Head-to-head · Network Monitoring
Zabbix vs Cacti
Zabbix leads on 0 checks, Cacti on 0, and 4 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 4 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.
Our verdict
- Highest scoreZabbix · 9.4/10
- Free planboth
- Most featuresCacti · 3 of 3
Zabbix scores higher on our rubric for network monitoring: 9.4 against 6.9 out of 10; our editors rank them #1 and #24.
Zabbix is the better fit for broad, extensible infrastructure monitoring. Cacti is the better fit for free graphing and SNMP performance data.
- Zabbix fits best
Broad, extensible infrastructure monitoring
- Cacti fits best
Free graphing and SNMP performance data
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Side by side
| Feature | Zabbix 9.4/10 Visit ↗ | Cacti 6.9/10 Visit ↗ |
|---|---|---|
| At a glance | ||
| Editor score | 9.4 | 6.9 |
| Ranking | #1 in Network Monitoring | #24 in Network Monitoring |
| Best for | Broad, extensible infrastructure monitoring | Free graphing and SNMP performance data |
| Pricing model | Free plan + paid | Free |
| Starting price | €245/mo | Free plan |
| Free plan | ✓ | ✓ |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Deployment | Cloud, Self-hosted | Self-hosted |
| Platforms | Web, Linux, Windows, macOS | Web, Windows, Linux |
| Support | Email, Phone, Tickets, Community, Docs · 24/7 | Docs, Community |
| Built for | Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise | Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise |
| Features Zabbix 0/3 · Cacti 3/3 | ||
| Synthetic checks | Not checked yet | ✓ (best) |
| Traffic monitoring | Not checked yet | ✓ (best) |
| Topology maps | Not checked yet | ✓ (best) |
| Specs | ||
| Device limit | Not checked yet | Not checked yet |
| Alert channels | Not checked yet | Not checked yet |
| Deployment | Not checked yet | Self_hosted |
| Our review | ||
| Pros |
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| Cons |
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| Our verdict | Zabbix is an open-source monitoring and observability platform for IT teams, enterprises, and service providers. It covers servers, networks, applications, databases, virtual machines, containers, cloud services, and system services. Teams… Read the review → |
Cacti is a free, open-source network monitoring and graphing platform for teams that want to collect and visualize performance data in a self-hosted environment. Its monitoring inputs include SNMP OIDs, scripts, ICMP, TCP, and UDP, while… Read the review → |
Strengths and trade-offs
Zabbix — where it wins
- Free open-source self-hosted edition with no license fee
- Monitors infrastructure, networks, services, VMs, logs, and cloud platforms
- Supports discovery, automation, root-cause analysis, and distributed monitoring
Where it doesn't
- Self-hosted deployment requires infrastructure managed by your team
- Zabbix Cloud Nano is limited to 50 new values per second
- Silver support is billed annually at €245 per month
Cacti — where it wins
- Free, open-source deployment with no fixed device entitlement
- SNMP, ICMP, TCP, and UDP checks plus script-based collection
- Templates, discovery, collectors, plugins, and aggregate graphs
Where it doesn't
- Self-hosted deployment requires infrastructure and administration
- Core focus is narrower than modern alerting and topology platforms
- Mapping and SMS alerting depend on plugins
- Zabbix9.4/10 · Free plan
Broad infrastructure monitoring with a free self-hosted edition and paid cloud options.
Visit ZabbixFull verdict → - Cacti6.9/10 · Free plan
A focused self-hosted choice for SNMP performance data, graphing, and availability checks.
Visit CactiFull verdict →
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All network monitoring comparisons → · Full ranking →
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Last updated · How we research and update