Is Nagios XI more secure than SolarWinds after the 2020 supply chain attack?

Yes. Nagios XI has had zero major security breaches in 25+ years, compared to SolarWinds' 2020 supply chain attack that compromised 18,000+ customers. Built on an open-source foundation, Nagios XI benefits from global security community audits, eliminating the hidden backdoors and single points of failure that left SolarWinds vulnerable.

How much can we save with Nagios XI enterprise licensing compared to SolarWinds?

Customers who've switched from SolarWinds to Nagios XI report saving up to 80% in licensing and maintenance costs, thanks to our more predictable pricing and avoiding the extra costs tied to modules or engine fees.

Who are the enterprise customers using Nagios XI vs. SolarWinds?

Fortune 500 companies including Verizon, DHL, McAfee, AOL, Sony, Siemens, and JPMorgan Chase rely on Nagios XI for enterprise monitoring. Successfully proven in large-scale deployments monitoring 20,000+ Nodes with 15,000-20,000 checks per 5-minute interval.

Do you need custom monitoring for your devices?

Yes. When it comes to custom monitoring, Nagios XI offers a significant advantage: it includes access to 4,000+ community-developed plugins via Nagios Exchange at no additional cost, enabling virtually unlimited custom monitoring straight out of the box. You can also create your own plugins following our plugin development guidelines. In contrast, SolarWinds typically requires the purchase of additional add-on modules for similar levels of custom monitoring functionality.

What are Nagios XI's advantages and limitations vs SolarWinds?

Advantages: Superior security, 79% lower TCO, unlimited customization, vendor independence. Limitations: More complex initial setup requiring Linux knowledge, less advanced auto-discovery, no native mobile apps. Best for security-conscious organizations with technical teams.

Can Nagios XI handle enterprise cloud monitoring like SolarWinds?

Yes. Nagios XI monitors AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, and hybrid environments with enterprise-grade APIs and plugins. Unlike SolarWinds' cloud dependency, Nagios XI provides true hybrid monitoring with on-premises control, meeting strict compliance requirements for sensitive data.

Nagios VS. Solarwinds

Nagios XI – The Most Trusted SolarWinds Alternative

Perpetual Licensing Without Vendor Lock-in

Nagios XI is the leading network monitoring replacement for SolarWinds with robust security, enterprise perpetual licensing, and the ability to monitor virtually anything. Join millions of users that have chosen transparent, auditable monitoring over proprietary solutions with supply chain risks. Complete data sovereignty with a proven 25+ year track record.

Nagios is Trusted by Thousands of IT Teams

25 Years of operational excellence

Why Nagios Is The Best SolarWinds Replacement

Enterprise network monitoring with perpetual licensing - see why organizations choose Nagios XI as their SolarWinds alternative

Predictable Perpetual Pricing

End the subscription escalation cycle forever with Nagios perpetual licensing. One purchase, lifetime value. No surprise increases, no forced migrations to higher tiers, and no per-check fees that multiply costs.

Complete Data Sovereignty

Your monitoring data stays on YOUR infrastructure. No cloud dependencies, no vendor access to sensitive operational data. Meet compliance requirements with guaranteed on-premises control.

True On-Premises Control

Deploy anywhere – data centers, private clouds, air-gapped networks. Zero internet dependency, zero SaaS downtime.

25+ Years of Proven Reliability

Nagios has powered critical monitoring infrastructure since 1999. Join millions of users who trust Nagios as their long-term monitoring solution.

Nagios vs SolarWinds: Network Monitoring Comparison

Enterprise monitoring solution with perpetual licensing - comprehensive feature comparison

Feature/Benefit	Nagios	SolarWinds
Perpetual licensing Purchase Nagios XI once and own it forever with no recurring subscription fees.
Data sovereignty & on‑premises control		Limited (product dependent)
Protection from subscription escalation
No hidden module costs
Ecosystem independence Integrates with nearly any infrastructure, giving you flexibility without vendor lock‑in.
Air-gapped network deployment capability Deploy Nagios XI in isolated environments without requiring internet connectivity.		Limited
Enterprise regulatory compliance support Nagios XI includes features such as on‑premises deployment and audit logging to help organizations meet compliance requirements.
Open source foundation Built on Nagios Core with transparency, security audits, and community-driven improvements.
Real-time network monitoring and alerting
Zero internet dependency for monitoring Nagios XI ensures monitoring and alerts never depend on internet access, maintaining complete visibility even in offline environments.		Limited
Automated network configuration management	Limited (manual/external)
4,000+ monitoring plugins included		Limited (requires modules)
SNMP & WMI compatibility
Open source monitoring flexibility
Unlimited custom monitoring capabilities		Limited without modules
Enterprise monitoring scalability
Free vs paid monitoring options Nagios offers both free (Nagios Core) and enterprise options. SolarWinds only offers paid commercial licenses.
IP Address Manager (IPAM)
Customer Success Management Included Nagios XI includes a Customer Success Manager at no additional cost; SolarWinds charges $30K–$100K/year.		Limited
Cloud monitoring integration (AWS, Azure, GCP)

Curious how your SolarWinds invoice compares to our pricing?

Whether you’re paying for SolarWinds Observability or individual product modules like Network Performance Monitor (NPM), Server & Application Monitor (SAM), Log Analyzer (LA), Virtualization Manager (VMAN), etc., Nagios engineers are available to help align you with the correct Nagios Monitoring Solution(s).

Complete the form to start a personalized review of your monitoring costs.

A Nagios representative will reach out to show how we can provide more predictable pricing and highlight potential savings.

Enterprise SolarWinds Alternatives

Why Nagios XI Leads

Comparing enterprise monitoring solutions - commercial support with perpetual licensing

Which is better: Nagios XI or SolarWinds for enterprise monitoring?

For organizations prioritizing cost predictability and data sovereignty, Nagios XI offers superior enterprise value with perpetual licensing and complete on-premises control. Built on proven open-source foundation with commercial-grade support and enterprise SLAs.

Best enterprise network monitoring software comparison

Among enterprise monitoring solutions, Nagios XI excels in customization and cost-effectiveness with commercial support options. For technical teams requiring enterprise features, Nagios XI delivers better ROI and flexibility than subscription models.

Enterprise monitoring with open source foundation

Nagios XI combines enterprise features with the stability of open source foundation, offering commercial support with perpetual licensing. Unlike purely commercial  solutions, you’re never locked into subscription escalation cycles.

Customer Success Stories

We’ve worked with thousands of incredible businesses of all sizes across the globe. Hear what they have to say.

Read Full Case Study

E-commerce Giant Achieves $125M in Additional Sales

“

In real dollar terms, the company was able to achieve almost $125,000,000 in additional sales as a result of implementing Nagios monitoring solutions.

”

Eric Loyd

Principal Consultant and COO | Everwatch Global

$125M

ADDITIONAL SALES

98%

UPTIME ACHIEVED

90%

ISSUES AUTO-FIXED

SolarWinds Alternative FAQ

Disclaimer: Pricing comparisons based on publicly available information and customer reports. Individual results may vary. Consult with vendors directly for current pricing. Feature comparisons based on publicly available documentation as of 2025.

Ready to Switch to the Leading SolarWinds Alternative?

See Nagios XI in action. Schedule a personalized demo with our team and we’ll walk you through monitoring setup, dashboards, and how Nagios XI maps to your current SolarWinds environment.