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Networking · head to head

Auvik vs Icinga

Auvik logo

Auvik

Networking

Cloud-based network monitoring and management priced by managed device count, quote-only

From
On request
Rated
-
Icinga logo

Icinga

Networking

Open source infrastructure monitoring, free at its core, with paid support and modules sold separately by Icinga GmbH

From
Free
Rated
-

The short version

  • Only Icinga has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Auvik no pricing is published anywhere on the site; every number requires submitting a lead form and speaking to sales, which slows down basic vendor comparison; Icinga the free core has no vendor SLA, so production incidents are supported through community channels unless a paid support subscription is purchased
  • They diverge on capability: Auvik covers Automated network mapping, Icinga covers Forever Free core.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Auvik and Icinga actually diverge.

Attributes where Auvik and Icinga differ
AttributeAuvikIcinga
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelquote, per managed deviceOpen source core, with paid repository, module and support subscriptions sold separately
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWebLinux, Web

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Networking).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Auvik

  • Automated network mapping
  • Configuration backup
  • Multi-tenant MSP view
  • Traffic insight
  • Device-based billing with exclusions

Only in Icinga

  • Forever Free core
  • Clustering and HA
  • Icinga Web and API
  • Enterprise modules (paid)
  • Integration ecosystem

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Auvik

  • An MSP wanting a single SaaS platform to monitor and map multiple client networks with per-client segregationnot Icinga
  • An internal IT team wanting automatic, versioned configuration backup for switches and routers without managing that infrastructure themselvesnot Icinga
  • A network team wanting continuous, automatically updated network topology mapping rather than maintaining diagrams manuallynot Icinga
  • An organisation wanting traffic visibility by application without deploying a separate flow collectornot Icinga

Icinga

  • An IT team wanting unlimited-scale open source monitoring with no per-host licence fee, running standard Linux distributionsnot Auvik
  • An organisation on RHEL or SLES that wants officially packaged Icinga builds via the repository subscription rather than building from sourcenot Auvik
  • A team wanting an SLA-backed vendor support relationship rather than relying on community forums for a production monitoring systemnot Auvik
  • A company already invested in Prometheus and Grafana wanting to add host and service-level alerting from a compatible open source toolnot Auvik

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Auvik

  • No pricing is published anywhere on the site; every number requires submitting a lead form and speaking to sales, which slows down basic vendor comparison
  • Billing by managed device count means the total cost is not knowable in advance without first running an accurate device count against Auvik's specific inclusion and exclusion rules
  • As a SaaS-only product with no on-premises option, an organisation loses monitoring visibility if its own internet connection to Auvik's cloud goes down at the same time as the incident it needs to diagnose
  • MSP-focused multi-tenant packaging may include features an internal IT team monitoring only its own network does not need, while still pricing against that broader feature set
  • Configuration backup and restore depend on Auvik correctly supporting the specific hardware models on a given network; less common vendors may have thinner support
  • Volume discounts exist but are also not published, so an MSP scaling client count has no way to model margin impact before negotiating each contract renewal

Icinga

  • The free core has no vendor SLA, so production incidents are supported through community channels unless a paid support subscription is purchased
  • Repository access for enterprise Linux distributions like RHEL and SLES is not free, so organisations standardised on those distributions face a real recurring cost most open source monitoring buyers do not expect
  • Enterprise modules are gated behind a separate module subscription, so some functionality demonstrated in marketing material is not part of the free core
  • Self-hosting and operating Icinga requires real Linux and monitoring expertise that a commercial SaaS tool would otherwise absorb, so total cost of ownership includes staff time not captured in the licence price
  • Pricing for the paid subscriptions varies by geographic region and is not published as a single global rate card, complicating budgeting for multinational organisations
  • The web interface and configuration language, while capable, are less immediately polished than a fully commercial tool like PRTG, and initial setup takes longer to reach a usable state

Pricing, plan by plan

Auvik

On request
  • Auvik$undefined/month
    • Automated network mapping
    • Configuration backup
    • MSP multi-tenant packages available

Icinga

Free
  • IcingaFree
    • Unlimited hosts and services
    • Clustering and API
    • Community support
  • Support Subscription$undefined/year
    • Professional support (8x5 or 24/7)
    • Includes module and repository subscriptions

Which should you pick?

Choose Auvik if

  • You need automated network mapping.
  • You also want configuration backup.

Choose Icinga if

  • You need forever free core.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Web.
  • You also want clustering and ha.

Questions people ask

Is Auvik or Icinga better?
Neither clearly leads. Auvik starts at On request and Icinga at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Auvik or Icinga?
Icinga has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Auvik and Free for Icinga.
Does Auvik or Icinga run on more platforms?
Auvik runs on Web. Icinga runs on Linux, Web.
Can I use Icinga for free?
Yes. Icinga has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Auvik starts at On request.
What is Auvik best used for?
Auvik is most often used for an msp wanting a single saas platform to monitor and map multiple client networks with per-client segregation, an internal it team wanting automatic, versioned configuration backup for switches and routers without managing that infrastructure themselves, a network team wanting continuous, automatically updated network topology mapping rather than maintaining diagrams manually, an organisation wanting traffic visibility by application without deploying a separate flow collector. Of those, an msp wanting a single saas platform to monitor and map multiple client networks with per-client segregation and an internal it team wanting automatic, versioned configuration backup for switches and routers without managing that infrastructure themselves are not what Icinga is typically brought in for.
What can Auvik do that Icinga cannot?
Auvik covers Automated network mapping, Configuration backup, Multi-tenant MSP view, Traffic insight. Icinga covers Forever Free core, Clustering and HA, Icinga Web and API, Enterprise modules (paid).

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Auvik: Is Auvik priced per network or per device?

Per device, according to Auvik's own FAQ; some device categories like access points and printers are monitored at no additional charge.

Icinga: Is Icinga free to run in production?

Yes, the core platform has no licence fee and no limit on hosts or services monitored.

Auvik: Is there any published price?

No, all pricing is quote-only through a sales conversation.

Icinga: What do the paid subscriptions actually add?

A repository subscription provides packages for certain enterprise Linux distributions, a module subscription unlocks enterprise-only add-on modules, and a support subscription bundles both with professional support.

Auvik: Does Auvik require an on-premises server?

No, it is SaaS-delivered with a lightweight local collector rather than a full on-premises monitoring server.

Icinga: Is Icinga related to Nagios?

Yes, it originated as a fork of Nagios but has since diverged into an independently developed platform.

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