Side by side
Bandwidth Monitor vs Nagios XI
Both stand on bandwidth monitoring software. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.
Pick Bandwidth Monitor if you want a free, self-hosted Linux dashboard with traffic views, network diagnostics, and an API. Look elsewhere if you need a daemon that runs on macOS, Windows, or iOS, or cannot grant the required network permissions for some functions.
Visit Bandwidth Monitor
Nagios XI offers self-hosted monitoring, a limited free edition, and perpetual paid licenses priced by node count. Its 30-day trial includes Enterprise features and direct technical support; compare the edition features and deployment requirements before selecting a license.
Visit Nagios XIThe facts
| Bandwidth Monitor | Nagios XI | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | Not published | No |
| Runs on | API, iPhone, Linux, Mac, Self-hosted, Web, Windows | API, Linux, Mac, Self-hosted, Web, Windows |
| Lowest paid plan | Not published | Standard: $2,595, paid once |
| Plans published | None | 6 |
| Maker | Not published | Not published |
| Website | github.com | nagios.com |
| On bandwidth monitoring software | #6 of 32 | #11 of 32 |
Bandwidth Monitor: what it does well
- Free and open source under GNU AGPL v3.0.
- Shows interface rates, top talkers, host details, and traffic history.
- Includes network diagnostics such as traceroute and DNS checks.
- Optional integrations cover DNS and WiFi services.
- Provides JSON endpoints and a live Server-Sent Events stream.
What to know first
- The dashboard daemon runs on Linux only.
- Some statistics require CAP_NET_ADMIN or root.
- Some capture and diagnostic functions require CAP_NET_RAW or root.
- The iOS client requires a reachable running instance.
Nagios XI: what it does well
- Checks servers, network devices, applications, and services.
- Standard includes auto-discovery and dashboards.
- Enterprise includes SLA reports and capacity planning.
- Trial includes unlimited monitoring and technical support.
- Paid licenses allow unlimited services per licensed node.
What to know first
- Requires self-hosted Linux deployment.
- Free edition is limited to 7 Nodes or 100 Services, whichever comes first.
- 100-node Standard license costs 2595.00 USD once.
- Paid licenses include first-year support only.
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