Custom alerts and data visualization let you quickly identify and prevent all kinds of network issues.
IT professionals can face a critical gap when relying solely on NinjaOne's RMM software for their monitoring needs. Despite its strengths in automated endpoint management and patch deployment, NinjaOne primarily focuses on device management, patching, and remote access—leaving network infrastructure largely unmonitored.
Paessler PRTG Network Monitor delivers what NinjaOne cannot: comprehensive real-time monitoring across your entire IT environment. From network devices and servers to cloud services and applications, PRTG provides the complete visibility that MSPs and IT teams require for effective operations.
This difference becomes particularly evident during critical incidents. Imagine a network switch beginning to degrade at midnight. With NinjaOne, you'd only receive alerts when endpoints lose connectivity at 2 AM—after the problem has already impacted your end users. PRTG, however, would detect the switch performance issues hours earlier through SNMP monitoring, enabling your team to implement proactive remediation before any outage occurred. These crucial early warnings represent the fundamental advantage that makes PRTG essential as organizations mature.
For IT managers and network administrators who need scalable monitoring that extends beyond basic endpoint management, PRTG delivers the key features that streamline IT operations without the complexity often associated with traditional RMM platforms.
PRTG Network Monitor transforms how IT teams manage their monitoring workload. It's a monitoring solution that works for you, reducing the operational overhead that comes with agent-based solutions, while providing automation and insights that help IT professionals stay ahead of issues rather than constantly reacting to them.
The ease of use and comprehensive security features make PRTG the ideal partner for organizations seeking efficient infrastructure monitoring across diverse use cases.
Quick installation with automatic network discovery and smart setup for instant monitoring
Custom dashboard creation via drag & drop with easy-to-read visualized overviews
Different user interfaces for web, desktop, and mobile apps for monitoring on the go
Network of qualified implementation partners to support you with a smooth migration to PRTG
Diagnose network issues by continuously tracking the health, availability, and performance of your entire IT infrastructure. Show hardware parameters, application performance, network traffic, bandwidth usage, and other key metrics in real time. Visualize data in clear graphs and dashboards to identify problems more easily. Gain the overview you need to troubleshoot all kinds of issues in your network.
Device tree view of the complete monitoring setup
Custom PRTG dashboard for keeping an eye on the entire IT infrastructure
Live traffic data graph in PRTG
FEATURE | PRTG PRTG | NinjaOne NinjaOne |
|---|---|---|
One tool for your entire network | PRTG All monitoring features included | NinjaOne Limited to endpoint and device management |
Easy setup, intuitive monitoring | PRTG User-friendly interfaces for web, desktop, and mobile | NinjaOne User-friendly interface with streamlined workflows |
Automatic network discover | PRTG Included | NinjaOne Basic device discovery for managed endpoints |
Real-time alerts & notifications | PRTG Advanced, highly customizable alerting via different notification methods | NinjaOne Real-time notifications and custom alerts |
Custom maps & dashboards | PRTG Custom dashboard creation via drag & drop | NinjaOne Customizable dashboard with key metrics |
Agentless monitoring | PRTG No need to install agents on the monitored systems | NinjaOne Requires agent installation on all endpoints |
On-premises or cloud-based | PRTG Flexible deployment options available | NinjaOne Cloud-based SaaS only |
Enterprise version | PRTG Available | NinjaOne Available |
Freeware version | PRTG Available for up to 100 sensors, free for life | NinjaOne No free version, 14-day trial only |
Distributed network monitoring | PRTG Monitoring an unlimited number of remote locations included | NinjaOne Limited to managed endpoints across locations |
Server & application monitoring | PRTG Out-of-the-box integration, no extra cost | NinjaOne Basic server monitoring for managed devices |
Network performance monitoring | PRTG Out-of-the-box integration, no extra cost | NinjaOne Not available |
Bandwidth monitoring | PRTG Out-of-the-box integration, no extra cost | NinjaOne Not available |
Network traffic analyzer | PRTG Out-of-the-box integration, no extra costs | NinjaOne Not available |
Cloud services monitoring | PRTG Out-of-the-box integration, no extra cost | NinjaOne Basic cloud endpoint management |
Virtual infrastructure monitoring | PRTG Out-of-the-box integration, no extra cost | NinjaOne Basic virtual machine monitoring |
Storage resource monitoring | PRTG Out-of-the-box integration, no extra cost | NinjaOne Basic disk space monitoring |
Database monitoring | PRTG Out-of-the-box integration, no extra cost | NinjaOne Not available |
Web performance monitoring | PRTG Out-of-the-box integration, no extra cost | NinjaOne Not available |
Supports leading technologies | PRTG SNMP, flow protocols, packet sniffing, WMI, HTTP, ping, SQL, and much more | NinjaOne Windows, macOS, Linux endpoint management |
Create your own scripts | PRTG Own PRTG API included for custom sensors and scripts | NinjaOne Custom scripting and automation capabilities |
Includes technical support | PRTG Expert support included, no extra costs | NinjaOne Technical support included |
“All-around winning
network monitor”
“The real beauty of PRTG is the endless possibilities it offers”
“PRTG Network Monitor
is very hard to beat”
Organizations often start with endpoint-focused remote monitoring and management (RMM) solutions like NinjaOne but quickly recognize the need for broader infrastructure monitoring capabilities. Here's what drives the switch:
Modern IT environments demand visibility beyond what endpoint management tools can deliver. When your firewall experiences high CPU usage or database servers show memory leaks, NinjaOne's endpoint focus leaves critical gaps in your monitoring coverage. PRTG extends device monitoring to network switches, routers, and Microsoft servers, providing comprehensive infrastructure oversight that endpoint-focused solutions simply can't match.
