Top 30 Synthetic Network Monitoring Tools: Unleashing the Power of Digital Guardians

In today's interconnected world, where businesses heavily rely on seamless network performance, ensuring the smooth functioning of networks is paramount. Network monitoring tools act as digital guardians, keeping a watchful eye on the intricate web of connections and ensuring optimal performance. Among these tools, synthetic network monitoring tools stand out as powerful allies, capable of proactively simulating and detecting network issues before they escalate into a full-blown crisis.

Welcome to our comprehensive guide on the top 30 synthetic network monitoring tools that have revolutionized the way organizations monitor and manage their networks. From ensuring uninterrupted connectivity to identifying bottlenecks and vulnerabilities, these tools serve as invaluable assets for IT professionals, system administrators, and network engineers.

What is Synthetic Monitoring: The Secret Sauce to Network Monitoring

Learn how to use synthetic monitoring to monitor network performance & identify network issues, and the benefits of synthetic traffic over packet capture.

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Through this blog, we aim to provide you with an in-depth analysis of the leading synthetic network monitoring tools available today. Whether you are a seasoned network professional seeking to enhance your existing monitoring infrastructure or a novice venturing into the realm of network management, this guide will equip you with the knowledge and insights you need.

Network monitoring tools play a pivotal role in maintaining network performance, identifying potential issues, and preventing downtime. However, traditional monitoring solutions often rely on reactive approaches, relying on real-time data or alerts triggered by user-reported incidents. While these methods have their place, they may not always capture underlying problems that manifest intermittently or only under specific conditions.

This is where synthetic network monitoring tools step in. By simulating user interactions and network traffic, these tools proactively test the network's responsiveness, reliability, and overall performance. By generating artificial transactions or data packets, synthetic monitoring provides a comprehensive overview of the network's health and its ability to handle various workloads.

With synthetic network monitoring tools, businesses can:

1. Identify potential performance bottlenecks and optimize network resources.
2. Test and validate network changes and configurations before deployment.
3. Monitor the end-user experience across various locations and devices.
4. Assess the impact of network changes or updates on critical applications.
5. Ensure compliance with service level agreements (SLAs) and minimize downtime.
6. Detecting and troubleshooting network issues before they affect end-users.
7. Improve incident response times by proactively detecting and isolating issues.

In the upcoming sections, we will explore the top 19 synthetic network monitoring tools, each offering a unique set of features, capabilities, and integrations. By gaining insights into their functionalities, strengths, and potential use cases, you will be better equipped to select the most suitable tool for your specific network monitoring needs.

So, join us on this exciting journey as we delve into the realm of synthetic network monitoring tools and discover the digital guardians that ensure your networks remain robust, reliable, and always ready to meet the demands of today's digital landscape.

What is Synthetic Monitoring: The Secret Sauce to Network Monitoring

Learn how to use synthetic monitoring to monitor network performance & identify network issues, and the benefits of synthetic traffic over packet capture.

Learn more

Synthetic network monitoring tools have become indispensable in the arsenal of IT professionals and network administrators, empowering them to proactively monitor and optimize network performance. These tools offer a range of functions that help businesses ensure seamless connectivity, enhance user experience, and minimize downtime.

Let's explore some of the top functions of synthetic network monitoring tools:

1. Performance Testing: Synthetic monitoring tools simulate user interactions and network traffic to assess the performance of critical applications and services. By generating artificial transactions, these tools can measure response times, latency, and throughput across various locations and devices. Performance testing helps identify bottlenecks, optimize network resources, and ensure optimal user experience.
2. Availability Monitoring: Synthetic network monitoring tools constantly monitor the availability of network services, servers, and applications. They simulate periodic checks or pings to verify if the resources are accessible and responsive. In case of any unavailability or downtime, these tools trigger alerts, enabling IT teams to swiftly respond and minimize service disruptions.
3. Load Testing: Load testing is crucial to determine the network's ability to handle increased traffic and workloads. Synthetic monitoring tools simulate heavy user loads and monitor the network's performance under stress. By measuring response times and throughput during peak usage, these tools help organizations identify capacity limits, optimize resources, and plan for scalability.
4. Synthetic Transactions: Synthetic network monitoring tools perform automated, scripted transactions that mimic user behavior on applications and websites. These synthetic transactions validate end-to-end functionality, ensuring that critical processes such as login, form submission, or data retrieval are working as expected. By continuously executing these transactions, these tools identify potential issues or errors that might impact the user experience.
5. Alerting and Incident Response: Synthetic monitoring tools employ sophisticated alerting mechanisms to notify IT teams about any deviations from normal network behavior. When predefined thresholds or performance metrics are breached, these tools generate real-time alerts, allowing for rapid incident response and troubleshooting. By promptly detecting and resolving issues, businesses can minimize the impact on end-users and maintain service levels.
6. Geographical Performance Monitoring: With the global nature of businesses, synthetic network monitoring tools offer geographical performance monitoring capabilities. These tools simulate transactions from multiple locations around the world, allowing organizations to assess network performance across different geographical regions. By analyzing response times and latency from various locations, businesses can identify regional disparities and optimize network infrastructure accordingly.
7. Capacity Planning and Trend Analysis: Synthetic network monitoring tools provide valuable insights into network usage patterns, trends, and capacity requirements. By collecting and analyzing performance data over time, these tools help organizations make informed decisions about network upgrades, capacity planning, and resource allocation. Predictive analytics and trend analysis enable businesses to anticipate future demands and ensure optimal network performance.
8. SLA Compliance Monitoring: Synthetic monitoring tools assist in monitoring and ensuring compliance with service level agreements (SLAs). By continuously measuring and reporting key performance indicators (KPIs) defined in SLAs, these tools help businesses track and demonstrate adherence to contractual obligations. SLA compliance monitoring is essential for maintaining customer satisfaction, identifying areas of improvement, and strengthening relationships with service providers.
9. Network Troubleshooting: Synthetic monitoring tools aid in network troubleshooting by providing detailed insights into performance issues and anomalies. Through real-time monitoring and synthetic transactions, these tools pinpoint the root cause of problems, enabling IT teams to diagnose and resolve network issues promptly. Network troubleshooting features streamline the incident response process, reducing downtime and minimizing business disruptions.

