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N-able N-central vs SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Customer Service

No sentiment score available
Sentiment score
6.8
SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager's customer service is praised for helpfulness but criticized for slow response times and ticket prioritization.
 

Room For Improvement

No sentiment score available
Sentiment score
4.8
SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager requires better reporting, integration, AI features, enhanced interface, expanded support, more automation, and cost reduction.
 

Scalability Issues

No sentiment score available
Sentiment score
7.1
SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager is praised for its scalability, effectively managing from hundreds to over 25,000 network devices.
 

Setup Cost

No sentiment score available
No sentiment score available
SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager's annual licensing starts at $1,000, scaling with devices and features up to $30,000.
 

Stability Issues

No sentiment score available
Sentiment score
6.7
SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager is stable and reliable, with minor issues primarily related to system updates and hardware specs.
 

Valuable Features

No sentiment score available
Sentiment score
7.9
SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager provides efficient, user-friendly network configuration management with automation, security, compliance, and customizable dashboards.
 

Categories and Ranking

N-able N-central
Average Rating
9.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.6
Number of Reviews
6
Ranking in other categories
Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM) (5th)
SolarWinds Network Configur...
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.6
Number of Reviews
25
Ranking in other categories
Configuration Management (10th), Network Automation (4th)
 

Mindshare comparison

While both are Systems Management solutions, they serve different purposes. N-able N-central is designed for Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM) and holds a mindshare of 12.8%, up 9.4% compared to last year.
SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager, on the other hand, focuses on Configuration Management, holds 1.4% mindshare, up 1.2% since last year.
Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM)
Configuration Management
 

Featured Reviews

Brian Hershey - PeerSpot reviewer
We were able to scale from 1,000 devices to more than 20,000
We had several run-level platforms, including Continuum, but the only other one I've run is Nagios. That was custom-built for Unix devices. Our previous RMMs weren't scalable like N-central. We ran into problems we created for ourselves, not knowing enough about what we were doing in the beginning. Ultimately, we found that we had gotten to a place that we couldn't come back from, and it was easier to change RMMs rather than trying to fix what we had.
RajeshB - PeerSpot reviewer
Offers additional functionality, including warranty management
Setting up a solution involves configuring a server and a web console, which is straightforward. Network team coordination is necessary when applying it to devices. This involves creating device connection profiles and ensuring SNMP is enabled. Initially, there were challenges involved in this process, but once the setup was complete, operations proceeded smoothly. All network devices are automatically added to NPM during auto-discovery in SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor, including Network Configuration Manager features. Once configuration profile credentials are established in NCM, they are automatically deployed to all network devices. The solution is easy to use and deploy, although initial setup may require coordination and overcoming challenges.
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
24%
Manufacturing Company
7%
Construction Company
6%
Government
5%
Computer Software Company
12%
Government
11%
Manufacturing Company
11%
Financial Services Firm
9%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What needs improvement with N-able N-central?
N-central has limited mobile device management (MDM) support, specifically for Android devices. This limitation affected a deal with a client who had numerous Android devices to manage. It would be...
What is your primary use case for N-able N-central?
N-able N-central has various use cases and can be utilized for monitoring systems, servers, and infrastructure like routers and firewalls, as well as for automation, patch management, remote manage...
What do you like most about SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager?
The configuration compliance aspect of SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager allows for easy comparison of configuration settings across branches, ensuring adherence to security guidelines and b...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager?
The pricing is okay. Overall, I would rate the pricing a three on a scale of one to ten, with ten being most expensive and one being cheap.
What needs improvement with SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager?
The vendor recently introduced AI features to detect alerts. The AI features do not work well. It would be good if the vendor developed the AI feature so that we could understand what patterns the ...
 

Also Known As

SolarWinds N-central, SolarWinds MSP N-central
SolarWinds NCM
 

Learn More

 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Premier Technology Solutions
United Lincolnshire Hospitals, Air Rarotonga, NetSuite, Thai AirAsia, REA Group, 335th Signal Command, Agilisys, Marine Expeditionary Force
Find out what your peers are saying about NinjaOne, Kaseya, Atera and others in Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM). Updated: November 2024.
816,636 professionals have used our research since 2012.