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Nagios XI vs Zabbix comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Jan 12, 2025

Review summaries and opinions

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

ROI

Sentiment score
6.6
Nagios XI saves time in system monitoring, offers long-term value, but some users find costs high despite management's approval.
Sentiment score
7.7
Zabbix's open-source approach offers high ROI by eliminating costs, enhancing system visibility, and reducing operational expenses.
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
6.6
Nagios XI support is professional and prompt, though costly, with comprehensive resources lessening the need for direct assistance.
Sentiment score
7.0
Zabbix's support is praised for community assistance, responsiveness, expertise, and effective forums, with room for improvement noted.
It is so straightforward that I have never had to use the support.
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
7.1
Nagios XI is scalable for various environments, but complex performance and limited documentation challenge extensive infrastructures.
Sentiment score
6.9
Zabbix offers efficient scalability and performance for large enterprises, overcoming database and hardware challenges without costly licenses.
Zabbix is very scalable and lightweight.
I would rate its scalability ten out of ten.
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
7.3
Nagios XI is stable with minimal performance issues, requiring occasional tweaks, and is ideal for large-scale infrastructure monitoring.
Sentiment score
7.6
Zabbix is highly stable, reliable, and resource-efficient, though occasional configuration and tuning are needed, especially for databases.
 

Room For Improvement

Nagios XI requires better integration, user interface, documentation, and enhanced features for easier setup and improved management capabilities.
Zabbix's user interface and features need improvement, with insufficient scalability, modern workload monitoring, and inadequate documentation.
The GUI could be improved. It's a bit too basic.
The only issue I can note is that it's Linux-based, and Linux documentation is not the best.
 

Setup Cost

Nagios XI offers cost-effective monitoring with free and paid versions, though enterprise deployment may involve complex licensing and higher costs.
Zabbix is a cost-effective, open-source enterprise solution with no licensing fees, appealing for its affordability compared to competitors.
We are using the free, open-source version.
 

Valuable Features

Nagios XI provides customizable, scalable monitoring with extensive plugin support, real-time insights, and integration, improving user experience and flexibility.
Zabbix offers flexible, scalable open-source monitoring with strong customization, seamless API integration, and user-friendly features supported by robust documentation.
The alerting system is very effective.
If disk usage surpasses a threshold, say 70%, I receive alerts and can take proactive action.
 

Categories and Ranking

Nagios XI
Ranking in Network Monitoring Software
13th
Ranking in Server Monitoring
8th
Ranking in IT Infrastructure Monitoring
14th
Ranking in Cloud Monitoring Software
15th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
57
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Zabbix
Ranking in Network Monitoring Software
1st
Ranking in Server Monitoring
1st
Ranking in IT Infrastructure Monitoring
1st
Ranking in Cloud Monitoring Software
2nd
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
7.1
Number of Reviews
105
Ranking in other categories
Application Performance Monitoring (APM) and Observability (9th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of February 2025, in the Network Monitoring Software category, the mindshare of Nagios XI is 3.3%, down from 4.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Zabbix is 12.2%, up from 11.7% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Network Monitoring Software
 

Q&A Highlights

AS
Jul 01, 2014
 

Featured Reviews

Amir  Said - PeerSpot reviewer
Effective alerting enhances network monitoring experience with an easy setup
We love Nagios XI due to the fact that JPS Web is very useful. JPS monitors the modem and performs switching, monitoring the computer, and performing switching. We implement some applications and traffic monitoring. The alerting system is very effective. For instance, if we have an alarm on some RAM storage if the traffic is cut or dropped.
ASM Naushad Alam - PeerSpot reviewer
Allows any number of customizations but lacks functionality for finding root causes
We have not yet purchased the commercial version so have a lack of technical ability. We do not yet fully know the key points or key features of the solution. We just use what we use along with WhatsUp Gold. Based on our use only, stability is rated a seven out of ten.
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Comparison Review

it_user174738 - PeerSpot reviewer
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…
 

Answers from the Community

AS
Jul 1, 2014
Jul 1, 2014
I think that your best bet of the two is Nagios. I would also take a look a CA Nimsoft Monitor Freemium. This will have more OOTB functionality for you sir.
2 out of 4 answers
it_user90867 - PeerSpot reviewer
Jun 30, 2014
ZABBIX ... of course :) We have been working with this wonderful monitoring tool since 2007 (before we had used Nagios, Openview, Whatsup, Hobbitmon, etc) and until now we haven't seen any limitations in our projects. If you need to learn a little bit more about 'how to customize ZABBIX' you can search about: - ZABBIX UserParameters; - ZABBIX pluggable modules; - ZABBIX LLD; - ZABBIX API; I think this things will help a lot to know how to extend/customize ZABBIX. Luciano
it_user116742 - PeerSpot reviewer
Jun 30, 2014
ZABBIX ... of course :) We are working with this wonderful monitoring tool since 2008
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Educational Organization
62%
Computer Software Company
6%
Financial Services Firm
5%
Manufacturing Company
4%
Educational Organization
39%
Computer Software Company
11%
Financial Services Firm
6%
Manufacturing Company
5%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Nagios XI?
It is an open-source platform with valuable features for performance and stability.
What needs improvement with Nagios XI?
The GUI could be improved. It's a bit too basic, and maybe having a GraphQL interface would resolve this. Also, there is room for improvement in the interface.
What do you like most about Zabbix?
The template system in Zabbix is very beneficial as it saves time in configuration.
What needs improvement with Zabbix?
For me, Zabbix is very straightforward. I cannot think of any improvements needed. It's a very mature product. The only issue I can note is that it's Linux-based, and Linux documentation is not the...
 

Comparisons

 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Nagios has over one million users globally, including AOL, DHL, McAfee, MCI, MTV, Yahoo!, Universal, Toshiba, Sony, Siemens, and JPMorgan Chase.
1. IBM 2. Dell 3. Cisco 4. HP 5. Oracle 6. Microsoft 7. Amazon 8. Google 9. Facebook 10. Twitter 11. LinkedIn 12. Netflix 13. Adobe 14. VMware 15. Salesforce 16. SAP 17. Intel 18. AT&T 19. Verizon 20. T-Mobile 21. Vodafone 22. Ericsson 23. Nokia 24. Siemens 25. General Electric 26. Honeywell 27. Philips 28. Sony 29. Samsung 30. LG 31. Panasonic 32. Toshiba
Find out what your peers are saying about Nagios XI vs. Zabbix and other solutions. Updated: January 2025.
838,640 professionals have used our research since 2012.