Observium vs SolarWinds NPM: What are the differences?

Observium vs SolarWinds NPM

Observium and SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor (NPM) are two popular network monitoring tools. While both of them serve the same purpose, there are key differences that set them apart. Below are the six major differences between Observium and SolarWinds NPM.

1. User Interface: One noticeable difference between Observium and SolarWinds NPM is their user interfaces. Observium offers a sleek and modern UI with clear graphs and intuitive navigation. On the other hand, SolarWinds NPM provides a more traditional and customizable interface.

2. Supported Devices: Another significant difference lies in the range of devices supported by each tool. Observium primarily focuses on monitoring network devices like routers, switches, and firewalls. In contrast, SolarWinds NPM has a broader support range, including servers, applications, virtual machines, and storage devices.

3. Alerting Capabilities: When it comes to alerting, both tools offer robust capabilities, but with certain distinctions. Observium allows users to create custom alerts based on specific device metrics or trigger actions using the built-in alerting system. SolarWinds NPM provides more advanced alerting options, such as defining complex alert conditions and incorporating dependencies between devices.

4. Scalability: Observium is highly scalable and can handle a large number of devices, making it suitable for small to medium-sized networks. In comparison, SolarWinds NPM is known for its scalability, supporting networks of any size, including enterprise-level deployments.

5. Integration with Other Tools: Observium offers a limited set of integrations with third-party tools and systems. Although it provides RESTful APIs for data retrieval, the options for integration may be more limited compared to SolarWinds NPM. SolarWinds NPM, on the other hand, has a wide range of integrations available, including popular IT management systems, ticketing systems, and collaboration platforms.

6. Pricing: Lastly, the pricing models for Observium and SolarWinds NPM differ significantly. Observium offers both free and paid versions, with the paid version providing additional features and support. SolarWinds NPM, however, operates solely on a paid license basis, with pricing determined by the scale of the network being monitored.

In summary, Observium and SolarWinds NPM differ in terms of their user interface, device support, alerting capabilities, scalability, integration options, and pricing models. These distinctions allow users to choose the tool that best fits their network monitoring requirements.