Paessler PRTG – Your open source monitoring alternative

Choosing between Paessler PRTG and and open source software depends on several factors, such as your specific network monitoring needs, budget, and technical resources available in your organization.

PRTG is ideal:

• If you prefer an all-in-one, easy-to-use solution with minimal setup time.
• If you need sophisticated, customizable visualizations like dashboards and network maps.
• If you want to monitor an unlimited number of remote locations and networks at no extra cost.
• If you prefer high scalability and a software tailored to large, complex environments.
• If you want to get real-time alerting, custom notifications, and automated reporting.
• If you want to have the choice between an on-premises or cloud-based solution.
• If you want a straightforward licensing model at a comparatively low price.

Open Source might be your choice:

• If you have a team with strong Linux and scripting skills.
• If you prefer maximum customization options and are comfortable with extensive configuration.
• If you have the time and resources for setup and ongoing maintenance.
• If you want a solution that's free to download and use, despite potential hidden costs.
• If you're comfortable relying primarily on community support.

Let's break this down.

Open source solutions (e.g., Nagios, Zabbix, CheckMK):

• Pros: Free to download, highly customizable
• Cons: Complex setup, steep learning curve, often require additional tools

PRTG:

• Pros: User-friendly, all-in-one solution, scalable pricing, professional support
• Cons: Less customizable than some open-source options

While open-source solutions are free to download, they often have hidden costs in maintenance or professional consulting due to their complexity. PRTG offers transparent, scalable pricing with a free version for up to 100 sensors, flexible licensing for growth, and all-inclusive pricing with no hidden costs for features.

The main differences are:

Ease of use: PRTG is easier to use and you can finish the setup in a matter of minutes.

Costs: Open-source tools are free to download but may have hidden costs in terms support, consulting, or additional tools needed. PRTG has a clear pricing structure with a free version available.

Customization: Open-source tools often offer more extensive customization options, while PRTG provides a good balance between customization and out-of-the-box functionality.

Support: Using PRTG includes professional support, while open-source tools typically rely on community support.

PRTG provides you with comprehensive monitoring for network devices, servers, applications, and cloud services. Key features include network performance monitoring, server monitoring, application monitoring, infrastructure monitoring, and cloud monitoring.

PRTG is usually more user-friendly. With its simpler setup process compared to many open-source alternatives it also values your time. Open source tools often require significant Linux knowledge and manual configuration, while PRTG provides auto-discovery and intuitive dashboards, reducing the learning curve substantially.

In PRTG, “sensors” are the basic monitoring elements. One sensor usually monitors one measured value in your network, for example the traffic of a switch port, the CPU load of a server, or the free space on a disk drive. On average, you need about 5-10 sensors per device or one sensor per switch port.