Checkmk vs Zabbix
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted monitoring & status options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Checkmk
Comprehensive IT infrastructure monitoring
VS
Zabbix
Enterprise-grade open-source monitoring solution
| Feature | Checkmk | Zabbix |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Monitoring & Status | Monitoring & Status |
| License | GPL-2.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Python | Go Template |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 2,336 | ★ 6,228 |
| First released | 2009 | 2001 |
| Replaces | Nagios, Datadog | Datadog, Nagios |
Why pick each one
Frequently asked questions
Is Checkmk or Zabbix better?
Neither is universally better. Zabbix has the larger community, while Checkmk is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Checkmk and Zabbix free and open-source?
Yes. Checkmk is licensed under GPL-2.0 and Zabbix under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Checkmk and Zabbix with Docker?
Checkmk: yes. Zabbix: yes.