Best Network Performance Monitoring Software in 2026
Updated
Network performance monitoring software helps you keep visibility into network behavior and investigate performance issues. The entries are ordered as a ranked best-of list. Compared on data retention, deployment, free plan availability, and paid-from pricing, they also vary in monitored-device coverage, jitter and packet-loss monitoring, path visualization, and synthetic network tests. These details can help you weigh monitoring approaches against the networks you oversee. Obkio, Paessler PRTG Network Monitor, and ManageEngine OpManager appear first, with PingPlotter and SoftPerfect Bandwidth Manager among the entries that follow. Consider which measurements, deployment choices, and scale matter for your environment.
24ranked
12free plans on this page
$7.92/molowest paid tier
9 Oct 2026last checked
Network Performance Monitoring Software, ranked on how quickly a newcomer can get going.18 of 18 products with recorded free access can be tried for free.
- 1 ObkioFree plan
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: yes
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 2 Paessler PRTG Network MonitorPaid from $16.67/mo
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: yes
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 3 ManageEngine OpManagerPaid from $7.92/mo
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: yes
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 4 PingPlotterPaid from $29/mo
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: yes
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 5 SoftPerfect Bandwidth ManagerFree plan
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: yes
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 6 CheckmkPaid from $275/mo
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: yes
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 7 WhatsUp GoldPaid from $72.17/mo
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: yes
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: no
- 8 Zabbix
- Free trial: yes
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 9 LibreNMSFree plan
- Free to practise on: yes
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 10 OpenNMSPaid from $500/mo
- Free to practise on: yes
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: no
- 11 ObserviumFree plan
- Free to practise on: yes
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: no
- 12 CactiFree plan
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: no
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 13 Catchpoint Internet Performance Monitoring
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 14 Riverbed Aternity
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 15 Kentik Network Monitoring SystemPaid from $166.67/mo
- Free to practise on: no
- Free trial: yes
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: no
- 16 perfSONARFree plan
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: no
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: no
- 17 AppNeta
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: no
- 18 Omnipeek
- Free trial: yes
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: no
- 19 SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor
- Free trial: yes
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: no
- 20 The DudeFree plan
- Free to practise on: yes
- Well documented: no
- Runs where you work: no
- 21 WanAware Network Performance Monitoring
- Free trial: yes
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: no
- 22 NetBeez
- Well documented: no
- Runs where you work: yes
- 23 Cisco ThousandEyes
- Well documented: no
- Runs where you work: yes
- 24 Auvik Network Management
- Well documented: no
- Runs where you work: no
Compare all 24 in a table
| # | Platform | Score | Free plan | From | Free plan | Paid from | Monitored devices | Packet loss monitoring |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Obkio | 8.1 | Free plan | Free | Yes | |||
| 2 | Paessler PRTG Network Monitor | 8.0 | Free plan | $16.67/mo | Yes | 200 /mo | ||
| 3 | ManageEngine OpManager | 7.9 | Free plan | $7.92/mo | Yes | |||
| 4 | PingPlotter | 7.9 | Free plan | $29/mo | Yes | 6.99 /mo | 1 devices | Yes |
| 5 | SoftPerfect Bandwidth Manager | 7.9 | Free plan | Free | Yes | Yes | ||
| 6 | Checkmk | 7.8 | Free plan | $275/mo | Yes | |||
| 7 | WhatsUp Gold | 7.7 | $72.17/mo | Yes | 50 devices | Yes | ||
| 8 | Zabbix | 7.2 | Yes | 50 /mo | ||||
| 9 | LibreNMS | 7.1 | Free plan | Free | Yes | |||
| 10 | OpenNMS | 7.1 | Free plan | $500/mo | Yes | |||
| 11 | Observium | 7.0 | Free plan | Free | Yes | |||
| 12 | Cacti | 6.7 | Free plan | Free | Yes | |||
| 13 | Catchpoint Internet Performance Monitoring | 6.7 | ||||||
| 14 | Riverbed Aternity | 6.7 | Yes | |||||
| 15 | Kentik Network Monitoring System | 6.6 | No | $166.67/mo | No | 2,000 /mo | ||
| 16 | perfSONAR | 6.6 | Free plan | Free | No | Yes | ||
| 17 | AppNeta | 6.5 | Yes | |||||
| 18 | Omnipeek | 6.5 | ||||||
| 19 | SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor | 6.5 | No | |||||
| 20 | The Dude | 6.5 | Free plan | Free | Yes | Yes | ||
| 21 | WanAware Network Performance Monitoring | 6.5 | No | 1,000 devices | Yes | |||
| 22 | NetBeez | 5.9 | No | |||||
| 23 | Cisco ThousandEyes | 5.6 | No | |||||
| 24 | Auvik Network Management | 5.2 | No |
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