Softwr

Networking · head to head

Icinga vs Tasmota

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
-
Full reviewWebsite
Tasmota logo

Tasmota

Smart Home

Open-source firmware for ESP8266/ESP32 based devices

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Icinga the free core has no vendor SLA, so production incidents are supported through community channels unless a paid support subscription is purchased; Tasmota tasmota only runs on Espressif ESP8266, ESP8285, ESP32, ESP32-S and ESP32-C3 chipsets, so devices built on other silicon cannot use it
  • They diverge on capability: Icinga covers Forever Free core, Tasmota covers Local Control.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Icinga and Tasmota actually diverge.

Attributes where Icinga and Tasmota differ
AttributeIcingaTasmota
Pricing modelOpen source core, with paid repository, module and support subscriptions sold separatelyopen-source
PlatformsLinux, WebESP8266, ESP32, Compatible devices
CategoryNetworkingSmart Home
FoundedUnknown2017

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

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 Icinga

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

Only in Tasmota

  • Local Control
  • MQTT Support
  • Web Interface
  • OTA Updates
  • Home Assistant
  • Domoticz
  • OpenHAB
  • Node-RED

What people use each for

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

Icinga

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

Tasmota

  • Replacing vendor cloud firmware on ESP based smart plugs and switchesnot Icinga
  • Controlling smart home devices locally over MQTT or HTTPnot Icinga
  • Integrating off the shelf Wi-Fi devices with Home Assistant without a cloud accountnot Icinga

Where each one falls short

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

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

Tasmota

  • Tasmota only runs on Espressif ESP8266, ESP8285, ESP32, ESP32-S and ESP32-C3 chipsets, so devices built on other silicon cannot use it
  • Initial installation requires opening the device, bridging GPIO0 to ground during boot and using a 3.3V serial programmer; a 5V programmer damages the chip
  • The ESP chip needs at least 150mA at 3.3V, so an underpowered supply causes flashing and stability failures
  • The Wi-Fi setup access point stays active for only 3 minutes, after which the device must be power cycled to try again
  • The Power Cycle Recovery feature can reset a device to firmware defaults where mains power fluctuates, and the docs advise disabling it in that case

Pricing, plan by plan

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

Tasmota

Free
  • CommunityFree
    • Full firmware
    • MQTT
    • Web UI

Which should you pick?

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.
Icinga review

Choose Tasmota if

  • You need local control.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on ESP8266, ESP32, Compatible devices.
  • You also want mqtt support.
Tasmota review

Questions people ask

Is Icinga or Tasmota better?
Neither clearly leads. Icinga starts at Free and Tasmota at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Icinga or Tasmota?
Icinga starts at Free and Tasmota at Free.
Does Icinga or Tasmota run on more platforms?
Icinga runs on Linux, Web. Tasmota runs on ESP8266, ESP32, Compatible devices.
Can I use Icinga for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Icinga best used for?
Icinga is most often used for an it team wanting unlimited-scale open source monitoring with no per-host licence fee, running standard linux distributions, an organisation on rhel or sles that wants officially packaged icinga builds via the repository subscription rather than building from source, a team wanting an sla-backed vendor support relationship rather than relying on community forums for a production monitoring system, a company already invested in prometheus and grafana wanting to add host and service-level alerting from a compatible open source tool. Of those, an it team wanting unlimited-scale open source monitoring with no per-host licence fee, running standard linux distributions and an organisation on rhel or sles that wants officially packaged icinga builds via the repository subscription rather than building from source are not what Tasmota is typically brought in for.
What can Icinga do that Tasmota cannot?
Icinga covers Forever Free core, Clustering and HA, Icinga Web and API, Enterprise modules (paid). Tasmota covers Local Control, MQTT Support, Web Interface, OTA Updates.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Icinga: Is Icinga free to run in production?

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

Tasmota: What is the cost of Tasmota?

Tasmota is completely free as open-source firmware for ESP devices. Source code is available on GitHub, and the project accepts donations for continued development.

Source
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.

Tasmota: Can Tasmota be modified and redistributed?

Yes, Tasmota is open-source software allowing users to access, compile, modify, and redistribute builds according to the project LICENSE.

Source
Icinga: Is Icinga related to Nagios?

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

Share

Related pages

More on Icinga

More on Tasmota

Keep looking

Other head to heads