Best Mackerel Alternatives in 2026
The top Mackerel alternatives are Zabbix, Checkmk and Datadog Infrastructure Monitoring: 15 infrastructure monitoring our editors would look at instead of Mackerel, in our ranking order.
Mackerel: A broad monitoring toolkit with useful anomaly detection and a limited free tier. Where it falls short: free plan retains data for only 1 day.
Switching from Mackerel? For most infrastructure monitoring buyers the best Mackerel alternative is Zabbix, built for broad, flexible infrastructure monitoring. On a budget, Sematext Monitoring starts at $2.80/device/mo. Site24x7 Server Monitoring offers the most included hosts (2 hosts).
Why People Look for a Mackerel Alternative
- Free plan retains data for only 1 day
- Free plan covers up to 5 standard and micro hosts combined
- Standard billing varies with hosts, metrics, and trace spans
Quick Picks by What You Need
- Best overallZabbix9.4
Broad, flexible infrastructure monitoring
Visit Zabbix - Lowest priceSematext Monitoring8.1
Paid plans from $2.80/device/mo
Visit Sematext Monitoring - Best free optionZabbix9.4
Has a free plan
Visit Zabbix - Most included hostsSite24x7 Server Monitoring8.4
2 hosts
Visit Site24x7 Server Monitoring
All 15 Mackerel Alternatives, Ranked
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.
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Best forBroad, flexible infrastructure monitoring
- Better than Mackerel:
- Editor score 9.4 vs 8.0
A broad monitoring platform with a free self-hosted edition and flexible deployment options.
- Agentless monitoring
- VM monitoring
- Service monitoring
9.4/10★★★★★Visit Zabbix -
Best forHybrid monitoring with discovery and automation
- Better than Mackerel:
- Editor score 9.3 vs 8.0
A broad hybrid-monitoring platform with free open-source coverage and paid automation tiers.
- Agentless monitoring
- VM monitoring
- Service monitoring
9.3/10★★★★★Visit Checkmk -
Best forCloud-native teams needing observability breadth
- Better than Mackerel:
- Editor score 9.2 vs 8.0
Broad infrastructure observability for cloud-native teams, with host-based pricing.
- VM monitoring
- Service monitoring
9.2/10★★★★★Visit Datadog -
Best forCloud teams needing metrics and log context
- Better than Mackerel:
- Editor score 9.1 vs 8.0
A metrics-first observability service with dashboards, alerts, Kubernetes monitoring, and contextual logs.
- VM monitoring
- Service monitoring
9.1/10★★★★★Visit Splunk -
Best forGoogle Cloud environments
- Better than Mackerel:
- Editor score 9.0 vs 8.0
A broad monitoring service for teams operating primarily in Google Cloud.
- VM monitoring
- Service monitoring
9.0/10★★★★☆Visit Google Cloud -
Best forEnterprise server and application monitoring
- Better than Mackerel:
- Editor score 8.9 vs 8.0
A broad monitoring suite for enterprise teams managing hybrid infrastructure.
- Agentless monitoring
- VM monitoring
- Service monitoring
8.9/10★★★★☆Visit SolarWinds -
Best forLow-cost, real-time infrastructure visibility
- Better than Mackerel:
- Editor score 8.8 vs 8.0
A low-cost observability platform with per-second metrics and broad infrastructure coverage.
- VM monitoring
- Service monitoring
8.8/10★★★★☆Visit Netdata -
Best forOpen-source teams needing flexible checks
- Better than Mackerel:
- Editor score 8.7 vs 8.0
A flexible, broad monitoring system for teams comfortable managing self-hosted infrastructure.
- Agentless monitoring
- VM monitoring
- Service monitoring
8.7/10★★★★☆Visit Icinga -
Best forOpen-source metric collection and querying
- Better than Mackerel:
- Editor score 8.6 vs 8.0
A focused open-source choice for collecting, querying, and alerting on metrics.
8.6/10★★★★☆Visit Prometheus -
Best forAgentless hybrid monitoring with topology mapping
- Better than Mackerel:
- Editor score 8.5 vs 8.0
Broad agentless monitoring for hybrid infrastructure, cloud resources, services, and topology.
- Agentless monitoring
- VM monitoring
- Service monitoring
8.5/10★★★★☆Visit LogicMonitor -
Best forSmall teams wanting managed server monitoring
- Better than Mackerel:
- Editor score 8.4 vs 8.0
Broad infrastructure coverage with an accessible entry plan and expanding costs at higher tiers.