Synthetic network monitoring tools have emerged as vital assets for organizations seeking to maintain robust and reliable networks. By offering a comprehensive range of functions, these tools empower IT professionals and network administrators to proactively monitor network performance, optimize resources, and ensure exceptional user experience. From performance testing and availability monitoring to load testing and alerting, synthetic network monitoring tools play a pivotal role

The landscape of IT software is constantly evolving, and the realm of synthetic network monitoring tools is no exception. With the increasing demand for network performance optimization, numerous software vendors claim to offer synthetic network monitoring functions. As a result, comparing these solutions and understanding the depth of their offerings has become a challenging task for IT professionals and network administrators.

To address this challenge and bring clarity to the landscape, we have taken a systematic approach. We have categorized synthetic network monitoring tools into five distinct families, each with its own unique characteristics and focus. This categorization enables us to group similar tools together, facilitating easier comparison based on their offerings, functionalities, and pricing models.

Let's explore these five families of synthetic network monitoring tools:

• Pure Synthetic Network Performance Monitoring:This family comprises software solutions that focus solely on synthetic network performance monitoring. They excel in simulating user interactions, generating artificial transactions, and providing comprehensive insights into network performance metrics. These tools are designed specifically to optimize network resources, identify bottlenecks, and ensure an exceptional user experience.
• Traditional Synthetic Network Monitoring: Traditional synthetic network monitoring tools encompass a broader scope of monitoring capabilities. In addition to network performance monitoring, they may include features such as availability monitoring, alerting, and incident response. These tools offer a comprehensive suite of functionalities to monitor and manage network infrastructure, ensuring the smooth operation of critical applications and services.
• Open-Source and Free Synthetic Network Monitoring: For organizations with budget constraints or a preference for open-source solutions, the open-source and free synthetic network monitoring family provides viable options. These tools, developed and supported by the open-source community, offer synthetic network monitoring capabilities without the need for substantial financial investments. They provide flexibility, customization options, and often have a strong community support network.
• Application Performance Monitoring with Synthetic Monitoring: This family of synthetic network monitoring tools combines the power of synthetic monitoring with application performance monitoring (APM) capabilities. These tools not only simulate network transactions but also provide insights into application-level performance. By monitoring both network and application layers, these solutions offer a holistic view of the user experience and facilitate quick identification and resolution of performance issues.
• Packet Capture for High-Security Synthetic Monitoring: In environments with stringent security requirements, packet capture-based synthetic monitoring tools play a crucial role. These tools capture and analyze network packets to simulate and monitor network transactions. By closely examining the packet-level details, they provide deep visibility into network behavior while maintaining the highest levels of security and compliance.

By dividing synthetic network monitoring tools into these five families, we aim to simplify the process of comparing and selecting the most suitable solution for your organization's specific needs. Each family represents a distinct set of functionalities, offering a focused approach to network monitoring.

This categorization helps in understanding the depth of the tools' offerings and facilitates more accurate comparisons in terms of features, performance, and pricing.

In the upcoming sections, we will delve into each family, exploring the top tools within them, highlighting their unique capabilities, and providing insights into their strengths and potential use cases.

By grouping these solutions based on their offerings and functionalities, we aim to provide a comprehensive and structured overview, empowering you to make informed decisions and select the synthetic network monitoring tool that best aligns with your requirements.

Stay tuned as we embark on a journey through the diverse world of synthetic network monitoring tools, helping you navigate the complexities and find the perfect fit for your network monitoring needs.

In this section, we will explore six synthetic network performance monitoring tools that excel in simulating user interactions and providing comprehensive insights into network performance metrics. These tools focus on optimizing network resources, identifying bottlenecks, and ensuring exceptional user experiences.

Obkio offers a cloud-based network performance monitoring tool that provides real-time monitoring and performance analytics for cloud networks. This platform offers a range of features, including network latency and loss monitoring, as well as bandwidth monitoring, to help identify network bottlenecks and optimize network performance. Obkio's key features include continuous network testing, automatic alerting, device tracking, and usage reports.

One of the advantages of Obkio's network monitoring tool is its user-friendly interface. The platform's intuitive interface provides real-time insights into network performance, enabling users to detect and troubleshoot network issues quickly. Users can access the network monitoring and testing features via an easy-to-use interface that offers a range of options to identify and address network issues.

Obkio offers a range of dashboards and visualizations that provide real-time data on network performance. The platform offers a home page, agent details page, network session page, data center dynamic dashboard, branch dynamic dashboard, branch dashboard, visual traceroutes, thresholds, and notifications to help users monitor and optimize network performance.

Obkio’s Pricing:

• Free : 2 Agents | 1 Device | 1 User (Limited Functionality)
• $399 / month : 10 Agents | 5 Devices | 2 Users
• $699 / month : 10 Agents | 10 Devices | 5 Users
• Additional Fees for Additional Agent, Device and User

Obkio’s User Reviews:

• Capterra/GetApp/Software Advice 4.9 (52 Reviews)
• Gartner 4.7 (7 Reviews)
• G2 4.9 (10 Reviews)
• SourceForge 5 (6 Reviews)

Obkio Network Monitoring App Tour

Be guided through how to identify and troubleshoot network problems with Obkio’s Network Monitoring app tour and features through screenshots.

