30 Best Network Performance Monitoring Software of 2023

In today's digital age, network performance monitoring (NPM) software has become a critical software for businesses of all sizes. With so many options available, choosing the right NPM software can be a daunting task. This article aims to guide you through the process of finding the right NPM software for your specific needs.

We'll begin by discussing what network performance monitoring software is and why it's important. Finally, we'll look at some of the top Network Performance Monitoring software options on the market today. Whether you're an IT professional responsible for managing a large enterprise network or a small business owner looking to ensure your network runs smoothly, this article will provide you with the knowledge and software you need to choose the right NPM software for your needs.

One of the challenges you may face when searching for NPM software online is that many listings are promotional in nature, making it difficult to find unbiased information. Additionally, search engine results can be influenced by paid advertising, which may not always be the best fit for your needs.

To avoid these challenges, it's important to be discerning when researching NPM software options. Look for sources of information that are reputable and unbiased, such as industry publications, third-party review sites, and user forums. These sources are more likely to provide accurate and honest feedback about the various Network Performance Monitoring software available.

Furthermore, it's a good idea to reach out to peers in your industry who have experience with NPM software. They may be able to provide valuable insights based on their own experiences and help steer you in the right direction. Ultimately, the key is to do your research and gather as much information as possible before making a decision on which NPM software to use.

What is Network Performance Monitoring

Learn about network performance monitoring to optimize network performance. Discover key network metrics, tools & techniques & the benefits for businesses.

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To help you navigate the various types of network performance monitoring (NPM) software available, we've split them into several categories. By doing so, we aim to provide a clearer understanding of what each software offers.

1. Pure Network Performance Monitoring Software: These software focus solely on network performance monitoring, with a primary focus on network traffic analysis, network uptime, and availability. They typically provide detailed reports and insights into network performance metrics, such as latency, packet loss, and bandwidth utilization.
2. Traditional Network Monitoring Software: These software offer a broader range of network management capabilities, including network performance monitoring, device configuration, and troubleshooting. They often include features such as network topology mapping, inventory management, and alarm notifications.
3. Open-Source Network Monitoring Software: These are free and open-source software that offer a wide range of network monitoring features. They can be fully customized to meet your specific needs and offer a high degree of flexibility. However, they often require more technical expertise to set up and maintain.
4. All-In-One IT Software Editor: These software provide a comprehensive suite of IT management software, including network performance monitoring, device management, security management, and more. They are designed to provide a single platform for managing all aspects of your IT infrastructure.
5. Packet Capture Based Network Monitoring Software: These software capture and analyze network traffic at the packet level, providing detailed insights into network performance and security issues. They can be particularly useful for troubleshooting complex network issues and identifying security threats.

By understanding the differences between these categories of NPM software, you can better identify which software may be best suited for your specific needs.

Network performance monitoring (NPM) is a critical aspect of managing a modern IT infrastructure. Pure Network Performance Monitoring Software offers a specialized approach to Network Performance Monitoring that sets them apart from other IT management platforms. These software focus solely on network performance monitoring, providing advanced analytics and reporting capabilities to help organizations make informed decisions about their network infrastructure.

In this section, we'll explore the top six pure Network Performance Monitoring software that specialize in network performance monitoring with agent-based software and synthetic testing. These software leverage application, infrastructure, and network monitoring to diagnose and troubleshoot issues in real-time, making them essential for businesses of all sizes. Each software offers unique features and capabilities that differentiate themselves based on the complexity of the software, providing options for businesses with varying needs.

Join us as we take a closer look at what makes these six pure Network Performance Monitoring software stand out, and how they can help organizations maximize their network performance.

Obkio is a cloud-based Network Performance Monitoring Software designed to monitor end-to-end network performance ( WAN to LAN) from the end user perspective for all network types (SD-WAN, MPLS, LAN, WAN L@ et L3 VPN).

Obkio leverages Network Monitoring Agents and synthetic traffic to continuously identify the causes of intermittent VoIP, video, and applications slowdown in seconds - and identify the data you need to troubleshoot and ultimately improve the end-user experience.

Read our full overview of Obkio >

To help you start monitoring and troubleshooting network issue in minutes, Obkio offers a free 14-day trial of all their premium features. With the help of Obkio's Onboarding Wizard, users can start collecting performance data and identifying network issues in minutes.

