Best Network Monitoring Software of 2026

Here's what we'll cover:

• What you need to know about network monitoring software

• What is network monitoring software

• Essential features of network monitoring software

• Benefits and competitive advantages of using network monitoring software

• How to choose the best network monitoring software for your business

• Software related to network monitoring

• More resources for your network monitoring journey

What you need to know about network monitoring software

Network monitoring software is a system used to track network traffic in an organization. It provides businesses with essential information on their network mapping and performance, generates up-to-date status reports, and notifies them of early warning signals for system failures or cybersecurity risks.  

To understand the market better, we’ve analyzed 1,540 verified reviews from network monitoring software users, looking over 227 network monitoring products. No business can afford to operate without oversight over its network security and performance. Thus, choosing the right option for your precise requirements is of vital importance.  

Most network monitoring systems are priced on a “per user, per month” basis and start from $1-2 per user, per month for the most basic systems and rise to $17 per user, per month and upwards for the most advanced options. [1] Additionally, there are many options that can be used cost-free, via forever free or open license products, however, these often require more technical capacity to configure, run, and maintain and may leave some aspects of the task limited in comparison to paid options.  

First-time buyers of network monitoring systems should start off by getting a clear understanding of the available budget, the number of users needing access, the number of devices on the network, and reports that might be necessary to properly track network traffic. It’s wise at this stage to gather with your key stakeholders to plan essential questions that can help you evaluate products based on your requirements. This might include:

• Does the product have the ability to scale as the company grows?

• Does the system use cloud or hybrid environment support?

• Does the solution use protocols that run on our network devices?

• What integrations can be used by the platform and can the tools we’re using now connect?

There are many different vendors available and all offer differing packages. In the following guide, we’ll look at the key factors that drive the successful implementation of a network monitoring product. This addresses the key features, benefits, and selection tips necessary to make the right choice.

What is network monitoring software?

System administrators use network monitoring software to identify bottlenecks, slow spots, malicious threats, and overall server performance. Users can find issues before they become serious problems and receive alerts when the network is experiencing problems. This software is also used to gauge metrics such as response time and server uptime.

Many of the available options provide activity dashboards that visualize overall usage statistics such as traffic, bandwidth, memory consumption, and bandwidth and memory consumption.

Spiceworks’ network monitoring dashboard

Network monitoring software is essential for large organizations with multiple server locations, as it provides an overview of all of a network’s performance statistics and data in one place, allowing the system administrator to quickly identify and respond to network issues. Businesses should also consider options provided within the website monitoring directory to better understand the solutions that are available.

Essential features of network monitoring software

There are several features to consider when assessing the network monitoring solutions on the market. Some functions such as notifications, network mapping, performance metrics, and real-time monitoring are found in most available systems. However, other key features can include tools for measuring bandwidth, simple network management protocol (SNMP), and auto-discovery of devices. Following our analysis of hundreds of verified reviews of network monitoring software, we identified the following features as some of the most important to users. [2]

Core features

Common features

Understanding the features that will best serve your business will help you derive the benefits of the software you eventually pick. Amanda Johnstone, a CEO and technologist with over 20 years of experience, explains how this matters: “Having a real clear knowledge and vision of what it is you need, whether it's starting from the start with a new technology or adding additional features or things onto your technologies to really know what capabilities you require”. [3]

Benefits and competitive advantages of using network monitoring software

Our analysis of 1,540 reviews over the past year, shows that team support, deployment, and resource utilization are some of the top-rated benefits of using network monitoring software. These features all support the essential requirements of network monitoring by helping improve coordination amongst your technical team, the process of adding and removing hardware from the network, and monitoring network traffic to achieve the best overall performance. 

• Better IT team collaboration: Work more closely as a technical team towards common goals, communicate more efficiently, and share important network documentation.  

• Simpler hardware deployment: Simplify the process of introducing new hardware onto your network and configure essential settings directly from a centralized portal.

• Better utilization of network resources: Identify where bottlenecks and faults are occurring on the system so they can be quickly fixed, upgraded, or rerouted.

• Improved network performance: Find areas for improvement in network bandwidth and monitor for issues so overall network performance can be maximized effectively.

How to choose the best network monitoring tool for your business

Step 1: Define your requirements

When you start on the path to choosing a network monitoring solution for your business, the first step is to map out the key requirements you and your team need. This should evaluate what kind of technical infrastructure you’ll be working with based on your current tech stack and whether the features included effectively move you toward your KPIs. Understanding these factors from the start will help you plan around the short-, medium-, and long-term goals of your network management.

