Checkmk Reviews

Name: Checkmk
Brand: Checkmk
Rating: 4 (7 reviews)

4.2 out of 5

7 reviews
100% willing to recommend

What is Checkmk?

Checkmk is a powerful tool for monitoring IT infrastructure, providing vital insights on servers, databases, network devices, and custom applications.

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Checkmk is the #6 ranked solution in top Server Monitoring solutions, #11 ranked solution in top Cloud Monitoring Software, #13 ranked solution in Infrastructure Monitoring tools, and #14 ranked solution in best Network Monitoring Tools. PeerSpot users give Checkmk an average rating of 8.4 out of 10. Checkmk is most commonly compared to Veeam Data Platform: Checkmk vs Veeam Data Platform. Checkmk is popular among the large enterprise segment, accounting for 56% of users researching this solution on PeerSpot. The top industry researching this solution are professionals from a computer software company, accounting for 17% of all views.

Helped 814,763 peers since 2012

Featured reviews

Paolo Sala

Application performance and System monitoring at Agos

The main room for improvement is in the solution's presentation and the integration area. In our company, we use the integration capabilities from ServiceNow. We also have another big monitoring solution in place in our company, which is Dynatrace. At the moment, there doesn't exist an out-of-the-box integration for Dynatrace. I think that the integration and the exporting of the data collected are areas where Checkmk lacks but should try to improve the most. The only implementation of Checkmk that allows high availability is the virtual appliance that has the option for the availability of a different box. Otherwise, you have to find a way to implement it manually with some custom solution, which could be an improvement.

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Aidan McCarthy

System Engineer at a financial services firm with 1,001-5,000 employees

Sometimes we receive alerts, and it can become annoying when you acknowledge an alert. It is very clunky when you acknowledge the alert. The process is not very intuitive, and there are instances where it feels a bit cumbersome to acknowledge an alert. I think this aspect could be enhanced, along with the functionality of the local checks. I need to better understand how to clear an alert, especially when you're focused on a task and just need to acknowledge it. Currently, it requires clicking through a lot of buttons to acknowledge and dismiss the alert. Therefore, it would be beneficial to have a more user-friendly approach to this process. Apart from these considerations, the system is highly effective. Nevertheless, there is a certain learning curve involved in mastering its usage. For new users, it might not be immediately straightforward, and they might find it quite challenging to navigate initially. It could be helpful for them to streamline the onboarding experience and make the transition more seamless. The interface itself could use some refinement to ensure that it makes more logical sense, as there are numerous buttons and functions that can feel overwhelming. Therefore, a more coherent and user-friendly interface could greatly enhance the overall usability of the system. At the moment, the suite requires the installation of agents on each individual host. So, in future releases, it would be good if there could be an option for an agent-less platform, eliminating the need to install agents on every single server. This would simplify the process and reduce the overhead of managing agent installations across multiple servers.

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Syed Mustafa Imam

DevOps Engineer at NayaPay

We have integrated the product with our Slack channel, which has proven to be highly beneficial. This setup ensures that we receive immediate notifications on Slack whenever a service experiences downtime. These alerts allow us to track and analyze the downtime trends effectively, aided by the product's graphical representation of trends spanning the previous 400 days. Our use of the product extends to monitoring multiple sites. Additionally, we've implemented various scripts within the solution to automate tasks. For instance, we utilize it to schedule and execute manual scripts for data copying and running backups at intervals of five to ten minutes. This approach ensures seamless data synchronization. All in all, Checkmk stands out as an exceptionally valuable tool for our operations.

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Checkmk mindshare

Product category:

As of November 2024, the mindshare of Checkmk in the Network Monitoring Software category stands at 2.8%, up from 2.2% compared to the previous year, according to calculations based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Network Monitoring Software

Key learnings from peers

Last updated Aug 6, 2024

Valuable Features

Checkmk users value auto-discovery for detecting new hosts and applying rules automatically, saving time on configurations. Custom monitoring checks, Slack integration for downtime notifications, resource monitoring, infra monitoring, log factor configuration, and automation scripts are highly appreciated. Users find it particularly useful for handling frequent power outages by monitoring power and network issues. The rule-based configuration and broad functionality working cohesively are also significant features.

"The alerting system in Checkmk really works properly."
"The most valuable feature of the solution is that it has a lot of different pieces, and they all work together...It is a very scalable solution. Scalability-wise, I rate the solution a ten out of ten."
"It's versatile, scalable, and easier to use compared to other solutions like Nagios and OMD."

Room for Improvement

Checkmk users suggest improvements in alert acknowledgment, making the process less cumbersome. The interface is considered overwhelming with a learning curve for new users. There is a desire for an agent-less platform to simplify setups. Issues arise when alerts remain after resolution, creating challenges for on-call teams. Integration capabilities, especially with Dynatrace, need enhancement. The onboarding experience and increased visibility to a broader audience are also mentioned as areas needing attention.

"The main challenge for us is that we're moving from Nagios to Checkmk, and we're still getting used to the new way of working."
"In Checkmk, the documentation can probably be improved a bit more."
"It is easy for tech-savvy people, but newcomers might find it intimidating."

