PRTG

PRTG Network Monitor is a comprehensive infrastructure monitoring platform providing network performance monitoring, server monitoring, cloud monitoring, and alerting — used by IT teams to maintain visibility across their entire network stack.

What Makes PRTG Stand Out

Comprehensive sensor library covering network, servers, cloud, and applications. Auto-discovery maps your network automatically without manual configuration

Visual network maps and dashboard for infrastructure overview

Pricing and Plans

PRTG offers a free tier that provides meaningful value for individuals and small teams, with paid plans unlocking additional capabilities as needs grow.

Who Should Use PRTG

PRTG is best for teams and individuals who need network monitoring capabilities and where comprehensive sensor library covering network, servers, cloud, and applications. It may not be the right fit when windows-only server software.

Verdict

PRTG delivers on its core promise as a network monitoring tool. PRTG Network Monitor is a comprehensive infrastructure monitoring platform providing network perform... For teams evaluating network monitoring options, PRTG is worth considering based on its specific strengths and how they align with your requirements.

PRTG Licensing Model

PRTG licenses by sensor count: each monitored metric counts as one sensor. The free tier provides 100 sensors — sufficient for small environments. Paid tiers start at $1,750/year for 500 sensors, with pricing increasing for larger sensor counts. This sensor-based model means monitoring scope grows with network complexity.

PRTG on Premises vs. PRTG Hosted Monitor

PRTG traditionally runs on-premises as a Windows application — the monitoring server lives on the organization's infrastructure. PRTG Hosted Monitor is the cloud-delivered option that Paessler manages — eliminating infrastructure management at higher subscription cost.

Remote Probe Architecture

PRTG's remote probe technology enables monitoring networks that aren't directly accessible from the main PRTG server: installing a remote probe on a network segment allows monitoring that segment's devices through the probe's local connectivity.

SNMP and Protocol Support

PRTG monitors via SNMP, WMI, SSH, HTTP, Ping, and custom scripts — covering network device telemetry, Windows server metrics, web application endpoints, and custom application data through flexible protocol support.

Overall rating: 4.1 / 5

PRTG Network Monitor is the all-in-one network monitoring software from Paessler — monitoring network devices, servers, applications, bandwidth, and virtual infrastructure through 250+ built-in sensor types from a single unified dashboard.

Sensor-Based Monitoring Architecture

PRTG's sensor model provides a consistent abstraction for diverse monitoring: each sensor monitors one metric on one target. A router might have sensors for CPU usage, bandwidth per interface, memory, and SNMP traps. This consistency simplifies configuration while the 250+ sensor library covers every common monitoring use case.

Auto-Discovery

PRTG's auto-discovery scans network segments and automatically creates monitoring for discovered devices — adding routers, switches, servers, and printers to monitoring with appropriate default sensors based on detected device types. This automation dramatically reduces initial monitoring setup time.

Alerting and Escalation

PRTG's alerting system sends notifications via email, SMS, push notification, and integrations with PagerDuty and OpsGenie when sensor thresholds are exceeded — escalating alerts to backup contacts when primary contacts don't acknowledge within configured timeframes.

Overall rating: 4.1 / 5