Other important considerations aside from functionality include factors such as the budget you’ll have available, training support available, the number of devices that you can manage from the software, and any integrations you might need for your network monitoring program.  

Amanda Johnstone suggests a way of going about this for first-time buyers is using a “consequence table.” This exercise gets businesses to list the potential risks facing their operations from a network monitoring perspective. 

“Speaking as a business founder, I think it’s critical to know exactly what the impact is of [network disruption] incidents on things like your finances, your reputation, and your organization,” she says. “Based on the outcomes of your consequence table, you can decide on the required level of network monitoring for your company.” [4]

How much does network monitoring software cost?

Network monitoring software is usually priced per user per month. The price varies depending on the type of system you choose, with entry-level systems costing $1-$2 per user per month. Buyers of mid-level systems can expect to pay $3-$16 per user per month, and for premium platforms, the price is usually $17 per user per month or above.

Integration necessities for network monitoring software

There are a number of important integrations that businesses can use with network monitoring software for effective performance, better security, or to provide more storage capacity for data and files. Some of these features may be included with a chosen system already but in cases where the technology or solution already exists, it may be more expedient to connect a new network monitoring system to other products that are already widely used in the enterprise.

In the initial stages, it is important to carefully assess the systems you already use that would connect with your chosen network monitoring product or any that you are planning to adopt in the meantime. This will help ensure that your whole tech stack can properly function together. 

Potential drawbacks of network monitoring systems

Another aspect to pay particular attention to is the possible drawbacks you may encounter during the implementation and running of a new network monitoring platform. Even the best systems on the market have downsides of some capacity and planning around the possible pitfalls you may encounter can help you proactively sidestep them more effectively.

Some areas to watch out for with network monitoring especially are difficulties with bugs in the UI, faults and the handling of technical issues, dissatisfaction over pricing, and struggles to apply updates and patches correctly. When researching options, be sure to check feedback on these topics to assess if a platform is reliable enough for your purposes.  

Step 2: Make a shortlist of potential network monitoring solutions

There are hundreds of network monitoring systems to pick from, and choosing one that fits your goals and technical setup can be a difficult task. Nevertheless, there are resources available you can use to make the process simpler. 

Explore our list of network monitoring FrontRunners

If you’re looking for more information on network monitoring options before speaking to an advisor, use our FrontRunners report to get started, which lists products for this category with the best user ratings. Check out our full methodology for further details on how the report is compiled. 

To find out more about the best ways to shortlist software products, you can also use our Ultimate Software Vendor Evaluation Guide. This explains how to compare and evaluate software and provides a comparison chart to assess each individual vendor based on their functionalities, training and support, costs, and deployment options.   

Step 3: Picking the best option

Once you’ve looked over some of the options and narrowed down your choices, you’ll reach the stage of trying out vendor demos and trials and making your final selection. This is a vitally important step of the software buying process, giving you a more detailed and practical view of the platform of interest. It’s important to prepare carefully to capitalize on the benefits of these demonstrations.

How to prepare for vendor demonstrations

As you approach scheduling vendor demonstrations, you should consider some of the key questions you want to ask vendors and their representatives. This gives you an essential opportunity to clarify any queries or doubts you have about their software and assess properly whether the solution is right for your business. 

Some important questions you might ask when testing a network monitoring system include:

• Can the product be customized to our needs?

There are many areas where you may want to tailor software around your business’s unique operation and needs. During the demonstrations, this is a place to test the software solution against those needs. This might involve diving into how configuration settings can be adjusted across the network, and how notifications, alerts, and reports could be modified to generate for particular time-frames or to respond to specific incidents you regularly encounter.

• What integrations are supported?

If your business needs to use a specific integration with a network monitoring solution, you should seek to understand how that can be achieved and what support or potential hurdles could arise when syncing data and operations. If some of your tech stack is not supported, creating bespoke solutions may be necessary in some cases, and product demonstrations and trials give you a chance to ask how that can be done and if it’s feasible to make your software work together.

• How is support and training provided?

A network monitoring system might not always come with dedicated support. It’s sensible to explore what kind of assistance is provided as part of your product and how your team will be able to access it. To prepare for the potential implementation of a new system you should also find out whether any documentation, training material, or hands-on support is available to onboard the system if you choose it as your solution.

Step 4: Successfully implementing a new network monitoring platform

When you select a system and commit to its purchase, the implementation process can get underway. Whether you plan to introduce a network monitoring solution for the first time in your business or migrate from an existing system, there are some important points to consider during the onboarding period.