- Agentless monitoring
- VM monitoring
- Service monitoring
8.4/10★★★★☆Visit Site24x7 -
Best forAzure-centric infrastructure teams
- Better than Mackerel:
- Editor score 8.3 vs 8.0
A broad Azure monitoring service for metrics, logs, traces, alerts, and hybrid environments.
- Agentless monitoring
- VM monitoring
8.3/10★★★★☆Visit Azure Monitor -
Best forHybrid enterprises needing broad integrations
- Better than Mackerel:
- Editor score 8.2 vs 8.0
Broad hybrid monitoring and integrations, with automation extending into the Advanced plan.
- Agentless monitoring
- VM monitoring
- Service monitoring
8.2/10★★★★☆Visit ScienceLogic -
Best forBudget-conscious hybrid infrastructure monitoring
- Better than Mackerel:
- Editor score 8.1 vs 8.0
Broad hybrid monitoring at a low entry price, with only one day of metrics retention.
- VM monitoring
- Service monitoring
8.1/10★★★★☆Visit Sematext -
Best forApplication-centric infrastructure observability
A deep observability platform for teams tracing application performance across infrastructure.
7.9/10★★★★☆Visit eG Enterprise
Mackerel Alternatives: Common Questions
What is the best alternative to Mackerel?
Zabbix: #1 in our Infrastructure Monitoring ranking, with an editor score of 9.4 out of 10. A broad monitoring platform with a free self-hosted edition and flexible deployment options.
Is there a free alternative to Mackerel?
Yes. Zabbix, Checkmk, Datadog Infrastructure Monitoring, Splunk Infrastructure Monitoring and Google Cloud Monitoring have a free plan or a free tier (10 of the 15 alternatives on this page).
What is the cheapest paid alternative to Mackerel?
Of the alternatives here that publish a price, Sematext Monitoring starts lowest, at $2.80/device/mo.
Why do people look for Mackerel alternatives?
Free plan retains data for only 1 day; Free plan covers up to 5 standard and micro hosts combined; Standard billing varies with hosts, metrics, and trace spans.
Which Mackerel alternative has the most included hosts?
Site24x7 Server Monitoring, with 2 hosts.
How do I switch from Mackerel?
Export your data from Mackerel (most tools have an export in their settings). Sign up for the alternative; start on its free plan or trial if it has one. Import your export and set up the integrations your team relies on. Run both side by side for a short while, then cancel Mackerel.
How to Switch from Mackerel
- Export your data from Mackerel (most tools have an export in their settings).
- Sign up for the alternative; start on its free plan or trial if it has one.
- Import your export and set up the integrations your team relies on.
- Run both side by side for a short while, then cancel Mackerel.
Mackerel vs Each Alternative
| # | Tool | Free plan | Paid from | VM monitoring | Service monitoring | Deployment model | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | Mackerel | Yes | 2,180 JPY/unit/mo | Yes | Yes | Cloud | 8.0 |
| 1 | Zabbix | Yes | €245/mo | Yes | Yes | Hybrid | 9.4 |
| 2 | Checkmk | Yes | €190/mo | Yes | Yes | Hybrid | 9.3 |
| 3 | Datadog Infrastructure Monitoring | Yes | $15/unit/mo | Yes | Yes | Hybrid | 9.2 |
| 4 | Splunk Infrastructure Monitoring | Yes | $15/device/mo | Yes | Yes | Cloud | 9.1 |
| 5 | Google Cloud Monitoring | Yes | Yes | Yes | Cloud | 9.0 | |
| 6 | SolarWinds Server & Application Monitor | No | $2,900 one-time | Yes | Yes | Self-hosted | 8.9 |
| 7 | Netdata | Yes | $4.50/unit/mo | Yes | Yes | Hybrid | 8.8 |
| 8 | Icinga | Yes | Yes | Yes | Self-hosted | 8.7 | |
| 9 | Prometheus | Yes | Free | 8.6 | |||
| 10 | LogicMonitor | No | $16/mo | Yes | Yes | Hybrid | 8.5 |
| 11 | Site24x7 Server Monitoring | Yes | $9/mo | Yes | Yes | Cloud | 8.4 |
| 12 | Azure Monitor | No | Yes | No | Cloud | 8.3 | |
| 13 | ScienceLogic SL1 | Yes | Yes | Hybrid | 8.2 | ||
| 14 | Sematext Monitoring | Yes | $2.80/device/mo | Yes | Yes | Hybrid | 8.1 |
| 15 | eG Enterprise | No | $100/mo | Hybrid | 7.9 |
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
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