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Head-to-head · Infrastructure Monitoring

Zabbix vs Nagios XI

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 4 checks side by side
Higher score Zabbix #1 in Infrastructure Monitoring 9.4/10 Free plan · paid from €245/mo (annual) Free plan✓ 3 of 3 features Visit Zabbix
Nagios XI #17 in Infrastructure Monitoring 7.8/10 Free plan · paid from $2,595 · 30-day trial Free plan✓ 3 of 3 features Visit Nagios XI

Zabbix leads on 0 checks, Nagios XI 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

Zabbix scores higher on our rubric for infrastructure monitoring: 9.4 against 7.8 out of 10; our editors rank them #1 and #17.

On deployment model, Zabbix gives you Hybrid where Nagios XI offers Self-hosted. On os coverage, Zabbix gives you Multiple where Nagios XI offers Linux and windows.

Zabbix is the better fit for broad, flexible infrastructure monitoring. Nagios XI is the better fit for self-hosted monitoring with classic operations workflows.

  • Zabbix fits best

    Broad, flexible infrastructure monitoring

  • Nagios XI fits best

    Self-hosted monitoring with classic operations workflows

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. We may earn a commission when you click some links. How we rank.

Side by side

Feature Zabbix 9.4/10 Visit ↗ Nagios XI 7.8/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 9.4 7.8
Ranking #1 in Infrastructure Monitoring #17 in Infrastructure Monitoring
Best for Broad, flexible infrastructure monitoring Self-hosted monitoring with classic operations workflows
Pricing model Free plan + paid Free plan + paid
Starting price Not published Not published
Free plan ✓ ✓
Free trial — —
Deployment Cloud, Self-hosted Self-hosted, Cloud
Platforms Web, Linux, Windows, macOS Linux, Web
Support Email, Phone, Tickets, Community, Docs · 24/7 Tickets, Docs
Integrations 12 integrations 7 integrations
Built for Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Zabbix 3/3 · Nagios XI 3/3
VM monitoring ✓ ✓
Service monitoring ✓ ✓
Agentless monitoring ✓ ✓
Specs
Included hosts Not published 100 hosts
Metrics retention Not published Not published
Deployment model Hybrid Self-hosted
OS coverage Multiple Linux and windows
Our review
Pros
  • Free open-source self-hosted edition with no license fee
  • Covers infrastructure, VMs, services, logs, discovery, and networks
  • Supports cloud, container, enterprise, and IT service integrations
  • Monitors hosts, services, networks, clouds, VMs, and containers
  • Includes dashboards, maps, alerting, reports, and configuration wizards
  • Supports distributed monitoring, SNMP traps, REST API, and agentless checks
Cons
  • Self-hosted deployment requires organizations to run their own infrastructure
  • Cloud Nano is limited to 50 new values per second
  • 8x5 support and one-day response start with the Silver subscription
  • Free edition is limited to seven nodes or 100 services
  • Free plan does not include support
  • Paid licensing starts at a $2,595 one-time price
Our verdict

Zabbix is an open-source infrastructure monitoring and observability platform for IT teams, enterprises, and service providers. It covers servers, networks, applications, databases, virtual machines, containers, cloud services, and system…

Read the review →

Nagios XI is a self-hosted infrastructure monitoring platform for IT teams responsible for servers, networks, applications, databases, cloud resources, virtual machines, and containers. It combines host and service checks with alerts,…

Read the review →
  1. ZabbixInfrastructure Monitoring 9.4Free plan · paid from €245/mo (annual)
  2. Nagios XIInfrastructure Monitoring 7.8Free plan · paid from $2,595 · 30-day trial

Strengths and trade-offs

  • Zabbix — where it wins

    • Free open-source self-hosted edition with no license fee
    • Covers infrastructure, VMs, services, logs, discovery, and networks
    • Supports cloud, container, enterprise, and IT service integrations

    Where it doesn't

    • Self-hosted deployment requires organizations to run their own infrastructure
    • Cloud Nano is limited to 50 new values per second
    • 8x5 support and one-day response start with the Silver subscription

  • Nagios XI — where it wins

    • Monitors hosts, services, networks, clouds, VMs, and containers
    • Includes dashboards, maps, alerting, reports, and configuration wizards
    • Supports distributed monitoring, SNMP traps, REST API, and agentless checks

    Where it doesn't

    • Free edition is limited to seven nodes or 100 services
    • Free plan does not include support
    • Paid licensing starts at a $2,595 one-time price
  • Zabbix9.4/10 · Free plan · paid from €245/mo (annual)

    A broad monitoring platform with a free self-hosted edition and flexible deployment options.

    Visit ZabbixFull verdict →
  • Nagios XI7.8/10 · Free plan · paid from $2,595 · 30-day trial

    A broad self-hosted monitoring suite for teams that prefer classic operations workflows.

    Visit Nagios XIFull verdict →

More comparisons

All infrastructure monitoring comparisons → · Full ranking →

Guides on infrastructure monitoring

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update