Quick Overview
- 1#1: PingPlotter - Visualizes network latency, packet loss, and jitter through continuous ICMP ping tests for troubleshooting connectivity issues.
- 2#2: SmokePing - Generates detailed latency graphs from multiple ping probes to detect and visualize network performance trends.
- 3#3: PRTG Network Monitor - Provides customizable ICMP ping sensors with real-time dashboards, alerts, and historical data for network monitoring.
- 4#4: SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor - Offers scalable ICMP ping monitoring integrated with advanced network discovery and performance analytics.
- 5#5: Zabbix - Open-source platform with ICMP ping items for host availability checks, latency measurement, and automated alerting.
- 6#6: Nagios XI - Enterprise-grade monitoring system featuring ping plugins for service checks and capacity planning.
- 7#7: Checkmk - Modern IT monitoring solution including agentless ICMP ping checks for rapid network health assessment.
- 8#8: ThousandEyes - Cloud-delivered platform using synthetic ICMP tests for end-to-end network visibility and diagnostics.
- 9#9: Pingdom - SaaS uptime monitoring service that pings endpoints to track availability and response times globally.
- 10#10: Obkio - Agent-based network monitoring tool performing continuous ping tests to identify performance bottlenecks.
Tools were chosen based on rigorous assessment of key attributes—including feature depth (latency, packet loss, and jitter tracking), usability, scalability, and overall value—ensuring a balanced selection for both technical and non-technical users.
Comparison Table
Ping monitoring software is essential for assessing network performance, with a range of tools available to suit diverse needs. This comparison table explores leading options like PingPlotter, SmokePing, PRTG Network Monitor, SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor, Zabbix, and more. Readers will discover key features, ideal use cases, and performance metrics to identify the best fit for their network management goals.
| # | Tool | Category | Overall | Features | Ease of Use | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | PingPlotter Visualizes network latency, packet loss, and jitter through continuous ICMP ping tests for troubleshooting connectivity issues. | specialized | 9.6/10 | 9.8/10 | 9.4/10 | 9.2/10 |
| 2 | SmokePing Generates detailed latency graphs from multiple ping probes to detect and visualize network performance trends. | other | 8.8/10 | 9.5/10 | 6.0/10 | 10/10 |
| 3 | PRTG Network Monitor Provides customizable ICMP ping sensors with real-time dashboards, alerts, and historical data for network monitoring. | enterprise | 8.7/10 | 9.3/10 | 8.1/10 | 8.4/10 |
| 4 | SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor Offers scalable ICMP ping monitoring integrated with advanced network discovery and performance analytics. | enterprise | 8.4/10 | 9.1/10 | 7.2/10 | 7.6/10 |
| 5 | Zabbix Open-source platform with ICMP ping items for host availability checks, latency measurement, and automated alerting. | other | 8.4/10 | 9.2/10 | 6.5/10 | 9.5/10 |
| 6 | Nagios XI Enterprise-grade monitoring system featuring ping plugins for service checks and capacity planning. | enterprise | 7.8/10 | 8.5/10 | 6.8/10 | 7.2/10 |
| 7 | Checkmk Modern IT monitoring solution including agentless ICMP ping checks for rapid network health assessment. | other | 7.4/10 | 8.6/10 | 6.2/10 | 8.1/10 |
| 8 | ThousandEyes Cloud-delivered platform using synthetic ICMP tests for end-to-end network visibility and diagnostics. | enterprise | 8.7/10 | 9.5/10 | 7.8/10 | 7.2/10 |
| 9 | Pingdom SaaS uptime monitoring service that pings endpoints to track availability and response times globally. | enterprise | 8.2/10 | 8.5/10 | 9.0/10 | 7.5/10 |
| 10 | Obkio Agent-based network monitoring tool performing continuous ping tests to identify performance bottlenecks. | specialized | 8.1/10 | 8.5/10 | 8.0/10 | 7.7/10 |
Visualizes network latency, packet loss, and jitter through continuous ICMP ping tests for troubleshooting connectivity issues.
Generates detailed latency graphs from multiple ping probes to detect and visualize network performance trends.
Provides customizable ICMP ping sensors with real-time dashboards, alerts, and historical data for network monitoring.
Offers scalable ICMP ping monitoring integrated with advanced network discovery and performance analytics.
Open-source platform with ICMP ping items for host availability checks, latency measurement, and automated alerting.
