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Networking · head to head

Domotz vs Zabbix

Domotz logo

Domotz

Networking

Network monitoring for MSPs and IT teams priced per managed device or per collector, with published rates

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Zabbix logo

Zabbix

Networking

Open source infrastructure and network monitoring with distributed proxies and templating

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Zabbix has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Domotz the Managed Device Plan bills in bundles of ten, so a network with, for example, eleven devices to manage pays for twenty rather than a precise count; Zabbix the database is the scaling limit, and high frequency polling grows history tables fast enough that untuned installations hit housekeeping stalls and query timeouts within months.
  • They diverge on capability: Domotz covers Device discovery and monitoring, Zabbix covers Agent and agentless collection.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Domotz and Zabbix actually diverge.

Attributes where Domotz and Zabbix differ
AttributeDomotzZabbix
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelPer collector or per managed device per monthOpen source, no licence fee
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidLinux, Docker, Kubernetes, 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 Domotz

  • Device discovery and monitoring
  • Remote access without VPN
  • Two published pricing models
  • Automated alerting
  • MSP client segregation

Only in Zabbix

  • Agent and agentless collection
  • Templates
  • Low-level discovery
  • Distributed proxies
  • Trigger expressions
  • Escalation actions

What people use each for

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

Domotz

  • An MSP with high device density per client site wanting predictable flat pricing per collector rather than counting individual devicesnot Zabbix
  • An IT integrator managing many small sites with few devices each, better served by per-device pricing than a flat collector feenot Zabbix
  • A field services or retail IT team needing remote access to branch equipment without configuring VPN tunnels to each sitenot Zabbix
  • A team wanting a directly comparable public price against Auvik before starting a sales conversation with either vendornot Zabbix

Zabbix

  • A service provider monitoring thousands of customer devices where per-device commercial licensing is the largest line itemnot Domotz
  • Branch or industrial sites with unreliable links that need local collection and bufferingnot Domotz
  • Mixed estates where the same tool must poll SNMP switches, Linux hosts, Windows servers and Java applicationsnot Domotz
  • Replacing an aging Nagios installation while keeping script-based checks that already existnot Domotz

Where each one falls short

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

Domotz

  • The Managed Device Plan bills in bundles of ten, so a network with, for example, eleven devices to manage pays for twenty rather than a precise count
  • The Collector Plan gives full access per collector regardless of device count monitored by that collector, which can be inefficient for a site with very few devices relative to the flat $35 fee
  • As a SaaS platform, ongoing monitoring depends on the local Collector maintaining connectivity to Domotz's cloud, so a site-level outage that also cuts collector connectivity limits remote visibility exactly when it is needed
  • Feature depth for large enterprise NOC-style operations is narrower than platforms built for that scale, since Domotz's roadmap centres on MSP and integrator use cases
  • Remote access without VPN configuration is convenient but depends on Domotz's own relay infrastructure remaining available and trusted, which is a different security posture than a customer-controlled VPN
  • Volume and annual discounts exist but the specific discount schedule is not fully published, so very large deployments still benefit from negotiating directly rather than relying on the list price

Zabbix

  • The database is the scaling limit, and high frequency polling grows history tables fast enough that untuned installations hit housekeeping stalls and query timeouts within months.
  • Initial configuration is heavy; getting useful alerting rather than noise requires understanding trigger expressions, macros and template inheritance, which is a multi-week learning curve for a team new to it.
  • The AGPLv3 change at version 7.0 affects anyone offering Zabbix over a network as part of a commercial service, and that obligation is easy to inherit accidentally during an upgrade.
  • The web interface is functional rather than pleasant, and many sites end up running Grafana alongside it purely for presentation, which is a second system to maintain.
  • Upgrades between major versions touch the database schema and can take hours on large history tables, so the maintenance window is proportional to how much data you kept.

Pricing, plan by plan

Domotz

On request
  • Collector Plan$35/month
    • Full platform access on every device that collector monitors
  • Managed Device Plan$1.5/month
    • Billed in bundles of 10 devices
    • All non-managed devices on the network discovered at no extra cost

Zabbix

Free
  • ZabbixFree
    • No device, node or metric limits
    • Full feature set with no paid edition of the software
    • AGPLv3 from version 7.0 onward
  • Zabbix Technical Support$undefined/year
    • Tiered subscriptions with defined response times
    • Access to Zabbix engineers for configuration and performance issues
    • Bug fix priority and backports

Which should you pick?

Choose Domotz if

  • You need device discovery and monitoring.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want remote access without vpn.
Domotz review

Choose Zabbix if

  • You need agent and agentless collection.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes, Web.
  • You also want templates.
Zabbix review

Questions people ask

Is Domotz or Zabbix better?
Neither clearly leads. Domotz starts at On request and Zabbix at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Domotz or Zabbix?
Zabbix has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Domotz and Free for Zabbix.
Does Domotz or Zabbix run on more platforms?
Domotz runs on Web, iOS, Android. Zabbix runs on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes, Web.
Can I use Zabbix for free?
Yes. Zabbix has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Domotz starts at On request.
What is Domotz best used for?
Domotz is most often used for an msp with high device density per client site wanting predictable flat pricing per collector rather than counting individual devices, an it integrator managing many small sites with few devices each, better served by per-device pricing than a flat collector fee, a field services or retail it team needing remote access to branch equipment without configuring vpn tunnels to each site, a team wanting a directly comparable public price against auvik before starting a sales conversation with either vendor. Of those, an msp with high device density per client site wanting predictable flat pricing per collector rather than counting individual devices and an it integrator managing many small sites with few devices each, better served by per-device pricing than a flat collector fee are not what Zabbix is typically brought in for.
What can Domotz do that Zabbix cannot?
Domotz covers Device discovery and monitoring, Remote access without VPN, Two published pricing models, Automated alerting. Zabbix covers Agent and agentless collection, Templates, Low-level discovery, Distributed proxies.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Domotz: Is pricing based on networks, sites or devices?

Devices. Domotz states explicitly there are no per-site, per-network or per-user charges.

Zabbix: Is Zabbix genuinely free for commercial use?

The software has no licence fee at any scale. From version 7.0 it is AGPLv3, so offering it as a network service to third parties carries source distribution obligations.

Domotz: What is the difference between the two plans?

The Collector Plan is a flat $35/month per collector with full access to everything that collector monitors; the Managed Device Plan is $1.50/month per device, billed in bundles of ten.

Zabbix: What is the real cost of running it?

Database administration and the person who tunes it. Budget for PostgreSQL with TimescaleDB and someone who owns the retention policy.

Domotz: Is there a free trial?

Yes, a 14-day free trial is offered.

Zabbix: How does it compare to a commercial per-device tool?

It removes the licence line entirely and adds an operations line. Below a few hundred devices the commercial tool is often cheaper in total; above that Zabbix wins clearly.

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