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Head-to-head · Bandwidth Monitoring Software

Cacti vs NetCrunch

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 1 check side by side
Higher score Cacti #6 in Bandwidth Monitoring Software 8.5/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 0 of 4 features Visit Cacti
NetCrunch #8 in Bandwidth Monitoring Software 8.3/10 30-day trial Free trial✓ 0 of 4 features Visit NetCrunch

Cacti leads on 1 check, NetCrunch on 0, and 0 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 1 yes/no, price and count check where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreCacti · 8.5/10
  • Free planonly Cacti
  • Free trialonly NetCrunch

Cacti scores higher on our rubric for bandwidth monitoring software: 8.5 against 8.3 out of 10; our editors rank them #6 and #8.

Cacti offers free plan; NetCrunch doesn't.

Cacti is the better fit for free open-source network monitoring. NetCrunch is the better fit for broad infrastructure monitoring beyond bandwidth.

  • Cacti fits best

    Free open-source network monitoring

  • NetCrunch fits best

    Broad infrastructure monitoring beyond bandwidth

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.

Side by side

Feature Cacti 8.5/10 Visit ↗ NetCrunch 8.3/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 8.5 8.3
Ranking #6 in Bandwidth Monitoring Software #8 in Bandwidth Monitoring Software
Best for Free open-source network monitoring Broad infrastructure monitoring beyond bandwidth
Pricing model Free Paid
Starting price Free plan $1,900/yr
Free plan ✓ (best) —
Free trial — 30 days
Deployment Self-hosted Self-hosted
Platforms Web, Windows, Linux Web, Windows
Support Docs, Community Tickets, Docs
Built for Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Cacti 0/4 · NetCrunch 0/4
Application monitoring Not checked yet Not checked yet
User monitoring Not checked yet Not checked yet
SNMP monitoring Not checked yet Not checked yet
Bandwidth alerts Not checked yet Not checked yet
Specs
Flow protocol support Not checked yet Not checked yet
Monitored device limit Not checked yet Not checked yet
Historical data retention Not checked yet Not checked yet
Our review
Pros
  • Covers SNMP, ICMP, TCP, UDP, graphing, discovery, and alerts
  • Supports distributed collectors, aggregate graphs, and automated onboarding
  • Extends monitoring through plugins, including NetFlow and network mapping
  • Automated discovery across Active Directory, ICMP, SNMP, and network scans
  • Routing and Layer 2 topology maps show logical and physical connections
  • Agentless monitoring with dashboards, logs, alerts, and broad integrations
Cons
  • Self-hosted deployment requires infrastructure and ongoing administration
  • Advanced flow monitoring depends on plugins
  • SMS alerting and network mapping are plugin-based
  • Bandwidth monitoring is not the platform's primary focus
  • On-premises deployment may require more infrastructure planning
  • The subscription starts at $1,900 per year
Our verdict

Cacti is an open-source network monitoring and graphing platform for teams that want to collect and visualize performance data from network devices and other hosts. Built around RRDtool, it supports SNMP, ICMP, TCP, UDP, scripts, and…

Read the review →

NetCrunch is an agentless network monitoring system for IT teams overseeing on-premises, virtualized, cloud, and IoT infrastructure. It discovers devices through Active Directory, ICMP, SNMP, and network scans, then brings availability,…

Read the review →
  1. CactiBandwidth Monitoring Software 8.5Free plan
  2. NetCrunchBandwidth Monitoring Software 8.330-day trial

Strengths and trade-offs

  • Cacti — where it wins

    • Covers SNMP, ICMP, TCP, UDP, graphing, discovery, and alerts
    • Supports distributed collectors, aggregate graphs, and automated onboarding
    • Extends monitoring through plugins, including NetFlow and network mapping

    Where it doesn't

    • Self-hosted deployment requires infrastructure and ongoing administration
    • Advanced flow monitoring depends on plugins
    • SMS alerting and network mapping are plugin-based

  • NetCrunch — where it wins

    • Automated discovery across Active Directory, ICMP, SNMP, and network scans
    • Routing and Layer 2 topology maps show logical and physical connections
    • Agentless monitoring with dashboards, logs, alerts, and broad integrations

    Where it doesn't

    • Bandwidth monitoring is not the platform's primary focus
    • On-premises deployment may require more infrastructure planning
    • The subscription starts at $1,900 per year
  • Cacti8.5/10 · Free plan

    A broad, self-hosted monitoring suite for teams comfortable managing their own infrastructure.

    Visit CactiFull verdict →
  • NetCrunch8.3/10 · 30-day trial

    A broad network monitoring platform whose bandwidth coverage is part of a wider toolkit.

    Visit NetCrunchFull verdict →

More comparisons

All bandwidth monitoring software comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update