Enterprise-grade monitoring system featuring ping plugins for service checks and capacity planning.
Modern IT monitoring solution including agentless ICMP ping checks for rapid network health assessment.
Cloud-delivered platform using synthetic ICMP tests for end-to-end network visibility and diagnostics.
SaaS uptime monitoring service that pings endpoints to track availability and response times globally.
Agent-based network monitoring tool performing continuous ping tests to identify performance bottlenecks.
PingPlotter
specializedVisualizes network latency, packet loss, and jitter through continuous ICMP ping tests for troubleshooting connectivity issues.
Patented timeline graph that visualizes traceroute data over time, uniquely identifying problematic hops with historical context
PingPlotter is a leading network diagnostic tool specializing in continuous ping and traceroute monitoring, delivering visual graphs of latency, packet loss, and jitter across network hops over time. It excels at pinpointing intermittent connectivity issues that standard ping tools overlook, supporting ICMP, TCP, and UDP protocols for comprehensive analysis. Ideal for both real-time troubleshooting and long-term performance tracking, it includes remote agents for distributed monitoring.
Pros
- Exceptional timeline visualizations showing performance history for each hop
- Multi-protocol support (ICMP, TCP, UDP) with customizable traces
- Remote agent deployment for monitoring from multiple locations
Cons
- Free version limits traces to 3 and lacks advanced alerting
- Higher-tier plans can be expensive for enterprise-scale use
- Slightly resource-intensive during long-duration monitoring
Best For
Network admins, IT professionals, and gamers needing to diagnose and resolve intermittent latency or packet loss issues.
Pricing
Free edition available with limits; Standard at $39.95/year, Professional at $169.95/year, Enterprise custom pricing.
SmokePing
otherGenerates detailed latency graphs from multiple ping probes to detect and visualize network performance trends.
Signature 'smoke' graphs that uniquely visualize latency bands and packet loss patterns for instant issue detection
SmokePing is an open-source latency logging and graphing system that measures round-trip times and packet loss to network hosts using customizable probes like ICMP ping, DNS, SSH, and more. It generates detailed time-series graphs with RRDTool, featuring 'smoke' plots that visualize latency distributions, medians, and outliers over time. Ideal for proactive network monitoring, it supports master-slave architectures for scalability and alerts on performance degradation.
Pros
- Exceptional latency visualization with smoke plots, histograms, and percentile lines
- Highly flexible probes and multi-target support for comprehensive monitoring
- Scalable master-slave setup and integration with external alert systems
Cons
- Steep learning curve due to manual configuration files and dependencies
- Dated web interface lacking modern UI/UX polish
- No built-in GUI installer; requires Perl, RRDtool, and web server setup
Best For
Experienced network administrators and sysadmins requiring in-depth latency trend analysis for large-scale host monitoring.
Pricing
Free and open-source under GPL license; no paid tiers.
PRTG Network Monitor
enterpriseProvides customizable ICMP ping sensors with real-time dashboards, alerts, and historical data for network monitoring.
Remote Probes enable distributed ping monitoring from multiple geographic locations without exposing core infrastructure
PRTG Network Monitor is a comprehensive network monitoring platform from Paessler that excels in ping monitoring via its ICMP Ping sensors, which track device availability, round-trip time, packet loss, and jitter across IPv4/IPv6 networks. It supports unlimited ping sensors within license limits, auto-discovery for quick setup, and integrates pings into customizable maps, reports, and alerts for proactive issue resolution. Beyond basic pings, it offers advanced options like cluster pings and remote probes for distributed environments.
Pros
- Highly scalable sensor-based architecture supports thousands of concurrent pings
- Intuitive web-based maps and dashboards for real-time ping visualization
- Robust alerting, historical reporting, and auto-discovery streamline monitoring
Cons
- Pricing scales steeply with sensor count, potentially costly for heavy ping use
- Resource-intensive on the hosting server for large-scale deployments
- Overkill and complex for users needing only basic ping monitoring
Best For
IT administrators and network engineers in medium to large enterprises seeking integrated ping monitoring within a full network oversight solution.
Pricing
Free for up to 100 sensors; perpetual licenses start at $1,799 for 500 sensors (includes 1-year maintenance); annual subscriptions from $1,300; scales by sensor count.
SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor
enterpriseOffers scalable ICMP ping monitoring integrated with advanced network discovery and performance analytics.