• 14-day free trial of all premium features
• Deploy in just 10 minutes
• Monitor performance in all key network locations
• Measure real-time network metrics
• Identify and troubleshoot live network problems

Kentik is a comprehensive Network Performance Monitoring platform that includes network traffic analysis, network performance monitoring, and security analytics. Features include real-time traffic analysis, anomaly detection, and customizable dashboards.

Read our full overview of Kentik >

ThousandEyes is a cloud-based Network Performance Monitoring Software that provides real-time insights into network performance and user experience across the internet, cloud, and hybrid infrastructures. Features include network performance metrics, internet outage detection, and synthetic transaction monitoring.

Read our full overview of ThousandEyes >

AppNeta is an Network Performance Monitoring Software that provides end-to-end visibility across cloud, on-premises, and hybrid networks. Features include packet-level network analysis, real-time network performance monitoring, and user experience monitoring.

Read our full overview of AppNeta >

Catchpoint is s Network Performance Monitoring platform that provides end-to-end monitoring of network performance, user experience, and application performance. Features include synthetic transaction monitoring, real user monitoring, and customizable dashboards.

Read our full overview of Catchpoint >

LiveAction is an all-in-one IT management software that includes network performance monitoring, application performance monitoring, and security analytics. Features include real-time network performance monitoring, network flow analysis, and root cause analysis.

Read our full overview of LiveAction >

Each of these Network Performance Monitoring Software offers unique features and benefits, so it's important to evaluate them based on your specific needs and priorities.

When it comes to managing a modern IT infrastructure, network monitoring is essential. Network monitoring software allows organizations to track network activity, detect potential issues, and troubleshoot network problems in real-time. However, there are different types of network monitoring software, each with its own unique focus and capabilities.

Two common types of network monitoring software are traditional network monitoring and network performance monitoring. While they may seem similar at first glance, there are important differences between these two approaches.

Traditional network monitoring software is designed to provide a broad view of network activity. These software typically focus on monitoring the overall health of a network and detecting potential issues, such as network congestion or device failures. Traditional network monitoring software often rely on SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) to gather data from network devices.

Traditional network monitoring software typically provides a range of features, such as network topology mapping, device discovery, and event logging. They may also include automated alerting capabilities to notify administrators when a problem is detected. Traditional network monitoring software are often used to ensure network uptime and availability and are useful for identifying issues that could impact network performance.

However, traditional network monitoring software may not provide the depth of analysis needed to identify the root cause of network performance issues. They may lack the granularity necessary to identify which specific network components are causing problems or which applications are experiencing performance degradation.

Here are some limitations of traditional network monitoring software:

• Lack of granularity: Traditional network monitoring software often provides a high-level view of network activity, which can make it difficult to identify the root cause of network performance issues. They may lack the granularity necessary to identify which specific network components are causing problems or which applications are experiencing performance degradation.

• Inability to analyze network traffic: Traditional network monitoring software often rely on SNMP to gather data from network devices, which may not provide a complete picture of network activity. They may not be able to analyze network traffic in real-time, which can limit their ability to identify performance issues.

• Limited visibility: Traditional network monitoring software may not provide the same level of visibility into network activity as Network Performance Monitoring Software. They may not be able to provide detailed insights into network performance metrics such as latency, packet loss, and bandwidth utilization.

• Reactive rather than proactive: Traditional network monitoring software often rely on automated alerting capabilities to notify administrators when a problem is detected. This means that they may only provide a reactive response to network issues, rather than proactively identifying potential issues before they impact network performance.

• Inability to monitor modern network architectures: Traditional network monitoring software may not be able to monitor modern network architectures, such as cloud-based or hybrid environments. They may not be able to collect data from virtualized or containerized environments, which can limit their effectiveness in modern IT environments.

This is where network performance monitoring comes in.

Network performance monitoring (NPM) software are designed to provide detailed insights into network performance metrics, such as latency, packet loss, and bandwidth utilization. Network Performance Monitoring Software focuses on analyzing network traffic in real-time to identify performance bottlenecks and diagnose issues.

Network Performance Monitoring Software often uses packet analysis techniques to provide a granular view of network activity. They may also incorporate flow data analysis to provide additional insights into network traffic patterns. Network Performance Monitoring Software may include agent-based monitoring capabilities that allow them to collect data directly from network endpoints.

Network Performance Monitoring Software typically provides features such as real-time network performance metrics, traffic analysis, and application performance monitoring. They may also include root cause analysis capabilities to help administrators quickly identify and remediate network performance issues.

There are many network monitoring software on the market, and it can be challenging to identify which software is the best fit for your organization's needs. Network performance monitoring (NPM) software provides a granular view of network activity, allowing administrators to identify performance bottlenecks and diagnose issues in real-time.

