NetXMS vs Shinken
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?
NetXMS
Enterprise-grade network and infrastructure monitoring
VS
Shinken
Python monitoring framework compatible with Nagios
| Feature | NetXMS | Shinken |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Monitoring & Status | Monitoring & Status |
| License | GPL-2.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | C++ | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 391 | ★ 1,136 |
| First released | 2004 | 2009 |
| Replaces | SolarWinds, PRTG | SolarWinds |
Why pick each one
Frequently asked questions
Is NetXMS or Shinken better?
Neither is universally better. Shinken has the larger community; both share a hard setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are NetXMS and Shinken free and open-source?
Yes. NetXMS is licensed under GPL-2.0 and Shinken under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run NetXMS and Shinken with Docker?
NetXMS: yes. Shinken: check the project docs for container support.