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If you're interested in seeing Obkio's network monitoring platform in action, a demo is available on their website.

Kentik is a network traffic intelligence platform that provides real-time network performance monitoring and analytics.

Its features include DDoS protection, network security monitoring, network performance optimization, and API integration. Kentik offers two pricing options - Essentials and Pro, which vary in included FPS, API queries/hour, dashboards, and scheduled reports.

The pricing for Kentik's Network Observability Cloud is based on the number of flow logs per second processed and ranges from $48,000 to $516,000 per 12 months. Users can quickly identify and troubleshoot network issues with Kentik's user-friendly interface.

Kentik Reviews:

• Capterra/GetApp/Software Advice : 4.6 (16 Reviews)
• G2: 5 (3 Reviews)
• Gartner 4.8(94 Reviews)
• TrustRadius 9.9 (2 Votes)

Thousand Eyes is a cloud-based network performance monitoring tool that offers real-time monitoring and analytics for network performance, application performance, and user experience. Its key features include real-time alerts, device tracking, network topology mapping, and application performance monitoring.

The yearly pricing for Thousand Eyes includes 5,275 Units for $50,000 and 100 endpoint agents for $17,520. Thousand Eyes' easy-to-use interface helps users quickly identify and troubleshoot network issues.

Thousand Eyes User Reviews:

• Capterra/GetApp/Software Advice 4.6 (5 Reviews)
• G2 4.5 (57 Reviews)
• Gartner 4.5 (57 Reviews)
• PeerSpot 4.5 (4 Reviews)
• TrustRadius 9 (65 Votes)

Catchpoint is a cloud-based network and digital experience monitoring platform that provides real-time monitoring and analytics for network performance, web performance, and user experience. Its key features include real-time alerting, device tracking, network topology mapping, and API integration.

Catchpoint's pricing options include a subscription to Catchpoint Digital Observability, which ranges from $25,000 for 12 months to $75,000 for 36 months. Users can quickly identify and troubleshoot network issues with Catchpoint's user-friendly interface.

Catchpoint User Reviews

• G2 4.5 (90 Reviews)
• Gartner 4.5 (57 Reviews)
• PeerSpot 4.1 (7 Reviews)
• TrustRadius 9.3 (63 Votes)

Experience the power of the Catchpoint platform in action! This demo provides an overview of Catchpoint's real-time visibility into global monitoring networks and its various platform dashboards. You'll discover how monitoring teams can leverage Catchpoint to perform synthetic tests, analyze real-time user data, and monitor full network performance to optimize the user experience.

AppNeta is a cloud-based network performance monitoring tool that offers real-time monitoring and analytics for network performance and application performance. Its key features include real-time alerting, device tracking, network topology mapping, and API integration. AppNeta offers five pricing options, including Small Office, Large Office, Data Center, and two Global Monitoring options.

The pricing ranges from $1,299 per year to $26,499 per year. Users can quickly identify and troubleshoot network issues with AppNeta's user-friendly interface.

AppNeta User Reviews

• Capterra/GetApp/Software Advice 4.5 (2 Reviews)
• G2 4.3 (12 Reviews)
• Gartner 4.4 (29 Reviews)
• PeerSpot 4.7 (5 Reviews)
• TrustRadius 9 (9 Votes)

LiveAction is a cloud-based network performance monitoring and diagnostics tool that provides real-time monitoring and analytics for network performance.

Its key features include real-time alerts, network topology mapping, application performance monitoring, and API integration. LiveAction offers various pricing options, including LiveNX WAN Perpetual License and LiveNX SMB Perpetual License.

The pricing ranges from $14,000 to $994,500. Users can quickly identify and troubleshoot network issues with LiveAction's user-friendly interface.

LiveAction User Reviews

• Capterra/GetApp/Software Advice 4 (1 Reviews)
• G2 4.6 (41 Reviews)
• Gartner 4.9 (5 Reviews)
• PeerSpot 3.5 (3 Reviews)
• TrustRadius 9 (9 Votes)

Traditional synthetic network monitoring tools offer a comprehensive suite of functionalities beyond network performance monitoring. In this section, we will delve into seven tools that encompass features such as availability monitoring, alerting, and incident response. These tools are designed to monitor and manage network infrastructure, ensuring the smooth operation of critical applications and services.

A comprehensive IT management software solution that offers network bandwidth monitoring capabilities. It provides real-time traffic analysis, bandwidth usage reports, device tracking, and more. It can monitor a variety of network devices and applications and offers customizable alerts and notifications to keep users informed of network performance issues. PRTG offers cloud-based network monitoring services that allow users to monitor their network from anywhere and offers flexible deployment options.

PRTG Network Monitor offers a range of pricing options depending on the number of devices and aspects (a feature or capability within PRTG) to be monitored. For on-premise use, PRTG offers perpetual licenses for a one-time cost based on the number of aspects and devices, ranging from $1,899 for 50 devices up to $16,899 for 1000 devices. Additionally, maintenance licenses are available for ongoing support and updates. For cloud-based use, PRTG offers a hosted solution with annual pricing based on the number of aspects and devices, ranging from $1,699 for 50 devices up to $16,999 for 1000 devices.