By understanding the advantages of Network Performance Monitoring Software and knowing how to identify them, you can select a software that provides the level of visibility and analysis needed to optimize network performance and ensure that critical applications are running smoothly.

Advantages of Network Performance Monitoring Software:

• Granular view of network activity: Network Performance Monitoring Software provides a granular view of network activity, allowing administrators to identify the specific components or applications that are causing performance issues.
• Real-time monitoring and analysis: Network Performance Monitoring Software can monitor network performance metrics in real-time, allowing administrators to quickly identify performance bottlenecks and diagnose issues.
• Application performance monitoring: Network Performance Monitoring Software often include application performance monitoring capabilities, allowing administrators to monitor application performance metrics and ensure that critical applications are running smoothly.
• Root cause analysis: Network Performance Monitoring Software may include root cause analysis capabilities, allowing administrators to quickly identify the root cause of network performance issues and remediate them.
• Agent-based monitoring: Network Performance Monitoring Software may include agent-based monitoring capabilities, allowing them to collect data directly from network endpoints and provide a more comprehensive view of network activity.

Ways to Truly Identify Network Performance Monitoring Software:

1. Look for Network Performance Monitoring-specific features:

When evaluating network monitoring software, look for features that are specific to Network Performance Monitoring, such as real-time network performance metrics, traffic analysis, and application performance monitoring.

2. Check for agent-based monitoring capabilities:

Agent-based monitoring is a key feature of Network Performance Monitoring Software, as it allows them to collect data directly from network endpoints. Check to see if the software offers agent-based monitoring capabilities.

3. Evaluate the software's packet analysis capabilities:

Packet analysis is a key technique used by Network Performance Monitoring Software to provide a granular view of network activity. Evaluate the software's packet analysis capabilities to ensure that it can provide the level of detail needed to diagnose performance issues.

4. Look for application-specific monitoring capabilities:

Network Performance Monitoring Software should include application-specific monitoring capabilities, allowing administrators to monitor application performance metrics and ensure that critical applications are running smoothly.

5. Check for real-time monitoring and alerting:

Network Performance Monitoring Software should provide real-time monitoring and alerting capabilities, allowing administrators to quickly identify performance issues and take action to remediate them.

By evaluating network monitoring software based on these criteria, you can identify Network Performance Monitoring Software that provide the capabilities and features you need to effectively monitor and manage your network infrastructure.

The main difference between traditional network monitoring and network performance monitoring is their focus. Traditional network monitoring is designed to provide a broad view of network activity, while Network Performance Monitoring Software focuses on analyzing network performance metrics to identify performance issues.

Traditional network monitoring is useful for ensuring network availability and identifying potential issues that could impact network performance. However, it may not provide the depth of analysis needed to identify the root cause of performance issues.

Network Performance Monitoring Software, on the other hand, are designed to provide a granular view of network activity, allowing administrators to identify the specific components or applications that are causing performance issues. Network Performance Monitoring Software can help organizations optimize network performance and ensure that critical applications are running smoothly.

When choosing a network monitoring software, it's important to consider your specific needs and priorities. Traditional network monitoring software may be sufficient for organizations that are primarily concerned with ensuring network uptime and availability. However, if you need to optimize network performance and diagnose performance issues, an Network Performance Monitoring Software may be a better fit.

Ultimately, the key is to choose a software that provides the features and capabilities you need to effectively monitor and manage your network infrastructure.

As network performance monitoring becomes increasingly important in today's digital landscape, it's no surprise that it's become a buzzword that's being used everywhere.

While we've covered some of the best network performance monitoring software software on the market, it's important to explore other options and approaches to network performance monitoring.

In this section, we'll delve into additional categories of network monitoring software and platforms, including traditional network monitoring software, IT platforms, open-source software, all-in-one network software, and packet capture-based high-end software.

By considering these other options, you can identify the approach that best fits your organization's specific needs and priorities for network performance monitoring and management. So let's take a closer look at these other options and what they have to offer.

Effective network performance monitoring and management requires the right software and platforms. IT management platforms and network monitoring software can provide real-time visibility into network performance metrics, alerting capabilities, and other advanced features to help administrators diagnose and remediate network performance issues.

In this section, we'll explore the 8 best IT management platforms and network monitoring software that offer a range of features and capabilities for network performance monitoring and management. These software are designed to provide real-time visibility into network activity, support a variety of devices and protocols, and offer scalability to meet the needs of organizations of all sizes.