The per-endpoint pricing model from NinjaOne ($1.50 to $3.75+ per device) becomes increasingly expensive as your infrastructure grows. PRTG's sensor-based approach offers transparent costs that deliver better value, especially in larger environments. For a 500-device deployment, this difference can translate to thousands in annual savings while gaining complete monitoring capabilities without requiring expensive add-ons for advanced features.
Agent deployment on every managed device creates potential security vulnerabilities and adds troubleshooting complexity to your IT environment. PRTG takes an agentless monitoring approach using industry-standard protocols like SNMP, WMI, and NetFlow. This eliminates time-consuming agent management and repetitive tasks while providing deeper insights into network performance. Your IT teams can focus on strategic initiatives rather than routine maintenance of monitoring infrastructure.
PRTG is set up in a matter of minutes and can be used on a wide variety of mobile devices.
We also compared PRTG with other monitoring tools:
New Relic offers strong asset performance management and observability, but full IT infrastructure monitoring can be costly and requires a fair amount of manual configuration.
Prometheus is an open-source tool that excels at monitoring containerized applications. However, it lacks comprehensive network monitoring capabilities and requires extensive manual configuration for infrastructure visibility.
PRTG and ManageEngine might seem similar at first. However, with ManageEngine, you have to choose between individual functions and purchase several modules to access the full range of features.
Zabbix is open-source software with a strong community support. But it requires lots of manual configuration work to install and set it up. You also need to install agents on the monitored systems.
Real-time notifications mean faster troubleshooting so that you can act before more serious issues occur.
Partnering with innovative IT vendors, Paessler unleashes synergies to create
new and additional benefits for joined customers.
Combining PRTG’s broad monitoring feature set with IP Fabric’s automated network assurance creates a new level of network visibility and reliability.
Integrating monitoring results from PRTG into NetBrain maps makes the foundation for network automation.
With ScriptRunner Paessler integrates a powerful event automation platform into PRTG Network Monitor.
Network Monitoring Software – Version 25.2.108.1358 (July 2, 2025)
Download for Windows and cloud-based version PRTG Hosted Monitor available
English, German, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Dutch, Russian, Japanese, and Simplified Chinese
Network devices, bandwidth, servers, applications, virtual environments, remote systems, IoT, and more
Choose the PRTG Network Monitor subscription that's best for you
Choosing between Paessler PRTG and NinjaOne depends on several factors, such as your specific network monitoring needs, budget, and technical resources available in your organization.
PRTG is ideal:
NinjaOne might be your choice:
Download PRTG's free version (100 sensors, no time limit) and experience comprehensive infrastructure monitoring within hours. Auto-discovery identifies network devices, servers, and applications automatically. PRTG complements existing RMM tools or can replace them entirely for infrastructure-focused monitoring. Many organizations run PRTG alongside endpoint management tools for complete IT visibility, providing excellent customer support throughout the implementation process.
Yes, PRTG can monitor Microsoft Windows, Linux, and Mac endpoints through agentless protocols like SNMP and WMI. However, PRTG's strength lies in providing comprehensive infrastructure monitoring that includes but extends far beyond endpoint management to cover your entire IT environment. For endpoint-specific management tasks like software deployment and patch management, you may need complementary tools.
PRTG uses sensor-based pricing rather than per-endpoint costs. This means you pay for what you monitor (sensors) rather than how many devices you manage. For organizations with diverse IT infrastructures, this often provides better value and more predictable costs than NinjaOne's escalating per-device pricing. A typical 500-device environment might save 40-60% annually while gaining comprehensive infrastructure monitoring capabilities.
No, PRTG primarily uses agentless monitoring through industry-standard protocols like SNMP v1/v2c/v3, WMI, and network flows. This reduces security risks, eliminates agent management overhead, and provides deeper network insights than agent-based approaches. The agentless approach also means no impact on endpoint performance and no agent update management.
PRTG excels at infrastructure monitoring for MSPs but focuses on network and system monitoring rather than endpoint management and automated remediation. Many MSPs use PRTG alongside or instead of RMM tools when comprehensive infrastructure visibility is the priority. PRTG's multi-tenant capabilities and MSP-specific features support managed service provider workflows effectively.
In PRTG, “sensors” are the basic monitoring elements. One sensor usually monitors one measured value in your network, for example the traffic of a switch port, the CPU load of a server, or the free space on a disk drive. On average, you need about 5-10 sensors per device or one sensor per switch port.
Paessler conducted trials in over 600 IT departments worldwide to tune its network monitoring software closer to the needs of sysadmins. The result of the survey: over 95% of the participants would recommend PRTG – or already have.
You are interested to know if PRTG could be an alternative to your NinjaOne implementation?
