SolarWinds 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
SolarWinds ranks higher on Top 11 (#6 vs #10) for IT teams monitoring server uptime, network health, and application performance. Offers deep visibility into on-premise networks and Windows servers.
At a glance
| SolarWinds | Nagios | |
|---|---|---|
| Top 11 rank | #6 / The 11 Best IT Infrastructure Monitoring Software Tools | #10 / The 11 Best IT Infrastructure Monitoring Software Tools |
| Score (out of 9.4) | 8.1 | 7.3 |
| Best for | Broad on-premise IT management | Extensible open-source engine |
| Pricing | $$$ (Perpetual license) | $ (Free, paid edition) |
| HQ | Austin, USA | Saint Paul, USA |
| Founded | 1999 | 1999 |
SolarWinds
Offers deep visibility into on-premise networks and Windows servers.
www.solarwinds.com/See 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.