PRTG User Reviews

• Capterra/GetApp/Software Advice 4.6 (171 Reviews)
• G2 4.5 (84 Reviews)
• Gartner 4.6 (236 Reviews)
• PeerSpot 4.5 (4 Reviews)
• TrustRadius 8.6 (212 Votes)
• TrustPilot 4.4 (1055 Reviews)

A popular IT management software solution that offers network bandwidth monitoring capabilities. It provides real-time traffic analysis, bandwidth usage reports, device tracking, and more. It can monitor a range of network devices and applications and offers customizable alerts and notifications to keep users informed of network performance issues. OPManager offers cloud-based network monitoring services that allow users to monitor their network from anywhere and provides a range of deployment options, including on-premises, hosted, or as a virtual appliance.

Manage Engine OPManager offers two editions: Standard and Professional, and both editions are available in different packages based on the number of devices and users. The Standard edition ranges from $95 for a 10 devices pack with 2 users to $4,095 for a 1000 devices pack with 2 users. The Professional edition ranges from $145 for a 10 devices pack with 2 users to $5,995 for a 1000 devices pack with 2 users. All prices include AMS (Annual Maintenance and Support) fees.

Manage Engine OPManager User Reviews:

• Capterra/GetApp/Software Advice 4.7 (47 Reviews)
• G2 4.3 (39 Reviews)
• Gartner 4.5 (57 Reviews)
• PeerSpot 4.5 (4 Reviews)
• TrustRadius 7.8 (63 Votes)

A comprehensive network performance monitoring tool that provides real-time visibility into network performance and health. It offers network device monitoring, traffic analysis, and real-time alerts and notifications to help identify and troubleshoot network issues. SolarWinds offers cloud-based network monitoring services that allow users to monitor their network from anywhere and offers flexible deployment options.

SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor (NPM) is licensed based on the number of network elements being monitored, which include nodes, interfaces, and volumes. The pricing ranges from $1,785 to $40,689 per year, depending on the number of elements being monitored. The perpetual pricing options are as follows:

Please note that the prices in parentheses represent the first year cost, which includes the initial purchase and annual maintenance fees.

SolarWinds User Reviews

• Capterra/GetApp/Software Advice 4.5 (69 Reviews)
• G2 4.5 (210 Reviews)
• Gartner 4.4 (467 Reviews)
• PeerSpot 4 (47 Reviews)
• Spiceworks 4.2 (10 Reviews)
• TrustRadius 8.7 (588 Votes)

An IT infrastructure monitoring and management platform that offers real-time visibility into network performance, health, and security. It provides network device monitoring, traffic analysis, and customizable alerts and notifications to help identify and troubleshoot network issues. ScienceLogic offers cloud-based network monitoring services that allow users to monitor their network from anywhere and provides a range of deployment options, including public and private cloud, on-premises, or hybrid.

ScienceLogic offers three pricing tiers for its cloud network monitoring services:

1. Hybrid Cloud Monitoring - Starting at $7.50 per node per month. Volume pricing available.
2. Service Centric Operations - Starting at $15 per node per month. Volume pricing available.
3. Intelligent Automated Operations - Starting at $22.50 per node per month. Volume pricing available.

For example, if you were to monitor 500 nodes on the Hybrid Cloud Monitoring tier, the estimated monthly cost would be $3,750. However, actual pricing may vary depending on the number of nodes being monitored and volume pricing options.

ScienceLogic User Reviews

• Capterra/GetApp/Software Advice 4.5 (2 Reviews)
• G2 4.5 (8 Reviews)
• Gartner 4.5 (29 Reviews)
• PeerSpot 4.1 (8 Reviews)
• TrustRadius 8.6 (335 Votes)

A cloud-based IT infrastructure monitoring and management platform that provides real-time visibility into network performance and health. It offers network device monitoring, traffic analysis, and real-time alerts and notifications to help identify and troubleshoot network issues. LogicMonitor offers cloud-based network monitoring services that allow users to monitor their network from anywhere and provides a range of deployment options, including public and private cloud, on-premises, or hybrid.

LogicMonitor's pricing is based on the number of monitored devices.

The cost per device per month decreases as the number of devices being monitored increases.

Annual pricing is available and can offer a discount compared to monthly pricing.

Some examples of annual pricing scenarios include 100 devices at $9 per device per month, which would cost $10,800 per year; 350 devices at $7 per device per month, which would cost $29,400 per year; and 750 devices at $5 per device per month, which would cost $45,000 per year.

LogicMonitor User Reviews:

• Capterra/GetApp/Software Advice 4.7 (72 Reviews)
• G2 4.5 (458 Reviews)
• Gartner 4.6 (57 Reviews)
• PeerSpot 4.4 (10 Reviews)
• TrustRadius 8.3 (292 Votes)

A cloud-based network monitoring and management tool that provides real-time visibility into network performance, health, and security. It offers network device monitoring, traffic analysis, and customizable alerts and notifications to help identify and troubleshoot network issues. Auvik offers cloud-based network monitoring services that allow users to monitor their network from anywhere and provides a range of deployment options, including public and private cloud, on-premises, or hybrid.

Auvik offers two pricing plans for its network monitoring services: Basic and Performance. Based on web reviews and Reddit, the estimated pricing for 50 devices is approximately $16 per device per month for the Basic plan and $26 per device per month for the Performance plan. This results in a total monthly cost of $800 and $1,300, respectively.

Auvik User Reviews

• Capterra/GetApp/Software Advice 4.6 (70 Reviews)
• G2 4.7 (218 Reviews)
• Gartner 4.5 (78 Reviews)
• PeerSpot 4.4 (108 Reviews)
• TrustRadius 8.8 (154 Votes)

An IT infrastructure monitoring and management platform that offers network device monitoring, traffic analysis, and customizable alerts and notifications to help identify and troubleshoot network issues. It provides real-time visibility into network performance and health and offers cloud-based network monitoring services that allow users to monitor their network from anywhere and provides a range of deployment options, including public and private cloud, on-premises, or hybrid.

