PRTG Network Monitor vs Nagios
Side-by-side from the Top 11 ranking of The 11 Best IT Infrastructure Monitoring Software Tools. Last verified June 19, 2026.
The short answer
PRTG Network Monitor ranks higher on Top 11 (#8 vs #10) for IT teams monitoring server uptime, network health, and application performance. Simple, sensor-based model is great for network admins.
At a glance
| PRTG Network Monitor | Nagios | |
|---|---|---|
| Top 11 rank | #8 / The 11 Best IT Infrastructure Monitoring Software Tools | #10 / The 11 Best IT Infrastructure Monitoring Software Tools |
| Score (out of 9.4) | 7.7 | 7.3 |
| Best for | Easy-to-use network monitoring | Extensible open-source engine |
| Pricing | $$ (Perpetual license) | $ (Free, paid edition) |
| HQ | Nuremberg, Germany | Saint Paul, USA |
| Founded | 1997 | 1999 |
PRTG Network Monitor
Simple, sensor-based model is great for network admins.
www.paessler.com/prtgSee full entry in The 11 Best IT Infrastructure Monitoring Software Tools
Nagios
Monitors anything thanks to a huge library of community plugins.
www.nagios.com/See full entry in The 11 Best IT Infrastructure Monitoring Software Tools
Methodology and scoring weights live at /methodology. No vendor pays for placement — see about.