Quick Overview
- 1#1: SolarWinds NPM - Delivers comprehensive network performance monitoring, device discovery, fault management, and bandwidth analysis for proactive assessments.
- 2#2: PRTG Network Monitor - Provides real-time monitoring of networks, bandwidth, devices, and traffic using customizable sensors for detailed assessments.
- 3#3: Wireshark - Captures and deeply analyzes network packets to identify performance issues, security threats, and protocol anomalies.
- 4#4: Nmap - Scans networks to discover hosts, open ports, services, operating systems, and potential vulnerabilities.
- 5#5: Nessus - Performs accurate vulnerability scanning and risk assessment across networks, devices, and configurations.
- 6#6: Nagios XI - Offers scalable monitoring and alerting for network infrastructure, hosts, and services with visualization dashboards.
- 7#7: Zabbix - Enterprise-ready open-source platform for monitoring network performance, availability, and security metrics.
- 8#8: ManageEngine OpManager - Monitors network health, performance, faults, and configurations with automated discovery and reporting.
- 9#9: Auvik - Automates network discovery, mapping, monitoring, and troubleshooting for efficient infrastructure assessments.
- 10#10: OpenVAS - Conducts thorough vulnerability scanning and security assessments for networks and IT assets.
Tools were selected based on their comprehensive feature sets, reliability, user-friendliness, and value, ensuring they meet the needs of diverse environments, from small businesses to large enterprises, and deliver actionable insights for informed decision-making.
Comparison Table
Effective network assessment relies on the right tools, and this comparison table explores top options like SolarWinds NPM, PRTG Network Monitor, Wireshark, Nmap, Nessus, and more. Readers will find key features, ideal use cases, and critical differences to select the software that best fits their network monitoring, troubleshooting, or security needs, from performance tracking to vulnerability scanning.
| # | Tool | Category | Overall | Features | Ease of Use | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | SolarWinds NPM Delivers comprehensive network performance monitoring, device discovery, fault management, and bandwidth analysis for proactive assessments. | enterprise | 9.4/10 | 9.7/10 | 8.6/10 | 8.9/10 |
| 2 | PRTG Network Monitor Provides real-time monitoring of networks, bandwidth, devices, and traffic using customizable sensors for detailed assessments. | enterprise | 9.1/10 | 9.4/10 | 8.7/10 | 8.9/10 |
| 3 | Wireshark Captures and deeply analyzes network packets to identify performance issues, security threats, and protocol anomalies. | other | 9.2/10 | 9.8/10 | 7.0/10 | 10.0/10 |
| 4 | Nmap Scans networks to discover hosts, open ports, services, operating systems, and potential vulnerabilities. | other | 9.4/10 | 9.8/10 | 7.5/10 | 10.0/10 |
| 5 | Nessus Performs accurate vulnerability scanning and risk assessment across networks, devices, and configurations. | enterprise | 9.2/10 | 9.8/10 | 8.5/10 | 8.0/10 |
| 6 | Nagios XI Offers scalable monitoring and alerting for network infrastructure, hosts, and services with visualization dashboards. | enterprise | 8.2/10 | 9.1/10 | 6.8/10 | 7.5/10 |
| 7 | Zabbix Enterprise-ready open-source platform for monitoring network performance, availability, and security metrics. | other | 8.2/10 | 9.1/10 | 6.4/10 | 9.6/10 |
| 8 | ManageEngine OpManager Monitors network health, performance, faults, and configurations with automated discovery and reporting. | enterprise | 8.4/10 | 9.1/10 | 7.8/10 | 8.2/10 |
| 9 | Auvik Automates network discovery, mapping, monitoring, and troubleshooting for efficient infrastructure assessments. | enterprise | 8.3/10 | 9.0/10 | 8.5/10 | 7.5/10 |
| 10 | OpenVAS Conducts thorough vulnerability scanning and security assessments for networks and IT assets. | other | 8.2/10 | 8.7/10 | 6.8/10 | 9.5/10 |
Delivers comprehensive network performance monitoring, device discovery, fault management, and bandwidth analysis for proactive assessments.
Provides real-time monitoring of networks, bandwidth, devices, and traffic using customizable sensors for detailed assessments.
Captures and deeply analyzes network packets to identify performance issues, security threats, and protocol anomalies.
Scans networks to discover hosts, open ports, services, operating systems, and potential vulnerabilities.
