully, it doesn't take a lot of manpower to install and deploy."

"Well, we had a perpetual license and the renewal was $20 to $25,000."

"I rate the product's price as three to three and a half or on a scale of one to ten, where one means low price, and ten means high price."

"I find the cost of SolarWinds Network Device Monitor reasonable for our company. Though, I'm not aware of the exact licensing cost."

"When compared with other solutions SolarWinds is more expensive."

More SolarWinds Network Device Monitor pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

11%

Manufacturing Company

Government

Comms Service Provider

Manufacturing Company

13%

Financial Services Firm

Comms Service Provider

Computer Software Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	4
Midsize Enterprise	2
Large Enterprise	8

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	6
Midsize Enterprise	4
Large Enterprise	14

Questions from the Community

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I have experience regarding the AD part, but my focus for the last 15 years has been oriented to the network side. My experience with identity tools comes more from a network perspective. We used N...

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Comparisons

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Compared 8% of the time

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Compared 6% of the time

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Compared 5% of the time

Kentik vs Plixer Scrutinizer

Compared 5% of the time

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Compared 9% of the time

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Compared 7% of the time

OpenNMS vs SolarWinds Network Device Monitor

Compared 6% of the time

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Plixer Scrutinizer

April 2026

Download Plixer Scrutinizer product report

Buyer's Guide

SolarWinds Network Device Monitor

April 2026

SolarWinds Network Device Monitor report

Download SolarWinds Network Device Monitor product report

Also Known As

No data available

Network Device Monitor

Overview

Plixer Scrutinizer provides enhanced network traffic management and security analytics, enabling organizations to quickly identify bandwidth issues and threats through comprehensive reporting and real-time monitoring.

Plixer Scrutinizer is a network monitoring tool that efficiently manages and visualizes traffic to detect bandwidth utilization and security threats. Its integration capabilities and compatibility with network devices enhance data context, ensuring robust network visibility. Organizations leverage its rapid data processing and extensive customization options for specific needs, supporting both on-premise and cloud deployment strategies.

What are the key features of Plixer Scrutinizer?

Comprehensive Reporting: Offers detailed insights to facilitate informed decision-making.
User-Friendly Interface: Simplifies navigation and improves user experience.
Advanced Security Analytics: Provides enhanced security threat detection capabilities.
Integration Capabilities: Ensures seamless compatibility with network devices and security products.
Real-Time Traffic Monitoring: Allows for immediate network traffic assessment.
Customization Options: Adapts to specific organizational needs and requirements.

What benefits and ROI should users expect from Plixer Scrutinizer?

Efficient Bandwidth Management: Ensures optimal utilization and performance.
Enhanced Threat Detection: Identifies and mitigates security risks promptly.
Improved Network Visibility: Offers comprehensive oversight of network activities.
Cost-effective Data Processing: Reduces operational costs through streamlined processes.

In sectors like telecommunications, educational institutions, and healthcare, Plixer Scrutinizer supports network monitoring and troubleshooting. It helps track bandwidth utilization and security, enabling capacity planning and analyzing traffic across multiple vendor environments.

Plixer

SolarWinds Network Device Monitor offers comprehensive real-time network monitoring capabilities with seamless integration across multiple vendor devices, ensuring efficient network operations.

Offering features like cloud workload monitoring, quick deployment, and a user-friendly interface, SolarWinds Network Device Monitor supports real-time alert thresholds, accurate link readings, historical utilization metrics, and customizable dashboards. Its ability to integrate with multiple vendor devices and perform network discovery enhances operational efficiency. Comprehensive bandwidth and fault management features provide stable network monitoring, benefiting devices such as switches and IP phones. However, there is room for improvement in integration with tools like ServiceNow and Excel, support response times, and enhanced security. Users highlight the need for a mobile version, improved reporting, and better customization options, alongside concerns about setup complexity and licensing costs.

What are the key features?

Cloud Workload Monitoring: Monitors workloads hosted in the cloud.
User-Friendly Interface: Offers an intuitive experience for users.
Quick Deployment: Simplifies installation and setup processes.
Real-Time Monitoring: Provides immediate alerts for network statuses.
Customizable Dashboards: Enhances network visibility with tailored displays.

What benefits can users expect?

Proactive Problem Solving: Real-time alerts facilitate quick issue resolution.
Efficiency: Automated network monitoring streamlines operational workflows.
Insightful Analytics: Provides valuable data on memory and CPU usage.
Cost-Effective: Monitors bandwidth and fault management to reduce outages.

SolarWinds Network Device Monitor is implemented prominently in industries needing robust network infrastructure monitoring, like tech and manufacturing. Companies rely on its capabilities for IP address management, cloud workload monitoring, and remote equipment monitoring, gaining insights into system performance and ensuring compliance checks are met effectively.

SolarWinds

Sample Customers

Oxford Networks, Squaw Valley Ski Holdings, UltiSat, Wipro, West Aurora School District 129, SUNY Geneseo College, Bloomington Public Schools, First National Bank of Pennsylvania, Kitsap Credit Union, Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County Houston Texas, Carilion Clinic, Banner Health, IDEXX Laboratories, Phibro Animal Health Corporation, Goodwill Industries, Parmalat, Armstrong Coal Company, Flybe, James Walker

Air Rarotonga

Buyer's Guide

Plixer Scrutinizer vs. SolarWinds Network Device Monitor

April 2026

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