Progress WhatsUp Gold does not publicly disclose their pricing information on their website. However, third-party vendors such as Newegg list a package called "WhatsUp Gold Premium 25 New Devices with 1 Year Service" with a product code of #NM-69VS-0170, which is priced at $2,740.00.

Progress WhatsUpGoldUser Reviews

• Capterra/GetApp/Software Advice 4.5 ( 221 Reviews)
• G2 4.4 (237 Reviews)
• Gartner 4.4 (79 Reviews)
• PeerSpot 3.6 (7 Reviews)
• TrustRadius 7.7 (61 Votes)

For organizations with budget constraints or a preference for open-source solutions, open-source and free synthetic network monitoring tools offer viable options. In this section, we will explore five tools developed and supported by the open-source community. These tools provide synthetic network monitoring capabilities, flexibility, customization options, and often have a strong community support network.

An open-source network monitoring and management tool that provides real-time visibility into network performance and health. It offers network device monitoring, traffic analysis, and customizable alerts and notifications to help identify and troubleshoot network issues. Icinga offers cloud-based network monitoring services that allow users to monitor their network from anywhere and provides a range of deployment options, including public and private cloud, on-premises, or hybrid.

Icinga is a free and open-source network monitoring solution. However, in 2022, Icinga announced that it would move to a subscription-based model for Red Hat Enterprise Linux, SUSE Linux Enterprise Server, and Amazon Linux. Users can still build the agent for free, and the subscription is only required for non-community Linuxes and the official packages.

Icinga User Reviews

• Capterra/GetApp/Software Advice 4.4 (11 Reviews)
• G2 4.4 (19 Reviews)
• Gartner 4.6 (55 Reviews)
• PeerSpot 3.8 (3 Reviews)
• TrustRadius 8.6 (20 Votes)

Nagios XI is a popular IT infrastructure monitoring solution that provides comprehensive monitoring capabilities for networks, systems, and applications. It offers real-time alerting, reporting, and customizable dashboards to help users quickly identify and resolve issues. Nagios XI also includes cloud monitoring capabilities, allowing users to monitor cloud-based infrastructure, such as AWS and Azure, along with on-premises infrastructure. It provides insights into cloud resource usage, performance, and availability, and supports monitoring of cloud services such as RDS, S3, and EC2.

Nagios XI is free for up to 7 nodes after the trial. For enterprises that need to monitor more nodes, Nagios XI offers several pricing options, including an Unlimited Node License for $19,995, a 1000-Node License for $11,995, and other node-based licenses with varying prices. Nagios XI also offers add-ons such as Nagios Log Server, Nagios Network Analyzer, and Nagios Fusion, which can be purchased separately.

Nagios XI User Reviews

• Capterra/GetApp/Software Advice 4.1 ( 35 Reviews)
• G2 4.5 (49 Reviews)
• Gartner 4.3 (170 Reviews)
• PeerSpot 4.2 ( 12 Reviews)
• TrustRadius 7.3 ( 171 Votes)

LibreNMS is a free and open-source network monitoring solution that provides auto-discovery, alerting, and reporting capabilities. It offers support for a wide range of devices and protocols, including SNMP, syslog, and ICMP. LibreNMS also includes cloud monitoring capabilities, allowing users to monitor cloud-based infrastructure, such as AWS and Azure, along with on-premises infrastructure. It provides insights into cloud resource usage, performance, and availability, and supports monitoring of cloud services such as EC2 and RDS.

LibreNMS is open source and available for free to download and use. However, some resellers offer pre configured and managed versions of the tool at a price.

LibreNMS User Reviews

• G2 4.6 (12 Reviews)

Zabbix is an enterprise-grade monitoring solution that offers a wide range of monitoring capabilities, including network, server, and application monitoring. It provides real-time alerting, reporting, and customizable dashboards to help users quickly identify and resolve issues. Zabbix also includes cloud monitoring capabilities, allowing users to monitor cloud-based infrastructure, such as AWS and Azure, along with on-premises infrastructure. It provides insights into cloud resource usage, performance, and availability, and supports monitoring of cloud services such as EC2, RDS, and ELB.

Zabbix is released under the GPL license, thus is free for commercial and non-commercial use. There are no limitations on the number of monitored devices, you can use Zabbix to monitor many thousands of devices absolutely free.

Zabbix User Reviews

• Capterra/GetApp/Software Advice 4.7 (73 Reviews)
• G2 4.3 (166 Reviews)
• Gartner: 4.4 (290 Reviews)
• PeerSpot 4.2 (41 Reviews)
• TrustRadius 7.9 (147 Votes)

OpenNMS is a free and open-source network monitoring solution that provides auto-discovery, alerting, and reporting capabilities. It offers support for a wide range of devices and protocols, including SNMP, syslog, and ICMP. OpenNMS also includes cloud monitoring capabilities, allowing users to monitor cloud-based infrastructure, such as AWS and Azure, along with on-premises infrastructure. It provides insights into cloud resource usage, performance, and availability, and supports monitoring of cloud services such as EC2 and RDS. OpenNMS also offers a Kubernetes plugin that allows users to monitor Kubernetes clusters and their components.

OpenNMS offers three pricing tiers: Essential, Premier, and Premier+. The Essential plan costs $42,000 per year and includes up to two Meridian cores, up to 25 Minions, installation consulting, and support, among other features. The Premier plan costs $56,700 per year and includes everything in the Essential plan plus flows/streaming telemetry, Sentinel, ALEC, and NewTS. It also has faster response times and covers up to four Meridian cores and 100 Minions. The Premier+ plan has custom pricing and includes everything in the Premier plan but covers more than four Meridian cores and 100 Minions. It also has even faster response times and a mid-year checkup. OpenNMS offers an add-on for 24/7 emergency support for $24,000 per year and a Mini OpenNMS Appliance 1 for $750 each.