PerfStack™ cross-correlation engine that overlays ping latency/packet loss with CPU, bandwidth, and other metrics on interactive timelines for rapid root-cause analysis
SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor (NPM) is an enterprise-grade network monitoring platform that includes robust ICMP ping monitoring to track device availability, round-trip latency, packet loss, and jitter across distributed networks. It offers customizable dashboards, real-time alerts, historical trending, and path visualization for proactive ping-based issue detection and resolution. While far more comprehensive than basic ping tools, its ping capabilities integrate seamlessly with SNMP, flow, and wire monitoring for holistic network health insights.
Pros
- Scalable ping monitoring for thousands of nodes with low overhead
- Advanced path analysis and PerfStack correlation for ping data
- Customizable alerts and automated discovery for efficient management
Cons
- Steep learning curve and complex initial deployment
- High licensing costs unsuitable for small-scale or basic ping needs
- Resource-intensive on servers for large deployments
Best For
Enterprise IT administrators overseeing large, complex networks requiring integrated ping monitoring within a broader NPM suite.
Pricing
Perpetual licenses start at ~$1,995 for 100 elements (nodes/interfaces/volumes), plus ~20% annual maintenance; subscription tiers from $2,300/year; scales by element count.
Zabbix
otherOpen-source platform with ICMP ping items for host availability checks, latency measurement, and automated alerting.
Low-Level Discovery (LLD) for automatic detection and dynamic ping monitoring of network devices
Zabbix is an enterprise-class open-source monitoring platform designed for IT infrastructure, including networks, servers, and applications. It excels in ping monitoring through ICMP checks, enabling availability tracking, latency measurement, and packet loss detection for hosts. The solution offers dashboards, alerting, and historical data visualization tailored for large-scale environments.
Pros
- Completely free and open-source core with no usage limits
- Highly scalable for monitoring thousands of hosts via ping
- Advanced templating, auto-discovery, and customizable alerts
Cons
- Steep learning curve and complex initial setup
- Outdated web interface requiring technical expertise
- Resource-intensive server requirements for large deployments
Best For
Large IT teams and enterprises needing scalable, comprehensive monitoring beyond basic ping checks.
Pricing
Free open-source version; paid Zabbix Enterprise support and appliances start at custom pricing based on scale.
Nagios XI
enterpriseEnterprise-grade monitoring system featuring ping plugins for service checks and capacity planning.
Advanced predictive analytics and anomaly detection applied to ping metrics for proactive issue resolution
Nagios XI is a comprehensive IT infrastructure monitoring platform that includes robust ping monitoring capabilities for tracking host availability, latency, and packet loss via ICMP checks. It offers customizable thresholds, real-time dashboards, historical reporting, and alerting for network health issues. While excelling in enterprise-scale monitoring, it extends beyond basic ping to cover services, applications, and cloud resources.
Pros
- Highly customizable ping checks with advanced thresholding and scheduling
- Rich visualizations including ping latency graphs and performance reports
- Scalable for large networks with strong alerting and integration options
Cons
- Steep learning curve due to complex configuration even with GUI
- Overkill and resource-heavy for simple ping-only monitoring needs
- Higher pricing compared to dedicated lightweight ping tools
Best For
Enterprise IT teams needing integrated ping monitoring within a full-stack infrastructure oversight solution.
Pricing
Perpetual licenses start at $1,995 for up to 100 hosts, plus annual support/maintenance fees.
Checkmk
otherModern IT monitoring solution including agentless ICMP ping checks for rapid network health assessment.
Automatic host discovery and rule-based dynamic ping monitoring configuration
Checkmk is a comprehensive open-source IT monitoring platform that excels in network monitoring, including robust ICMP ping checks for host availability, latency, and packet loss. It supports automatic discovery of pingable hosts and customizable rules for thresholds and alerting. While primarily a full-stack monitoring solution, its ping capabilities integrate seamlessly into dashboards and event consoles for proactive network oversight.
Pros
- Highly customizable ping checks with metrics like RTT, packet loss, and jitter
- Scalable for monitoring thousands of hosts via distributed sites
- Strong integration with alerting, graphs, and automation rules
Cons
- Steep learning curve due to extensive configuration options
- Overkill and complex for basic ping-only monitoring needs
- Requires dedicated Linux server and can be resource-heavy
Best For
Mid-sized to enterprise IT teams needing ping monitoring integrated with comprehensive infrastructure oversight.
