Side by side

Paessler PRTG Network Monitor vs Samhain

Both stand on file integrity monitoring software. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.

Paessler PRTG Network Monitor

Free plan AndroidAPIiPhone+5

PRTG combines on-premises infrastructure monitoring with alerts, reports, dashboards, and an API. Check sensor needs and the single-license-per-server limit when choosing a plan.

Visit Paessler PRTG Network Monitor

Samhain offers host monitoring with both standalone and centralized deployment options. Readers using Windows should note that the listed testing applies to the monitoring agent rather than the server.

Visit Samhain

The facts

	Paessler PRTG Network Monitor	Samhain
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Open source	Not published	Not published
Runs on	Android, API, iPhone, Linux, Mac, Self-hosted, Web, Windows	Linux, Mac, Self-hosted, Windows
Lowest paid plan	PRTG 500: $200 a year	Not published
Plans published	6	None
Maker	Not published	Not published
Website	paessler.com	la-samhna.de
On file integrity monitoring software	#10 of 37	#13 of 37

Paessler PRTG Network Monitor: what it does well

More than 250 preconfigured sensors
Customizable alerts and scheduled reports
API for monitoring data and custom features
Free iOS and Android monitoring apps

What to know first

Mobile apps do not support cluster setups
License sizes cannot be combined on one server
Paid plans start at $200/mo billed annually

Samhain: what it does well

Free and distributed under the GNU General Public Licence
Checks file checksums and metadata
Client/server setup centralizes reports and baselines
Optional log and host-activity monitoring
Signed reports and encrypted central logging

What to know first

Windows/Cygwin testing covers the agent, not the server
Beltane requires client/server installation and SQL logging
Agentless monitoring is not supported

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