Performs accurate vulnerability scanning and risk assessment across networks, devices, and configurations.
Offers scalable monitoring and alerting for network infrastructure, hosts, and services with visualization dashboards.
Enterprise-ready open-source platform for monitoring network performance, availability, and security metrics.
Monitors network health, performance, faults, and configurations with automated discovery and reporting.
Automates network discovery, mapping, monitoring, and troubleshooting for efficient infrastructure assessments.
Conducts thorough vulnerability scanning and security assessments for networks and IT assets.
SolarWinds NPM
enterpriseDelivers comprehensive network performance monitoring, device discovery, fault management, and bandwidth analysis for proactive assessments.
PerfStack™ timeline for correlating performance metrics across devices, applications, and infrastructure in a single interactive view
SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor (NPM) is a leading network monitoring and assessment solution that automatically discovers devices, maps network topology, and tracks key performance metrics like bandwidth utilization, latency, and packet loss in real-time. It provides deep visibility into network health through customizable dashboards, advanced alerting, and correlation tools to identify and resolve issues proactively. Designed for scalability, NPM supports thousands of elements across multi-vendor environments, making it ideal for comprehensive network assessments in enterprise settings.
Pros
- Extensive support for 1,200+ device vendors and protocols including SNMP, WMI, and NetFlow
- Automated discovery, real-time topology mapping, and intuitive drag-and-drop dashboards
- Powerful alerting with fault correlation and PerfStack for cross-stack performance analysis
Cons
- High licensing costs that scale quickly with network size and additional modules
- Resource-intensive on servers for very large deployments (10k+ elements)
- Steep learning curve for advanced customizations and integrations
Best For
Enterprise IT teams and network administrators managing complex, large-scale, multi-vendor networks that require in-depth performance monitoring and assessment.
Pricing
Perpetual licenses start at ~$1,995 for 100 elements; subscription options from $60/element/year; scales with monitored elements and optional add-ons.
PRTG Network Monitor
enterpriseProvides real-time monitoring of networks, bandwidth, devices, and traffic using customizable sensors for detailed assessments.
Sensor-based monitoring with over 250 pre-built types for precise, customizable assessment of any network metric
PRTG Network Monitor is a comprehensive network monitoring solution that tracks bandwidth usage, device availability, server performance, and application health across IT infrastructures. It employs a unique sensor-based architecture, with over 250 sensor types for customizable monitoring of SNMP, WMI, NetFlow, and more. The tool offers real-time dashboards, automated alerts, detailed reporting, and interactive maps for proactive network assessment and management.
Pros
- Extensive library of over 250 sensors for granular monitoring of diverse network elements
- Intuitive web interface with auto-discovery, customizable dashboards, and interactive maps
- Scalable architecture supporting clustering for high availability in large environments
Cons
- Sensor-based licensing model can become expensive as monitoring needs grow
- Core server requires Windows hosting, limiting deployment flexibility
- Initial setup and advanced customization may involve a learning curve
Best For
Mid-to-large organizations requiring scalable, detailed monitoring of complex hybrid networks.
Pricing
Free edition for up to 100 sensors; paid licenses start at ~$1,600/year for 500 sensors, scaling by sensor count with perpetual or subscription options.
Wireshark
otherCaptures and deeply analyzes network packets to identify performance issues, security threats, and protocol anomalies.
Advanced protocol dissection engine that accurately decodes and displays thousands of network protocols in real-time.
Wireshark is a free, open-source network protocol analyzer that captures live network traffic and analyzes packets from various sources. It provides deep inspection of hundreds of protocols, powerful display filters, and statistical tools for troubleshooting network issues, security analysis, and performance assessment. Widely used by professionals for detailed network forensics and protocol development.
Pros
- Extremely comprehensive protocol support and dissection capabilities
- Free and open-source with no licensing costs
- Cross-platform availability (Windows, macOS, Linux) and active community support
Cons
- Steep learning curve for beginners due to complex interface
- Requires elevated privileges for packet capture on most systems
- Resource-intensive for high-volume traffic analysis
Best For
Experienced network engineers and security analysts requiring in-depth packet-level network assessment.
Pricing
Completely free and open-source; no paid tiers or subscriptions.
Nmap
otherScans networks to discover hosts, open ports, services, operating systems, and potential vulnerabilities.
Nmap Scripting Engine (NSE) for writing and executing custom scripts to detect vulnerabilities and gather detailed service information.
