OpenNMS Horizon 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?
OpenNMS Horizon
Enterprise network management and monitoring platform
VS
Shinken
Python monitoring framework compatible with Nagios
| Feature | OpenNMS Horizon | Shinken |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Monitoring & Status | Monitoring & Status |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Java | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 4,096 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,168 | ★ 1,136 |
| First released | 2000 | 2009 |
| Replaces | SolarWinds, PRTG | SolarWinds |
Why pick each one
Choose OpenNMS Horizon if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (1.2k GitHub stars)
- Written in Java
Frequently asked questions
Is OpenNMS Horizon or Shinken better?
Neither is universally better. OpenNMS Horizon has the larger community; both share a hard setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are OpenNMS Horizon and Shinken free and open-source?
Yes. OpenNMS Horizon is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Shinken under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run OpenNMS Horizon and Shinken with Docker?
OpenNMS Horizon: yes. Shinken: check the project docs for container support.