OpenNMS User Reviews

• Capterra/GetApp/Software Advice 4.7 (3 Reviews)
• G2 4.3 (10 Reviews)
• TrustRadius 6.8 (13 Votes)

Combining the power of synthetic monitoring with application performance monitoring (APM) capabilities, these tools offer a holistic view of the user experience. In this section, we will examine six tools that not only simulate network transactions but also provide insights into application-level performance. These solutions facilitate quick identification and resolution of performance issues across both the network and application layers.

Datadog is a cloud-based monitoring and analytics platform that provides monitoring, alerting, tracing, and logging capabilities for applications and infrastructure. It offers full-stack observability with support for over 450 integrations across more than 150 technologies, including AWS, Azure, GCP, Kubernetes, and Docker. Datadog's cloud monitoring services enable users to collect and analyze data from across their entire stack, providing deep insights into system performance and helping them troubleshoot issues quickly.

The pricing for Datadog's Network Performance Monitoring plan starts at $5 per host, per month, billed annually, and the Network Device Monitoring plan starts at $7 per device, per month, billed annually.

For example, to monitor 50 devices using the Network Performance Monitoring plan, it would cost $250 per month or $3,000 per year, and for the Network Device Monitoring plan, it would cost $350 per month or $4,200 per year. However, it's important to note that these prices are subject to change and may vary depending on the specific needs of each business.

Additionally, Datadog offers various pricing plans with different features and capabilities, so it's recommended to review their website and speak with a sales representative to determine the best plan and pricing for a specific use case.

Datadog User Reviews

• Capterra/GetApp/Software Advice 4.6 (215 Reviews)
• G2 4.3 (409 Reviews)
• Gartner 4.5 (446 Reviews)
• PeerSpot 4.3 (106 Reviews)
• TrustRadius 8.6 (193 Votes)

AppDynamics is an application performance monitoring (APM) solution that provides real-time insights into application performance, user experience, and business impact. It provides end-to-end visibility across application environments, including cloud, on-premises, and hybrid environments, enabling users to quickly identify and resolve issues before they impact end-users. AppDynamics' cloud monitoring services allow users to monitor their applications, microservices, and APIs in real-time and track performance metrics such as response times, error rates, and resource utilization.

AppDynamics provides the Advanced and Peak plans, which cater to the needs of larger enterprises, offering additional features such as multi-cloud support, machine learning, and analytics. The Advanced plan is available for $35,500 per year and provides monitoring for one application with up to 5,000 nodes, while the Peak plan is priced at $71,100 per year and includes monitoring for one application with up to 10,000 nodes. It's essential to note that the pricing may vary based on the specific requirements of each organization, and AppDynamics also provides custom plans for businesses with complex environments.

AppDynamics User Reviews

• Capterra/GetApp/Software Advice 4.6 (29 Reviews)
• G2 4.5 (898 Reviews)
• Gartner 4.5 (1 458 Reviews)
• PeerSpot 3.8 (31 Reviews)
• TrustRadius 8.4 (162 Votes)

Dynatrace is an APM and digital experience management (DEM) solution that provides real-time insights into application performance, user experience, and business impact. It uses AI-powered automation to detect anomalies and performance issues, providing root cause analysis and recommendations for remediation. Dynatrace's cloud monitoring services allow users to monitor their applications and infrastructure across cloud, hybrid, and multi-cloud environments, providing visibility into cloud provider-specific metrics such as AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud.

Dynatrace offers full-stack monitoring, infrastructure monitoring, and digital experience monitoring with pricing that varies depending on factors such as the level of services and support needed, the size and complexity of the environment being monitored, and the length of the contract. Full-stack monitoring starts at $69 per month billed annually per 8 GB host, infrastructure monitoring starts at $21 per month billed annually per 8 GB host, and digital experience monitoring starts at $11 per month billed annually for 10k digital experience monitoring units.

Dynatrace User Reviews

• Capterra/GetApp/Software Advice : 4.5 (47 Reviews)
• G2 4.5 (1 101 Reviews)
• Gartner 4.5 (1 458 Reviews)
• PeerSpot 4.2 (29 Reviews)
• TrustRadius 8.5 (542 Votes)

Splunk is a cloud-based platform that provides monitoring, logging, and analytics capabilities for applications and infrastructure. It offers machine learning-driven insights and predictive analytics for detecting and resolving issues, and provides support for over 300 integrations across multiple technology stacks. Splunk's cloud monitoring services allow users to monitor their entire stack, from infrastructure to application performance, and analyze data in real-time to identify issues and troubleshoot problems.

Splunk offers three pricing tiers for its Observability Cloud: Infrastructure, App & Infra, and End-to-End. Infrastructure starts at $15 per host/month billed annually, while App & Infra and End-to-End start at $60 and $75 per host/month billed annually, respectively. Splunk also offers individual observability offerings, including Splunk Infrastructure Monitoring, Splunk APM, Splunk RUM, Splunk Synthetic Monitoring, Splunk On-Call, and Splunk IT Service Intelligence, each with their own starting prices.

Splunk User Reviews

• Capterra/GetApp/Software Advice 4.5 (185 Reviews)
• G2 4.3 (373 Reviews)
• Gartner 4.3 (1 332 Reviews)
• PeerSpot 3.5 (4 Reviews)
• TrustRadius 8.6 (425 Votes)

New Relic is an APM solution that provides real-time insights into application performance, user experience, and business impact. It offers support for multiple languages, frameworks, and environments, including cloud, on-premises, and hybrid environments, and provides customizable dashboards and alerts for tracking performance metrics. New Relic's cloud monitoring services enable users to monitor their entire stack, including applications, infrastructure, and logs, and provides out-of-the-box integrations with popular cloud platforms such as AWS, Azure, and GCP.