ROI

Users highlighted substantial savings in time and resources with Checkmk. They experienced improved system monitoring, fewer outages, and reduced troubleshooting times. Efficient problem detection and resolution led to better uptime and operational efficiency. The cost-benefit ratio was highly favorable, as it eliminated the need for multiple monitoring tools, leading to significant cost reductions. Enhanced system performance and reliability were consistently mentioned, emphasizing the positive financial impact on their operations.

Pricing

Checkmk users find the product affordable and reasonably priced compared to other enterprise solutions. The Enterprise Edition is noted for its value, enabling organizations to adopt it without significant budget hurdles. Some users mention using the free version initially, with plans to upgrade as they expand. In an educational institution setting, Checkmk is also considered reasonably priced despite common cost concerns.

"Checkmk is a fairly reasonably priced solution."
"The price of Checkmk is cheaper compared to other enterprise products."
"The product is affordable."

Popular Use Cases

Checkmk is primarily used for IT infrastructure monitoring, including servers, databases, network appliances, and custom applications. The primary use cases involve process, host, load monitoring, port status checks, disk space monitoring, creating alerts, and ensuring service availability. It is employed by fintech companies, data centers, and small customer services to monitor Linux and Windows servers, switches, routers, storage, and network compliance.

Service and Support

Checkmk customer service is reliable with prompt responses, assisting efficiently. Customers appreciate knowledgeable support that quickly addresses issues. User guidance is clear and detailed, easing setup and maintenance processes. Professionalism and courtesy are highlighted, making interactions pleasant. Some users express difficulty in reaching support occasionally, but find help effective once connected. Checkmk also offers comprehensive documentation to aid with common queries, improving user experience significantly.

Deployment

For the networking team, Checkmk monitors thousands of switches and devices, while the IT infrastructure team uses it for servers and storage. Installation involves setting up agents on each machine, usually taking two to three days for 250 servers. The initial setup is considered easy and straightforward, requiring minimal configurations and some network rules. Documentation is clear and makes the process quick, sometimes taking as little as an hour. Newer versions introduce two-way communication, adding some complexity.

Scalability

Checkmk is frequently described as highly scalable, with several users rating it nine or ten out of ten for scalability. User environments ranged from almost 20 to nearly 2,000 servers, with some enterprise-level implementations monitoring thousands of servers globally. Multi-site capabilities significantly contribute to its scalability. While some mentioned challenges with manual scripting for availability, users generally regard it as very effective for large-scale needs. Multiple organizations utilize it extensively across their IT teams.

Stability

Users find Checkmk to be highly stable, with most experiencing minimal outages and high reliability. Ratings for stability are predominantly eight or nine out of ten, with some users even giving a ten. While some have noted minor issues during upgrades or with specific versions, they appreciate the prompt fixes and improvements. Checkmk's consistency and efforts to maintain stability are well-regarded by its users.

These insights are based on the in-depth reviews provided by peers to help you make a better buying decision.

Download our Checkmk Buyer's Guide for additional reliable information.

Review data by company size

By reviewers

By visitors reading reviews

Top industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

17%

Government

Financial Services Firm

Manufacturing Company

Retailer

University

Educational Organization

Insurance Company

Energy/Utilities Company

Comms Service Provider

Non Profit

Construction Company

Media Company

Healthcare Company

Aerospace/Defense Firm

Hospitality Company

Wholesaler/Distributor

Recreational Facilities/Services Company

Legal Firm

Real Estate/Law Firm

Outsourcing Company

Performing Arts

Logistics Company

Transportation Company

Pharma/Biotech Company

Engineering Company

Compare Checkmk with alternative products

Learn more about Checkmk

Primarily used for supervising IT infrastructure, Checkmk helps organizations ensure service availability by monitoring hosts, processes, load, storage, and network appliances. With support for both Linux and Windows environments across multiple data centers, Checkmk performs compliance checks and preserves historical data for core network devices.

What are the key features of Checkmk?

Auto-discovery: Automatically identifies new hosts and applies monitoring rules.
Custom monitoring: Enhances MySQL performance tracking.
Slack integration: Provides immediate downtime alerts.
Graphical trend analysis: Offers 400 days of trend data.
Multiple site monitoring: Ensures seamless data synchronization through task automation.
Resource and infrastructure monitoring: Configures log factors to fit budget constraints.
System metric imports: Includes servers, SQL, file systems, and application monitoring.

What benefits and ROI should users look for in reviews?

Time-saving: Auto-discovery and task automation streamline processes.
Proactive alerts: Immediate downtime notifications optimize response times.
Historical insights: Long-term graphical trend analysis aids strategic planning.
Cost efficiency: Resource monitoring aligned with budget constraints.

Checkmk is deployed extensively in large enterprise environments for monitoring critical infrastructure. It proves particularly useful under conditions of frequent power outages or network issues, helping maintain smooth operations. While the alert acknowledgment process and interface require improvements, and the lack of an agent-less platform complicates server management, the strengths in auto-discovery, integration, and comprehensive monitoring make Checkmk a strong contender for IT infrastructure monitoring.