Checkmk vs PRTG Network Monitor comparison

Checkmk and Paessler GmbH are both solutions in the Network Monitoring Software category. Checkmk is ranked #12 with an average rating of 8.5, while Paessler GmbH is ranked #5 with an average rating of 7.6. Checkmk holds a 3.1% mindshare in NMS, compared to Paessler GmbH’s 4.0% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of Checkmk users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 91% of Paessler GmbH users who would recommend it.

Checkmk

Read 8 Checkmk reviews

3,335 Views
3,003 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

PRTG Network Monitor

Read 101 PRTG Network Monitor reviews

7,844 Views
5,253 Comparison Views

91% willing to recommend

Checkmk

PRTG Network Monitor

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 24, 2024

PRTG Network Monitor and Checkmk are prominent competitors in the network monitoring category. PRTG Network Monitor appears to have an advantage with its rapid deployment and user-friendly features, whereas Checkmk is recognized for its resource and infra-monitoring capabilities, making it appealing for complex infrastructures.

Features: PRTG Network Monitor is known for rapid deployment, an intuitive interface, and a comprehensive sensor library that provides real-time insights. Checkmk excels in auto-discovery, integration with other tools, and a robust alert system tailored for complex infrastructures.

Room for Improvement: PRTG Network Monitor users desire more flexible templates and improved application monitoring, along with advanced reporting features. Its licensing cost sometimes raises value concerns. Checkmk could enhance presentation and integration with tools like Dynatrace and simplify its interface for non-technical users.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: PRTG Network Monitor offers hybrid cloud and on-premises deployment, appreciated for its easy setup, although support is mainly email-based with a need for more interactive options. Checkmk is typically deployed on-premises, with its straightforward setup well-regarded, yet support could be more globally accessible beyond European business hours.

Pricing and ROI: PRTG Network Monitor has varied pricing, offering bundles that some find expensive, especially for large-scale use; however, users report positive ROI from enhanced visibility and reduced downtime. Checkmk is noted for affordability compared to other enterprise solutions, with a pricing model that allows cost-effective monitoring, delivering substantial ROI through efficient capabilities.

To learn more, read our detailed Checkmk vs. PRTG Network Monitor Report (Updated: January 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Checkmk vs. PRTG Network Monitor

January 2025

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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

Checkmk

Ranking in Network Monitoring Software

12th

Ranking in IT Infrastructure Monitoring

13th

Ranking in Cloud Monitoring Software

12th

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

7.3

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Server Monitoring (6th)

PRTG Network Monitor

Ranking in Network Monitoring Software

5th

Ranking in IT Infrastructure Monitoring

8th

Ranking in Cloud Monitoring Software

8th

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

7.1

Number of Reviews

101

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of February 2025, in the Network Monitoring Software category, the mindshare of Checkmk is 3.1%, up from 2.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of PRTG Network Monitor is 4.0%, down from 5.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Network Monitoring Software

Featured Reviews

Paolo Sala

Application performance and System monitoring at Agos

A reasonably priced tool for system and application monitoring

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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Tochukwu Uzomba

Solutions Architect at Boch Systems Company Limited

Efficiently monitor networks across regions with seamless setup and robust feature set

PRTG Network Monitor is easy to set up. Within a few minutes, it is operational. It is an all-in-one monitoring solution without extra costs. For example, we set it up for an insurance company with branches across Africa. We are able to monitor from Lagos without installing anything in the branches, using the agentless feature. We just put in the IP address and the parameter, and we monitor from those ends. Additionally, all the sensors are very useful. Most people are interested in the bandwidth monitoring sensor to see what bandwidth the users are consuming. The pricing is affordable compared to SolarWinds.

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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

"Checkmk helps me compare data and foresee issues."

"I really like the auto-discovery feature."

"Overall, from one to ten, I rate Checkmk a nine."

"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."

"The alerting system in Checkmk really works properly."

"We can monitor multiple sites using the product."

"It's versatile, scalable, and easier to use compared to other solutions like Nagios and OMD."

"The most valuable features of Checkmk are its resource monitoring, infra monitoring, and log factor configuration."

More Checkmk pros

"Technical support has been very helpful so far."

"I really love the activity library. It gives the flexibility to discover data and metrics about my interface and data server."

"The most valuable feature is the dashboard interface. It's very clean, it's very simple to use."

"The product is simple and easy to implement."

"The alerting is the most valuable feature. I also like the iPhone app. I get alerts in an email on the iPhone app."

"What I've found most valuable is the custom sensor, which allows you to write scripts or code to monitor a specific metric in your environment."

"The remote probe feature in PRTG Network Monitor helps you monitor remote systems or your network at a lower cost than other solutions."

"The solution is easy to manage and the reports are very accurate."

More PRTG Network Monitor pros

Cons

"If an alert is generated for a specific pattern in the log, and if Checkmk catches that log, it will stay there even after the alert is resolved."

"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."

"I think that the integration and the exporting of the data collected are areas where Checkmk lacks but should try to improve the most."

"It is easy for tech-savvy people, but newcomers might find it intimidating."

"The initial setup is a bit complex."

"Checkmk does not work too easily with the PowerStore. I use a PowerShell script as Checkmk runs on Linux and a Windows system, connecting with the Checkmk agent."

"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."

"In Checkmk, the documentation can probably be improved a bit more."

More Checkmk cons

"More training videos for installing and configuring this software would have been nice, especially when working with a lot of devices."