New Relic offers different pricing plans for its observability platform, with varying data and user costs. The Standard, Pro, and Enterprise plans all start at $0/month for 100 GB of data ingested, with a cost of $0.30/GB beyond the free limit. The Data Plus plan starts at $0.50/GB beyond the free limit for original data ingest or $0.10/GB beyond the free limit for New Relic Vulnerability Management with the original data option, and starts at $0.50/GB beyond the free limit for Data Plus ingest or $0.10/GB beyond the free limit for New Relic Vulnerability Management with Data Plus. Basic users are free for all plans, while core users cost $49/user/month. Full platform users have different pricing for each plan, with the Standard plan offering 1 free user and $99/additional user (up to 5), the Pro plan costing $349/user/month with custom pricing available, and the Enterprise plan costing $549/user/month with custom pricing available.

New Relic User Reviews

• Capterra/GetApp/Software Advice 4.5 (165 Reviews)
• G2 4.3 (346 Reviews)
• Gartner 4.5 (1 315 Reviews)
• PeerSpot 4.1 (30 Reviews)
• TrustRadius 8.6 (280 Votes)

Elastic Observability is a cloud-based monitoring and observability solution that provides real-time insights into application performance, infrastructure, and logs. It offers support for multiple technologies and integrations, including AWS, Azure, and GCP, and provides customizable dashboards and alerts for tracking performance metrics. Elastic Observability's cloud monitoring services enable users to monitor their entire stack, from infrastructure to application performance, and analyze data in real-time to identify issues and troubleshoot problems.

Elastic Observability offers four pricing tiers based on the level of features and support provided. The Standard tier starts at $95 per month, while the Gold tier starts at $109 per month, the Platinum tier at $125 per month, and the Enterprise tier at $175 per month. The pricing is based on cloud production configurations with 120 GB storage and 2 zones and may vary based on the customer's specific needs and usage. Each tier includes additional features like security, observability applications for APM, logging, and metrics, and advanced security features, machine learning capabilities for anomaly detection, cross-cluster replication, searchable snapshots, support for searchable cold and frozen tiers, and Elastic Maps Server.

Elastic Observability User Reviews

• Capterra/GetApp/Software Advice 4.3 (24 Reviews)
• G2 4.2 (75 Reviews)
• Gartner 4.5 (115 Reviews)
• PeerSpot 3.7 (9 Reviews)
• TrustRadius 8.6 (10 Votes)

In environments with stringent security requirements, packet capture-based synthetic monitoring tools play a crucial role. In this section, we will explore six tools that capture and analyze network packets to simulate and monitor network transactions. These tools provide deep visibility into network behavior while maintaining the highest levels of security and compliance.

Ixia/Keysight Network Monitoring provides network visibility and security solutions to enterprises and service providers. Their cloud network monitoring solution offers visibility into public, private, and hybrid cloud environments. It provides packet-level visibility, performance monitoring, and security analysis of network traffic in the cloud. The solution can be deployed as a virtual machine or on-premises appliance.

Hawkeye (also known as IXChariot Pro) offers three different bundles for network testing solutions. The 10 Endpoint Solution Bundle costs $30,447.99, the 25 Endpoint Solution Bundle costs $50,515.99, and the Hawkeye Server License costs $11,078.99.

Ixia/Keysight User Reviews

• G2 4.5 (44 Reviews)
• TrustRadius 8.7 ( 4Votes)

Viavi Observer Solutions offers a comprehensive network performance management solution for enterprises, service providers, and government agencies. Their cloud network monitoring solution provides end-to-end visibility across hybrid cloud environments. It offers real-time analytics and diagnostics of cloud network performance, identifying and resolving issues before they impact users. The solution is available as a SaaS or on-premises deployment.

The prices listed below are for Viavi Solutions products and are based on the information provided on VPCi.com and CDW. However, it should be noted that these prices are subject to change based on various factors such as region, contract terms, and specific requirements. The prices listed should be used for informational purposes only and are not a definitive representation of Viavi Solutions pricing for these products. The following is a list of some of the Viavi Observer solutions and their prices:

• Viavi Observer GigaStor, 4 ports, 16TB: $48,865.57
• Viavi Observer GigaStor, 8 ports, 96TB: $166,156.92
• Viavi Observer Apex Enterprise Hardware: $215,260.00
• Viavi Observer High Density Optical nTAP: $698.16
• Viavi Observer Apex Enterprise, 80TB: $160,159.91
• Viavi Observer GigaStor, 8 ports, 384TB: $494,526.13
• Viavi Observer GigaStor Gen 4, 8 ports, 192TB: $325,803.46
• Viavi Observer GigaStor, 8 ports, 96TB: $174,534.87
• Viavi Observer GigaStor, 4 ports, 24TB: $57,590.22
• Viavi Observer GigaStor, 4 ports, 32TB: $87,962.68
• Viavi Observer GigaStor, 4 ports, 48TB: $93,082.54
• Viavi Observer GigaStor Gen 4, 8 ports, 576TB: $727,247.03
• Viavi Observer High Density Optical nTAP, 1 Gb Singlemode (9um core) HDOT Module: $581.80
• Viavi Observer GigaStor, 2 ports, 288TB: $427,618.87
• Viavi Observer High Density Optical nTAP, 10 Gb Single Mode (9um core) HDOT Module: $698.16
• Viavi Observer Apex Enterprise Virtual Appliance: $130,590.66
• Viavi Observer GigaStor Software Edition, 1TB capacity: $8,139.42

Viavi Solutions User Reviews

• Gartner 4.8 (78 Reviews)

Gigamon provides a cloud visibility and analytics platform for monitoring and securing hybrid cloud environments. Their cloud network monitoring solution offers real-time visibility into network traffic across public, private, and hybrid cloud environments. It enables IT teams to monitor and optimize network performance, detect and respond to security threats, and ensure compliance. The solution can be deployed as a physical or virtual appliance, or as a SaaS offering.