Nmap (Network Mapper) is a free, open-source tool for network discovery and security auditing, capable of host discovery, port scanning, service version detection, OS fingerprinting, and vulnerability assessment. It supports a wide range of scan types including TCP SYN, UDP, and idle scans, with flexible output formats for reporting. Widely used by cybersecurity professionals, Nmap's scripting engine (NSE) extends its capabilities for custom vulnerability checks and automation.
Pros
- Exceptionally comprehensive scanning features including OS detection and scripting
- High performance with efficient scanning of large networks
- Strong community support, extensive documentation, and frequent updates
Cons
- Steep learning curve due to command-line focus
- Zenmap GUI is available but less powerful than CLI
- Intensive scans can generate high network traffic and trigger IDS alerts
Best For
Experienced network administrators, penetration testers, and security auditors needing advanced, customizable network reconnaissance.
Pricing
Completely free and open-source with no licensing costs.
Nessus
enterprisePerforms accurate vulnerability scanning and risk assessment across networks, devices, and configurations.
Tenable's continuously updated plugin research library, the largest in the industry with over 186,000 dedicated vulnerability checks.
Nessus, developed by Tenable, is a premier vulnerability scanner designed for comprehensive network assessment, identifying vulnerabilities, misconfigurations, and compliance issues across hosts, devices, and cloud environments. It employs a vast library of plugins to detect thousands of potential threats with high accuracy and provides actionable remediation guidance through detailed reports. Widely adopted by enterprises, it supports both credentialed and uncredentialed scans for thorough network security evaluations.
Pros
- Massive plugin library exceeding 186,000 checks for broad coverage
- High detection accuracy with low false positives
- Advanced reporting, compliance auditing, and remediation workflows
Cons
- Subscription pricing can be steep for small teams
- Resource-intensive scans may impact network performance
- Steep learning curve for advanced customizations
Best For
Mid-to-large enterprises and security teams requiring industry-leading vulnerability scanning depth and reliability.
Pricing
Essentials (free, up to 16 IPs); Professional (~$4,200/year); Team/Expert editions scale with assets and users.
Nagios XI
enterpriseOffers scalable monitoring and alerting for network infrastructure, hosts, and services with visualization dashboards.
Nagios Exchange plugin library with thousands of free, specialized extensions for precise network device and protocol assessment
Nagios XI is a comprehensive IT infrastructure monitoring platform from Nagios that specializes in network assessment through real-time monitoring of devices, services, and performance metrics. It uses SNMP, ICMP, and extensive plugins to discover network topology, track bandwidth, latency, packet loss, and uptime, while providing alerting, reporting, and capacity planning tools. Ideal for proactive network management, it scales from small networks to enterprise environments with customizable dashboards and historical data analysis.
Pros
- Vast ecosystem of over 5,000 community plugins for deep network monitoring
- Powerful alerting and escalation with SMS/email integration
- Advanced reporting, dashboards, and capacity planning for trend analysis
Cons
- Steep learning curve due to configuration complexity
- Dated web interface compared to modern competitors
- High upfront and scaling costs for small to medium businesses
Best For
Mid-to-large enterprises with complex, heterogeneous networks requiring highly customizable monitoring and assessment.
Pricing
Perpetual licenses start at $1,995 for 100 hosts (Standard Edition), up to $15,000+ for Enterprise with unlimited hosts; annual maintenance ~20% of license cost.
Zabbix
otherEnterprise-ready open-source platform for monitoring network performance, availability, and security metrics.
Low-level discovery (LLD) that dynamically auto-discovers and configures monitoring for network devices, services, and metrics without manual intervention
Zabbix is an enterprise-class open-source monitoring solution that excels in network discovery, performance tracking, and alerting for IT infrastructure including networks, servers, and applications. It supports SNMP, ICMP, and agentless monitoring to assess network health, bandwidth usage, and device availability in real-time. With features like auto-discovery, network maps, and customizable dashboards, it's a powerful tool for ongoing network assessments and predictive maintenance.
Pros
- Completely free and open-source with no licensing limits
- Highly scalable for large networks with proxy support and auto-discovery
- Extensive templating and community plugins for comprehensive monitoring
Cons
- Steep learning curve and complex initial configuration
- Outdated user interface that can feel clunky
- Requires significant setup for advanced network assessment features
Best For
IT teams in large organizations seeking a cost-effective, customizable solution for continuous network monitoring and assessment.