By evaluating these software based on their features, capabilities, and scalability, you can select the platform or software that best meets your organization's specific needs and priorities for network performance monitoring and management.

PRTG Network Monitor is a comprehensive network monitoring software that provides real-time monitoring of network performance metrics and alerting capabilities. It offers a wide range of monitoring options and supports a variety of devices and protocols.

Read our full overview of PRTG >

Manage Engine OPManager is an all-in-one network management software that provides network performance monitoring, configuration management, and network mapping capabilities. It includes automated workflows and root cause analysis features to help administrators quickly diagnose and remediate network performance issues.

Read our full overview of Manage Engine >

SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor is a scalable network monitoring software that provides real-time visibility into network performance metrics and alerts. It includes advanced network traffic analysis capabilities and root cause analysis features.

Read our full overview of SolarWinds >

ScienceLogic is a comprehensive network performance monitoring software that provides real-time visibility into network performance metrics and integrates with other IT management platforms. It includes root cause analysis capabilities and supports hybrid IT environments.

Read our full overview of SScienceLogic

LogicMonitor is a cloud-based network monitoring software that provides real-time visibility into network performance metrics and alerts. It includes pre-configured dashboards and reporting capabilities to help administrators quickly identify performance issues.

Read our full overview of LogicMonitor >

Auvik is a cloud-based network monitoring software that provides real-time visibility into network performance metrics and device discovery capabilities. It includes automated network topology mapping and supports multi-vendor environments.

Read our full overview of Auvik >

Icinga is an open-source network monitoring software that provides real-time monitoring of network performance metrics and supports a variety of plugins and integrations. It includes customizable dashboards and reporting capabilities.

Read our full overview of Icinga >

Progress WhatsUpGold is a network monitoring software that provides real-time visibility into network performance metrics and alerting capabilities. It includes automated network discovery and topology mapping features.

Read our full overview of Progress WhatsUp Gold >

These network performance software offer a range of features and capabilities for network performance monitoring and management. By evaluating them based on your specific needs and priorities, you can select the software that provides the functionality and scalability you require.

Open-source network monitoring software offer a cost-effective and flexible software for organizations looking to monitor their network performance. These software provide a range of features and capabilities, including real-time monitoring of network performance metrics, event logging, and alerting capabilities.

In this section, we'll explore the best 4 open-source network monitoring software that provide effective network performance monitoring capabilities. These software offer a range of features and capabilities, including support for a variety of devices and protocols, customizable dashboards, and reporting capabilities.

By evaluating these open-source network monitoring software based on their features, capabilities, and community support, you can select the software that best meets your organization's specific needs and priorities for network performance monitoring. These software provide a cost-effective and scalable approach to network monitoring, helping organizations optimize their network performance and ensure the availability of critical applications.

Nagios XI is an enterprise-grade network monitoring software that provides real-time monitoring of network performance metrics and alerting capabilities. It includes support for a wide range of devices and protocols, customizable dashboards, and reporting capabilities.

Read our full overview of Nagios XI >

LibreNMS is a community-driven network monitoring software that provides real-time monitoring of network performance metrics and event logging. It includes support for a variety of devices and protocols, customizable dashboards, and reporting capabilities.

Read our full overview of LibreNMS >

Zabbix is a comprehensive network monitoring software that provides real-time monitoring of network performance metrics, alerting capabilities, and advanced reporting features. It includes support for a wide range of devices and protocols, customizable dashboards, and event correlation capabilities.

Read our full overview of Zabbix >

OpenNMS is a scalable network monitoring software that provides real-time monitoring of network performance metrics and alerting capabilities. It includes support for a variety of devices and protocols, automated network discovery and mapping, and customizable dashboards and reporting capabilities.

Read our full overview of OpenNMS >

Each of these open-source network performance software offers unique features and capabilities for effective network performance monitoring. By evaluating them based on your specific needs and priorities, you can select the software that provides the functionality and scalability you require.

As organizations increasingly rely on applications to support their operations, effective application performance monitoring (APM) is essential to ensure optimal performance and user experience. APM software provides real-time visibility into application performance metrics and identifies potential issues that could impact performance.

In addition to APM capabilities, some all-in-one IT software software also include network performance monitoring software or modules. These software offer a comprehensive approach to network performance monitoring and management, allowing administrators to monitor both application and network performance from a single platform.

In this section, we'll explore the best 6 all-in-one application performance monitoring (APM) software with network performance monitoring software or modules. These software offer a range of features and capabilities, including real-time monitoring of network performance metrics, application performance monitoring, alerting capabilities, and root cause analysis.