• Set up clear leadership of the implementation

Assign responsibilities to the key stakeholders in your technical team who will implement and manage the network monitoring product you’ve chosen. You may choose to appoint an individual project manager for this task during the onboarding. 

• Provide training to users

Ensure that staff who will be working directly with the system receive training and communicate the adoption of the new system to the wider team. The training should address the day-to-day usage of the tool, how it will be used to inform tasks in performance management and security, and how it will collect and use data effectively.

• Test the system with your devices

In the initial stages of onboarding, it may help to run a pilot test with one or more of your devices to ensure that the tool is working as expected before you migrate from another system. This can help reduce errors and potential risks from malicious traffic before you fully adopt your network monitoring system.

Our guide on the 5 Critical Steps to a Successful Software Implementation Plan can also provide more information about improving the onboarding of a new software system.

Software related to network monitoring

Network monitoring solutions come with many features, but it is sometimes necessary to supplement functionalities via related software systems to get the most comprehensive network monitoring visibility. Some types of software that are similar to network monitoring systems that you may consider include: 

• Application performance management software: Systems that measure application performance levels and status that can be used to perform diagnostics on strategic resources.

• Computer security software: Automate the security monitoring of computer systems, scan networks for vulnerabilities, and configure security settings to meet regulatory standards.

• Data center management software: Monitor and control connected networks and device organization, and use tools for application delivery, troubleshooting, and reporting across the business.

• Database monitoring software: Optimize, diagnose, and track the performance of database applications. This can help organizations ensure data integrity and accessibility.

• Endpoint detection and response software: Collect device endpoint data along with your other monitoring information and program automated responses and analysis reports. 

• IT management software: Control and monitor computer networks, operating systems, applications, network devices, security measurements, and other essential parts of your IT infrastructure.

• Network security software: Restrict access to your network to authorized sources and applications only. Create rules that recognize legitimate traffic and block unknown, unrecognized, or potentially malicious uses. 

• Remote monitoring and management software: Systems that monitor systems and network traffic remotely. This allows distributed IT teams to monitor devices and networks in real time and apply important changes such as patches and configuration changes.  

More resources for your network monitoring journey

• Six Critical Elements of a Strong Cybersecurity Incident Response Plan for Healthcare Practices 

• More Than One in Four Ransomware Attacks on Healthcare Organizations Affect Patient Care—Here’s How To Better Protect Yourself

• A Guide to Billing and Invoicing Software Pricing Models

• How To Evaluate New Software in 5 Steps 

About our contributors

Author

David Jani is a content analyst at Software Advice. With a background in tech journalism, public relations, professional training, and marketing, he uses his extensive experience to investigate small business technology trends, with a focus on marketing and cybersecurity, to provide timely, actionable insights for small and midsize businesses.

David’s research and analysis is informed by more than 150,000 authentic user reviews on Software Advice and nearly 3,000 interactions between Software Advice software advisors and software buyers. David also regularly analyzes market sentiment by conducting surveys of IT and marketing leaders so he can provide the most up-to-date and helpful information to small and midsize businesses purchasing software or services.

His thought leadership work has been featured in TechRadar, Maddyness, Daily Express, Startups Magazine and Raconteur.

Editor

Caroline Rousseau is a senior content editor at Software Advice.

A former content analyst, Caroline has, for the past five years, built, written, and edited research reports about technological trends, opportunities, and challenges with an SMB audience in mind. Her content has been featured in French Tier 1 media including Le Monde, L’Express, and Le Figaro, among other publications.

Her previous experience as a graphic designer, translator, and LQA specialist in various industries converged into a skill set that allows her to create compelling content about today’s business matters. Caroline’s personal interests include literature and art and she has a passion for Albert Camus, graphic novels, and drawing.

Contributor

As one of Australia's most globally acknowledged AI technologists and technology communicators, Amanda Johnstone's contributions have been celebrated by TIME as a Next Generation Leader and by The CEO Magazine with the Start-up Executive of the Year award, underscoring her significant impact in social impact technology. In 2023, LinkedIn awarded her as a Top Voice in Artificial Intelligence, one of only 1500 top voices globally of over 1 billion users.

Sources 

1. Software Advice software pricing data: Only products with publicly available pricing information and qualified software products within the category, as of February 2023, are included in the pricing analysis. Read the complete methodology.

2. Software Advice reviews data: Software Advice reviews are collected from verified users for individual software products. For this report, we analyzed reviews from the past year as of the production date. Read the complete methodology.

3. Amanda Johnstone, LinkedIn