Pricing
Core software is free and open-source; optional paid support contracts and Zabbix Cloud start at around $5/host/month.
ManageEngine OpManager
enterpriseMonitors network health, performance, faults, and configurations with automated discovery and reporting.
Advanced layer-2/3 topology mapping and 3D rack views for intuitive network visualization and troubleshooting.
ManageEngine OpManager is a comprehensive network monitoring and management solution that enables automated discovery, mapping, and real-time assessment of network devices, servers, and applications. It provides fault management, performance monitoring, configuration tracking, and customizable dashboards to proactively identify issues and optimize network health. With support for over 10,000 device types from multiple vendors, it's suited for assessing complex IT environments. Additional modules extend capabilities to virtualization, storage, and cloud monitoring.
Pros
- Extensive support for diverse devices, protocols, and vendors
- Powerful visualization tools including layer-2 maps and rack views
- Scalable architecture with robust reporting and alerting
Cons
- Steep learning curve for setup and advanced customization
- Licensing costs scale quickly with number of monitored devices
- Performance can lag in very large deployments without optimization
Best For
Mid-sized IT teams and enterprises needing scalable, feature-rich network assessment and monitoring without enterprise-level complexity.
Pricing
Free for up to 10 devices; Standard edition starts at ~$395/year for 10 monitors, with Professional and Enterprise tiers scaling by device count (quotes required for large setups).
Auvik
enterpriseAutomates network discovery, mapping, monitoring, and troubleshooting for efficient infrastructure assessments.
Real-time, automated network topology mapping that dynamically updates without agents
Auvik is a cloud-based network monitoring and management platform designed for automated discovery, mapping, and assessment of IT networks. It provides real-time visibility into network topology, device health, bandwidth usage, and traffic flows, enabling quick troubleshooting and proactive issue resolution. As a SaaS solution, Auvik supports MSPs and internal IT teams by offering agentless deployment and detailed insights for network assessments without manual configuration.
Pros
- Automated network discovery and interactive topology mapping
- Real-time monitoring, alerting, and traffic analysis
- Seamless integrations with PSA, ticketing, and other IT tools
Cons
- Pricing scales quickly with network size, expensive for small setups
- Reporting customization is somewhat limited
- Requires stable internet for full cloud-based functionality
Best For
MSPs and mid-sized enterprises needing automated, visual network assessments and ongoing monitoring.
Pricing
Starts at ~$165/month for Essentials (up to 100 elements), billed per network element with tiers up to Enterprise (custom pricing).
OpenVAS
otherConducts thorough vulnerability scanning and security assessments for networks and IT assets.
Open-source Greenbone Community Feed providing real-time, community-maintained vulnerability tests without licensing fees
OpenVAS, hosted by Greenbone Networks, is a powerful open-source vulnerability scanner designed for comprehensive network security assessments. It performs automated scans to detect vulnerabilities, misconfigurations, and compliance issues across networks, hosts, and applications using a vast library of Network Vulnerability Tests (NVTs). The tool generates detailed reports with risk prioritization and remediation recommendations, making it suitable for regular security audits.
Pros
- Extensive vulnerability database with over 50,000 NVTs and frequent updates
- Highly customizable scans and reporting capabilities
- Open-source and free for community use, excellent for cost-conscious teams
Cons
- Complex initial setup and configuration requiring technical expertise
- Resource-intensive scans that demand significant hardware resources
- Limited out-of-box support and documentation for beginners
Best For
Security teams in resource-constrained organizations or open-source enthusiasts needing a robust, no-cost vulnerability scanner for network assessments.
Pricing
Community Edition is completely free; Greenbone Enterprise Appliances and subscriptions start at around €3,000/year for professional support and advanced features.
Conclusion
Evaluating the top network assessment tools reveals SolarWinds NPM as the standout choice, offering comprehensive performance monitoring and proactive issue management. PRTG Network Monitor follows with flexible, real-time insights via customizable sensors, while Wireshark excels in deep packet analysis for targeted troubleshooting. Together, these three set the benchmark, with others in the list providing specialized strengths, but SolarWinds NPM’s all-round capabilities make it the top pick for most users.
Don’t miss out on optimizing your network—try SolarWinds NPM today to unlock its robust monitoring, automated workflows, and reliable insights, ensuring your infrastructure stays efficient and secure.
Tools Reviewed
All tools were independently evaluated for this comparison