Softwr

Networking · head to head

Auvik vs Netdata

Auvik logo

Auvik

Networking

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

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Netdata logo

Netdata

Networking

Per-second metrics collection with automatic dashboards and on-node anomaly detection

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Netdata 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; Netdata the dashboard interface is under a restrictive Netdata licence rather than GPL and is served from Netdata infrastructure by default, so the deployment is not fully self-contained without extra configuration.
  • They diverge on capability: Auvik covers Automated network mapping, Netdata covers Per-second collection.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Auvik and Netdata actually diverge.

Attributes where Auvik and Netdata differ
AttributeAuvikNetdata
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelquote, per managed deviceOpen source, no licence fee
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWebLinux, macOS, FreeBSD, Docker, Kubernetes, Windows

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 Netdata

  • Per-second collection
  • Zero-configuration discovery
  • Edge machine learning
  • Tiered database engine
  • Streaming and replication
  • Health alarms

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 Netdata
  • An internal IT team wanting automatic, versioned configuration backup for switches and routers without managing that infrastructure themselvesnot Netdata
  • A network team wanting continuous, automatically updated network topology mapping rather than maintaining diagrams manuallynot Netdata
  • An organisation wanting traffic visibility by application without deploying a separate flow collectornot Netdata

Netdata

  • Diagnosing a short-lived performance incident where one-minute averages hide the spike entirelynot Auvik
  • Kubernetes clusters where per-series billing from a hosted vendor has become the largest observability costnot Auvik
  • Adding dense host visibility to an estate that already has Prometheus for application metricsnot Auvik
  • Small teams with no monitoring engineer who need working dashboards on the day of installationnot 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

Netdata

  • The dashboard interface is under a restrictive Netdata licence rather than GPL and is served from Netdata infrastructure by default, so the deployment is not fully self-contained without extra configuration.
  • Retention is limited by disk on each node unless you build and maintain a parent tier, which makes it a poor archive for year-over-year capacity planning.
  • Per-second collection consumes noticeable CPU and memory on small or heavily loaded nodes, and on constrained edge hardware the monitoring becomes part of the problem.
  • Default alerting is generous and fires on conditions many teams consider normal, so the first weeks involve pruning alarms rather than responding to them.
  • Fleet-level features that make it usable across hundreds of nodes sit in Netdata Cloud, so the free agent alone leaves you visiting individual node dashboards.

Pricing, plan by plan

Auvik

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

Netdata

Free
  • Netdata AgentFree
    • GPLv3 agent with unlimited nodes
    • Per-second metrics and edge anomaly detection
    • Local dashboards and alerting
  • Netdata Cloud paid tiers$undefined/month
    • Per-node subscription for fleet management features
    • Role based access control and longer alert history
    • Business and enterprise support options

Which should you pick?

Choose Auvik if

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

Choose Netdata if

  • You need per-second collection.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, macOS, FreeBSD, Docker, Kubernetes, Windows.
  • You also want zero-configuration discovery.
Netdata review

Questions people ask

Is Auvik or Netdata better?
Neither clearly leads. Auvik starts at On request and Netdata at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Auvik or Netdata?
Netdata has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Auvik and Free for Netdata.
Does Auvik or Netdata run on more platforms?
Auvik runs on Web. Netdata runs on Linux, macOS, FreeBSD, Docker, Kubernetes, Windows.
Can I use Netdata for free?
Yes. Netdata 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 Netdata is typically brought in for.
What can Auvik do that Netdata cannot?
Auvik covers Automated network mapping, Configuration backup, Multi-tenant MSP view, Traffic insight. Netdata covers Per-second collection, Zero-configuration discovery, Edge machine learning, Tiered database engine.

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.

Netdata: Is Netdata fully open source?

The agent is GPLv3. The current dashboard interface is under a separate restrictive licence, so the complete product is open core rather than open source.

Auvik: Is there any published price?

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

Netdata: Can it run without any connection to Netdata Cloud?

Yes, agents work standalone and dashboards can be served locally, but you lose fleet-wide views and need to configure local interface serving deliberately.

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.

Netdata: Does it replace Prometheus?

For host and container infrastructure metrics it often does. For custom application metrics with an existing exporter ecosystem and long retention, most teams keep both.

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