Title: Top 5 Zabbix Alternatives for Network Performance Monitoring


Network outages cost organizations an average of $300,000 per hour and irreparable reputational damage.
While Zabbix is a popular network performance monitoring tool, it has challenges. For starters, it has a steep learning curve and can be complex to set up. And, the dated UI makes simple operations unnecessarily complex.
Here’s a Reddit user talking about Zabbix:
But we have your back. Below is a list of the top 5 Zabbix alternatives that are less complex, easier to set up, and offer similar or even better monitoring features.
TL;DR
Tool |
Best for |
|
1 |
PRTG Network Monitor |
Mid-market teams needing an easy-to-deploy, all-in-one SNMP-based monitoring solution |
2 |
Nagios XI |
Large networks requiring detailed live monitoring with extensive plugin support |
3 |
SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor |
Enterprises seeking deep hybrid-IT visibility via customizable dashboards |
4 |
ManageEngine OpManager |
Organizations (on-prem or hybrid) needing broad device coverage and real-time alerts |
5 |
Checkmk |
Open-source environments demanding automated, scalable infrastructure monitoring |
Why Look for Zabbix Alternatives in 2025?
Here’s why looking for Zabbix alternatives makes sense:
-
Steep Learning Curve: Multiple Reddit users report that Zabbix initially has a steep learning curve. This increases the overall time and effort required to use the tool to its full potential.
Source: Reddit
-
Poor documentation: Users find Zabbix’s documentation to be poor. Because of this, they have to opt for workarounds, which can be time-consuming.
Source: Reddit
UI Could Be Improved: Users don’t particularly like Zabbix’s UI and say it could use some improvement:
Source: Reddit
Top 5 Zabbix Alternatives for Network Monitoring
PRTG Network Monitor
Source: Pessler
PRTG Network Monitor is a commercial network monitoring tool that is easy to use, unlike Zabbix. It lets you monitor your services, applications, servers, and networks.
Primary features of PRTG include real-time monitoring, customizable dashboards, advanced alerting, and reporting capabilities.
One feature users like about PRTG is its dynamic auto-grouping capability. This feature lets users see newly discovered devices automatically in prebuilt dashboards and maps without manual templating.
Moreover, PRTG Network Monitor’s sensor-based licensing model lets you choose and pay for exactly the metrics you need. Each metric, like CPU load check, HTTP request, or SNMP poll, is a sensor. This helps you save money when compared to Zabbix.
PRTG Network Monitor offers a free trial for up to 30 days and is free for up to 100 sensors.
Pros:
-
PRTG Network Monitor is more user-friendly at the start than Zabbix
-
Allows you to write your own sensors
-
It offers a scheduled scanning template for monitoring even newly added devices
Cons
-
Hard to scale as performance degrades when the sensors increase
-
Licensing costs could be optimized for smaller organizations
-
Limited types of sensors as reported by users
User Reviews:
Source: Verified TrustRadius Review
Source: Verified TrustRadius Review
Nagios XI
Source: Nagios XI
Nagios XI is a network, server, and application monitoring platform. It lets you monitor servers' performance, disk usage, memory utilization, CPU utilization, and network devices such as switches and routers.
Nagios XI offers real-time monitoring and instantly alerts the concerned teams to prevent network outages and minimize disruptions.
Nagios XI’s modular plugin ecosystem lets you extend monitoring to niche protocols. You can simply drop a plugin script into the directory. No complex templating or core recompiles as in Zabbix
This is an ideal solution for mid-sized businesses and enterprises that need proactive troubleshooting, network uptime, and accurate live data reports.
Pros:
-
Comprehensive monitoring capabilities (network, database, Windows Server, and cluster service)
-
The alerting and notification system is reliable
-
Comes with plenty of ready-to-use plugins and allows you to create custom ones
Cons:
-
The GUI could use some improvement
-
complex to use for new users
-
Finding the root cause of the issue can be complex
User Reviews:
Source: Verified Capterra Review
Source: Verified Capterra Review
SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor
Source: TrustRadius
SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor is an enterprise-level solution that lets you monitor your entire infrastructure with a customizable console. It’s easier to use than Zabbix and has some automation features like automated topology.
SolarWind’s ready-to-use templates and vendor support help reduce setup time. However, Windows dependency (Zabbix runs on Linux servers) and per-device licensing can be limiting for some users.
SolarWinds comes with NetPath™ out-of-the-box that lets you visualize end-to-end paths for rapid root cause analysis. This is something you won’t get natively with Zabbix.
If you’re looking for enterprise-grade visibility and money is not a concern, you can try SolarWinds. Otherwise, you can stick with Zabbix or explore other alternatives.
Looking for a complete SolarWinds review? Check this out: SolarWinds Review: Is It the Best IT Management Solution?
Pros
-
Customizable reporting capabilities fuel better decision making
-
User-friendly interface and supports a range of data sources
-
Offers visibility of all network and server device health on one dashboard
Cons
-
While the solution is easy to use, its UI is not the most modern one and could use improvement
-
Configuring and scripting features is complex
User Reviews
Source: Verified Capterra Review
Source: Verified Capterra Review
ManageEngine OpManager
Source: G2
ManageEngine OpManager is a powerful network monitoring tool that offers deep visibility into the performance of routers, switches, firewalls, load balancers, wireless LAN controllers, servers, VMs, printers, and storage devices.
Its standout features include automated device discovery, real-time performance metrics, customizable Layer 2 maps, NetFlow analysis, and built-in alerting and reporting.
OpManager offers a more automated and specialized out-of-the-box experience for Layer 2 visualization than Zabbix. Also, ManageEngine is easier to deploy and use for new users, unlike Zabbix.
Pros:
-
Users appreciate real-time alerting
-
Ideal for monitoring resources in a cloud and on-premises environment
Cons:
-
It can be a little expensive for some users
-
Sometimes, updating can introduce bugs
-
Monitoring capabilities of Linux and Unix devices could be improved
User Reviews:
Source: Verified G2 Review
Source: Verified G2 Review
Checkmk
Source: Checkmk
Checkmk is an infrastructure and application monitoring tool that helps you monitor cloud providers, data centers, servers, networks, containers, and more.
When compared to Zabbix, CheckMK is simpler to use and can be configured out of the box. It includes standard checks and has a collection of CheckMK plugins to cover every service or device. That’s something you can’t say about Zabbix.
Pros:
-
Easy to implement and use
-
Users appreciate the open-source nature of the tool as it offers flexibility.
-
Great documentation and customizable dashboards
Cons
-
App monitoring capabilities are limited.
-
You need to pay for better support features.
User Reviews:
Source: Verified G2 Review
Source: Verified G2 Review
Bonus Tip: Pair Network Monitoring with Asset Lifecycle Visibility
The right network monitoring tool can help you keep tabs on your network, but what about the endpoints? What if the endpoints (laptops or computers) in a distributed workforce are compromised? That’s where Workwzie can help.
Workwize helps you automate your asset lifecycle and track, monitor, and control each device that belongs to your organization—from on-premises and remote devices to personal computers.
You can see which apps are installed on each endpoint, who owns it, its location, device status, and more. You can keep your network and endpoints secure and avoid downtime.
Workwize is helping HighLevel save $1.4M per year in IT hardware management. Want to see how Workwize can help you? Book a demo now.
About the authors:
Simplify IT operations with Workwize
Learn how Workwize makes IT asset management easier and more efficient. Schedule a custom demo today and see the difference.
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