Pricing
Free Raw Edition (open-source); Enterprise Edition starts at ~€600/year per core site license, scaling with hosts/services.
ThousandEyes
enterpriseCloud-delivered platform using synthetic ICMP tests for end-to-end network visibility and diagnostics.
Internet Insights with BGP and global agent mesh for pinpointing ping issues across diverse network paths
ThousandEyes is an enterprise-grade network intelligence platform that provides advanced ping monitoring through synthetic ICMP tests from a global network of over 200 cloud and enterprise agents. It measures key metrics like latency, jitter, packet loss, and path analysis to endpoints worldwide, enabling detection of network issues across ISPs and geographies. The tool correlates ping data with BGP routing, DNS, and application performance for comprehensive visibility.
Pros
- Global vantage points for accurate worldwide ping testing
- Advanced analytics including path visualization and historical trends
- Seamless integration with Cisco ecosystem and alerting systems
Cons
- High enterprise pricing not suited for small teams
- Steep learning curve due to extensive features
- Overkill for basic ping-only monitoring needs
Best For
Large enterprises and network teams requiring global-scale ping monitoring integrated with full-stack observability.
Pricing
Custom quote-based pricing; typically starts at $10,000+ annually for basic plans, scaling with agents and tests.
Pingdom
enterpriseSaaS uptime monitoring service that pings endpoints to track availability and response times globally.
Multi-location ICMP ping checks from 13 global vantage points for precise external reachability validation
Pingdom is a veteran uptime and performance monitoring tool that uses synthetic checks, including ICMP pings, HTTP requests, and TCP ports, from multiple global locations to verify website and server availability. It delivers detailed response time graphs, downtime reports, and instant alerts via email, SMS, Slack, or phone. Acquired by SolarWinds, it also offers real user monitoring (RUM) and public status pages for transparency during outages.
Pros
- Global monitoring from 13 locations for accurate ping results
- Intuitive dashboard with historical graphs and uptime SLAs
- Fast setup and reliable multi-channel alerts
Cons
- Pricing scales quickly with more monitors or advanced features
- Limited depth for internal network ping monitoring
- Free tier is very restrictive (1 uptime check only)
Best For
Small to medium businesses needing simple external ping and website uptime monitoring with professional reporting.
Pricing
Free plan (1 check); paid plans start at $11.95/month (Starter, 10 checks) up to Enterprise (custom pricing).
Obkio
specializedAgent-based network monitoring tool performing continuous ping tests to identify performance bottlenecks.
Real-time interactive network path visualization that traces and highlights exact hop-by-hop issues.
Obkio is a SaaS-based network performance monitoring platform that deploys lightweight agents to perform continuous end-to-end testing, including ping-like metrics for latency, jitter, packet loss, and throughput across networks. It excels in visualizing network paths and identifying bottlenecks in real-time, going beyond basic ICMP pings with synthetic traffic monitoring. This makes it suitable for proactive network troubleshooting in distributed environments.
Pros
- Comprehensive path visualization and bottleneck detection
- Agent-based monitoring for hybrid/cloud networks
- Real-time alerts and detailed historical reporting
Cons
- Requires deploying agents at multiple points
- Pricing scales quickly with agent count
- Limited focus on pure ICMP ping for simple needs
Best For
IT teams in mid-sized enterprises managing complex, distributed networks who need detailed path diagnostics beyond basic ping tools.
Pricing
Free 14-day trial; plans start at $299/month for Starter (10 agents), up to custom Enterprise pricing based on agent deployments.
Conclusion
Evaluating the top 10 ping monitoring tools reveals PingPlotter as the standout choice, with its continuous ICMP ping tests effectively visualizing latency, packet loss, and jitter to streamline connectivity troubleshooting. SmokePing follows closely, offering detailed latency graphs and trend analysis from multiple probes to detect long-term performance issues, while PRTG Network Monitor rounds out the top three with customizable sensors, real-time dashboards, and robust alerting, catering to diverse network needs. These tools collectively demonstrate the importance of reliable network visibility, with PingPlotter leading for its comprehensive troubleshooting focus.
Don’t miss out—explore PingPlotter today to unlock its powerful visualization and diagnostic capabilities, ensuring your network runs smoothly and efficiently.
Tools Reviewed
All tools were independently evaluated for this comparison