"PRTG Network Monitor could improve the price."

"Scalability is the only major sticking point for me. There is a recommended number of sensors, which is around 10,000 and we're double that... The only option we have to scale is to buy another core, which would be a separate, stand-alone instance..."

"We need something that is more predictive. We would prefer if it wasn't a solution that was corrective and instead offered predictive insights so that we can handle problems before they even occur."

"PRTG Network Monitor can improve the reports. In the reports, you have to give an alert for that SMS and email, the emergency calls and downtimes have to be reported accordingly. You have to enable email services or an SMS gateway service to receive more alerts at the proper time."

"They could improve the process of updating the license."

"PRTG's application monitoring sensor is not strong."

"PRTG could use reporting tools and mobile alert tools. It should be easier to diagnose and respond to problems from a mobile device on the go."

More PRTG Network Monitor cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The price of Checkmk is cheaper compared to other enterprise products."

"Checkmk is a fairly reasonably priced solution."

"The product is affordable."

"We are licensed for 2500 endpoints."

"The price of PRTG Network Monitor is reasonable for the features that the solution provides. They charge you per monitoring, not per node, it is per port that you need for a device."

"One thing I like is that when you buy sensors, it's a perpetual license, so once you buy 2,000 sensors, you've got 2,000 sensors; it's not a recurring cost."

"It's a cost-efficient tool."

"Pricing for PRTG Network Monitor is a nine out of ten. It meets my company's budget and monitoring requirements. My company is on a perpetual license."

"We are using the basic PRTG that we can download for free. For now, we only need to monitor less than 100 devices. For more than 100 devices, we would need to buy a license. PRTG is much cheaper than SolarWinds."

"PRTG is now available as PRTG Enterprise Monitor, and the price varies depending on the total number of sensors the customer buys"

"We used a product called SolarWinds in the past, and its cost was high. Whereas, PRTG came in at a third of SolarWind's cost."

More PRTG Network Monitor pricing and cost advice

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Comparison Review

it_user174738

IT Developer at a tech services company with 51-200 employees

May 31, 2015

Nagios vs. Zabbix vs. PRTG vs. Spiceworks vs. Solarwinds Network Performance Monitor

I have researched a quite a few network monitoring tools which can be used for various monitoring purposes of not only the servers, but the intermediate routers as well. There are majorly three types of these softwares. Ones which are completely open-source, you can do almost anything you want…

Read full review

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

16%

Manufacturing Company

Government

Financial Services Firm

Educational Organization

54%

Computer Software Company

Government

Financial Services Firm

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Checkmk?

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.

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What needs improvement with Checkmk?

I frequently program functions with PowerShell, and although Bash could be used, my specialization is in PowerShell. Two of us focus on programming in PowerShell for infrastructure optimization. I ...

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What is your primary use case for Checkmk?

Currently, I use two Dell PowerStore systems, and I'm responsible for disposing of systems in our environment. We need to upgrade our systems, but we are working on less pressing issues. Right now,...

See all answers

What is the best network monitoring software for large enterprises?

PRTG network monitor is one of the best tool i have ever used for the monitoring. It have auto discovery option. it avoid the configuring the device in PRTG. It automatically discover the device an...

See all answers

What do you like most about PRTG Network Monitor?

The tool is integrated with our email for the alerts.

See all answers

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

The prices are very high for PRTG Network Monitor. That's why I'm using the free100 sensor license.

See all answers

Comparisons

Zabbix vs Checkmk

Compared 49% of the time

Icinga vs Checkmk

Compared 11% of the time

LibreNMS vs Checkmk

Compared 6% of the time

Centreon vs Checkmk

Compared 4% of the time

Netdata vs Checkmk

Compared 3% of the time

More Checkmk Competitors

LibreNMS vs PRTG Network Monitor

Compared 8% of the time

Zabbix vs PRTG Network Monitor

Compared 7% of the time

Centreon vs PRTG Network Monitor

Compared 7% of the time

SolarWinds NPM vs PRTG Network Monitor

Compared 6% of the time

SolarWinds Server and Application Monitor vs PRTG Network Monitor

Compared 2% of the time

More PRTG Network Monitor Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Checkmk

February 2025

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Buyer's Guide

PRTG Network Monitor

February 2025

Download PRTG Network Monitor product report

Overview

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

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.

Checkmk

PRTG Network Monitor runs on a Windows machine within your network, collecting various statistics from the machines, software, and devices which you designate. PRTG comes with an easy-to-use web interface with point-and-click configuration. You can easily share data from it with non-technical colleagues and customers, including via live graphs and custom reports. This will let you plan for network expansion, see what applications are using most of your connection, and make sure that no one is hogging the entire network just to torrent videos.

To monitor a large IT environment, it's important to be able to scale PRTG up. Paessler PRTG Enterprise Monitor includes all the proven capabilities of PRTG Network Monitor, which are enhanced by exclusive ITOps Board for a service-oriented, central overview of multiple PRTG servers.

Paessler GmbH

Sample Customers

Information Not Available

Jameson Bank, Sidnix, RungeICT, MedicalAnimal, Truck-lite, GamingGrids, The Covell Group, Forsythn County Schools, NetMass, Musgrove Park Hospital, Lanes Health, Columbia Southern University, Vodafone, Intrust Bank

Buyer's Guide

Checkmk vs. PRTG Network Monitor

January 2025

Free Report: Checkmk vs. PRTG Network Monitor

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