By evaluating these all-in-one software based on their features, capabilities, and scalability, you can select the platform or software that best meets your organization's specific needs and priorities for network and application performance monitoring and management.

Datadog is a cloud-based monitoring and analytics platform that provides real-time visibility into application and network performance metrics. It includes APM and network performance monitoring capabilities, customizable dashboards, and automated alerting features.

Read our full overview of Datadog >

AppDynamics is an APM software that provides real-time monitoring of application performance metrics and includes network performance monitoring capabilities. It includes advanced analytics and root cause analysis features to help administrators quickly diagnose and remediate issues.

Read our full overview of AppDynamics >

Dynatrace is an AI-powered APM software that provides real-time monitoring of application performance metrics and includes network performance monitoring capabilities. It includes automated root cause analysis and remediation features, customizable dashboards, and reporting capabilities.

Read our full overview of Dynatrace >

Splunk is an all-in-one platform that provides real-time monitoring of application and network performance metrics, including APM and network performance monitoring capabilities. It includes advanced analytics and reporting features, customizable dashboards, and automated alerting capabilities.

Read our full overview of Splunk >

New Relic is a cloud-based APM software that provides real-time monitoring of application performance metrics and includes network performance monitoring capabilities. It includes root cause analysis features, customizable dashboards, and reporting capabilities.

Read our full overview of New Relic >

Elastic Observability is a cloud-based monitoring and analytics platform that provides real-time monitoring of application and network performance metrics. It includes APM and network performance monitoring capabilities, machine learning-based root cause analysis features, and customizable dashboards.

Read our full overview of Elastic Observability >

Each of these all-in-one network software offers unique features and capabilities for effective application and network performance monitoring and management. By evaluating them based on your specific needs and priorities, you can select the software that provides the functionality and scalability you require.

Packet capture-based network performance software are a more traditional approach to network performnace monitoring. These software rely on the analysis of data packets traversing the network. These tools utilize deep packet inspection techniques, allowing for a detailed examination of the contents of each packet.

Beyond their primary function of assessing performance metrics like bandwidth, latency, and packet loss, these software solutions also play a crucial role in enhancing network security. By scrutinizing packet contents, they can identify and flag potential security threats, helping administrators detect malicious activities or unauthorized access attempts. Additionally, these tools excel at monitoring network traffic for anomalous behavior, enabling proactive responses to irregularities that may indicate network issues or security breaches.

Ixia/Keysight is a network monitoring software that provides real-time visibility into network traffic and includes advanced packet capture and analysis capabilities. It includes automated alerting features, customizable dashboards, and reporting capabilities.

Read our full overview of Ixia/Keysight Network Monitoring >

Viavi Observer Software is a network monitoring software that provides real-time visibility into network traffic and includes packet capture and analysis capabilities. It includes advanced analytics and reporting features, customizable dashboards, and automated alerting capabilities.

Read our full overview of Viavi Observer Solutions >

Gigamon is a network monitoring software that provides real-time visibility into network traffic and includes packet capture and analysis capabilities. It includes advanced analytics and reporting features, customizable dashboards, and automated alerting capabilities.

Read our full overview of Gigamon >

Netscout nGeniusOne is a network monitoring software that provides real-time visibility into network traffic and includes packet capture and analysis capabilities. It includes advanced analytics and reporting features, customizable dashboards, and automated alerting capabilities.

Read our full overview of Netscout nGeniusOne >

Extrahop Revealx is a network monitoring software that provides real-time visibility into network traffic and includes packet capture and analysis capabilities. It includes advanced machine learning-based analytics and reporting features, customizable dashboards, and automated alerting capabilities.

Read our full overview of Extrahop Revealx >

Accedian Skylight is a network monitoring software that provides real-time visibility into network traffic and includes packet capture and analysis capabilities. It includes advanced analytics and reporting features, customizable dashboards, and automated alerting capabilities.

Read our full overview of Skylight >

Each of these packet capture-based technologies offers unique features and capabilities for effective high-level network performance testing. By evaluating them based on your specific needs and priorities, you can select the software that provides the functionality and scalability you require.

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Don't settle for subpar network performance. Try our software for free and see how it can help you maximize your network performance. The possibilities are endless!

• 14-day free trial of all premium features
• Deploy in just 10 minutes
• Monitor performance in all key network locations
• Measure real-time network metrics
• Identify and troubleshoot live network problems