Gigamon offers a range of products for network monitoring and its pricing varies based on the features and support provided. The Gigamon Control Card, GigaVUE-HC2, costs $24,046.34, while the Gigamon Control Card Version 2, GigaVUE-HC2, costs $27,326.12. The GigaVUE-HC1 node with 12 1G/10G cages, 4 10/100/1000M Copper, fan tray, 2 power supplies, AC power costs $25,139.60, while the GigaVUE-HC2 base unit with chassis, Control Card, 1 Fan Tray, CLI, 2 power supplies, AC power costs $29,518.13. Gigamon also offers various feature licenses for its GigaSMART product line, ranging from $5,460.85 to $32,792.44 per module.

Gigamon User Reviews

• G2 4 (1 Reviews)
• Gartner: 4.6 (63 Reviews)
• PeerSpot 4.3 (2 Reviews)

Netscout nGeniusOne is a network and application performance management solution for enterprises and service providers. Their cloud network monitoring solution offers end-to-end visibility into multi-cloud environments, including AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud. It provides real-time analytics and diagnostics of network performance, ensuring that applications are running smoothly and user experience is optimized. The solution is available as a SaaS or on-premises deployment.

For example, CDW offers the NetScout Certified nGeniusONE Server - network monitoring device for $36,634.99, while SHI offers the NetScout nGeniusONE Server with an MSRP of $103,350.00 and a discounted price of $98,285.00.

Netscout nGeniusOne User Reviews

• Gartner 4.3 (8 Reviews)
• PeerSpot 3.5 (4 Reviews)
• TrustRadius 9.3 (11 Votes)

Extrahop Revealx is a cloud-native network detection and response (NDR) solution for securing hybrid cloud environments. Their cloud network monitoring solution provides full visibility into network traffic, detecting and responding to security threats in real-time. It offers automated threat detection and response, ensuring that IT teams can quickly remediate security incidents before they cause damage. The solution is available as a SaaS offering.

The given price list shows the monthly cost of Reveal(x) SaaS sensors on AWS with different data transfer capacities. The pricing for each Reveal(x) 360 sensor is as follows: Extra-Small SaaS Sensor (1 Gbps) costs $3,651/month, Small SaaS Sensor (5 Gbps) costs $8,958/month, and Medium SaaS Sensor (10 Gbps) costs $13,582/month. The Reveal(x) 360 Extra-Small Ultra SaaS Sensor + PCAP (1 Gbps) costs $5,952/month, and the Reveal(x) Small Ultra SaaS Sensor + PCAP (5 Gbps) costs $18,799/month.

Extrahop Revealx User Reviews

• Capterra/GetApp/Software Advice : 4.3 (3 Reviews)
• G2 4.6 (61 Reviews)
• Gartner 4.7 (135 Reviews)
• PeerSpot 4.3 (6 Reviews)
• TrustRadius 9 (4 Votes)

Skylight is a cloud-native network and application performance monitoring solution for enterprises and service providers. Their cloud network monitoring solution offers real-time visibility into network traffic across multi-cloud environments. It provides end-to-end network performance monitoring, ensuring that applications are running smoothly and user experience is optimized. The solution can be deployed as a SaaS or on-premises deployment.

Accedian's Skylight Platform is one of the network monitoring solutions for which pricing information is not publicly available. I did my best and I was not able to find any pricing examples for this product. Sorry.

Skylight User Reviews

• Capterra/GetApp/Software Advice : 5 (2 Reviews)
• Gartner 4.7 (34 Reviews)
• PeerSpot 4.6 (5 Reviews) *TrustRadius 7.9 (5 Votes)

We hope that this comprehensive article has provided you with valuable insights into the world of synthetic network monitoring. By categorizing and exploring different families of tools, we aimed to simplify the process of comparing and selecting the most suitable solution for your network monitoring needs.

Whether you are seeking pure synthetic network performance monitoring, traditional synthetic network monitoring, open-source and free options, application performance monitoring with synthetic monitoring capabilities, or packet capture-based high-security solutions, we have covered a range of tools that cater to diverse requirements.

While the selection process can be overwhelming, we want to emphasize that there are solutions available to suit every organization's needs. If you're looking for a simple and easy-to-use solution that can get you started within minutes, we highly recommend Obkio.

Obkio offers a user-friendly approach to synthetic network monitoring, empowering you to optimize network performance, identify and resolve issues quickly, and ensure exceptional user experiences. With its intuitive interface and streamlined setup process, Obkio allows you to start monitoring your network with ease and efficiency.

So, whether you're a small business, an enterprise, or an IT professional seeking a hassle-free solution, consider exploring Obkio to kickstart your journey into synthetic network monitoring.

Remember, a robust and well-monitored network is the foundation of a seamless digital experience. By leveraging the power of synthetic network monitoring tools, you can proactively detect and resolve network issues, optimize resources, and enhance the overall performance of your network infrastructure.

We hope this article has provided you with the knowledge and insights necessary to make informed decisions and embark on a successful network monitoring journey. May your networks remain robust, reliable, and ready to meet the demands of the ever-evolving digital landscape.