Softwr

Networking · head to head

Kentik vs PRTG Network Monitor

Kentik logo

Kentik

Networking

Network observability platform built on flow and traffic data, sold on annual-only contracts starting around $24,000/year

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
PRTG Network Monitor logo

PRTG Network Monitor

Networking

Infrastructure monitoring licensed by sensor count, not by device, which changes what a licence actually covers

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Kentik contracts are annual only, so there is no monthly option for a team wanting to trial the platform under real production load before committing to a year of spend; PRTG Network Monitor licensing by sensor rather than device means the real cost per device is unpredictable until sensor density is measured; a small network of complex devices can need a much larger tier than device count alone suggests
  • They diverge on capability: Kentik covers Flow-based traffic analysis, PRTG Network Monitor covers Sensor-based monitoring.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Kentik and PRTG Network Monitor actually diverge.

Attributes where Kentik and PRTG Network Monitor differ
AttributeKentikPRTG Network Monitor
Pricing modelAnnual contract only, per tierPer sensor tier, billed monthly on an annual contract
PlatformsWeb, APIWindows, Web, iOS, Android

Identical on both: starting price (On request), free tier (No), 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 Kentik

  • Flow-based traffic analysis
  • Synthetic testing
  • Cloud network monitoring
  • DDoS detection
  • API-driven querying

Only in PRTG Network Monitor

  • Sensor-based monitoring
  • Auto-discovery
  • Multiple monitoring technologies
  • Maps and dashboards
  • Cloud and hybrid deployment

What people use each for

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

Kentik

  • A network engineering team at an ISP or large enterprise needing flow-level traffic visibility beyond basic uptime monitoringnot PRTG Network Monitor
  • A cloud-heavy organisation wanting visibility into cloud provider network cost and performance across multiple providersnot PRTG Network Monitor
  • A security or network operations team wanting DDoS detection layered on top of standard traffic monitoringnot PRTG Network Monitor
  • A team needing synthetic testing alongside passive flow analysis in one platform rather than two separate toolsnot PRTG Network Monitor

PRTG Network Monitor

  • An IT team wanting network, server and application monitoring in one product rather than assembling separate open source toolsnot Kentik
  • An organisation that wants a Windows-installable on-premises monitoring server with a polished UI out of the boxnot Kentik
  • A team sizing a monitoring purchase that needs to calculate sensor density per device carefully before committing to a tiernot Kentik
  • A company wanting hybrid on-premises and cloud monitoring from the same licence and dashboardnot Kentik

Where each one falls short

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

Kentik

  • Contracts are annual only, so there is no monthly option for a team wanting to trial the platform under real production load before committing to a year of spend
  • The Pro tier's $24,000/year starting price is a serious commitment relative to general infrastructure monitoring tools, and it is aimed specifically at flow-level traffic visibility rather than general host monitoring
  • Add-on modules for advanced DDoS protection, service provider analytics and the Firehose pipeline are priced separately, so real deployment cost frequently exceeds the Pro sticker price
  • Premier tier pricing is entirely quote-based, so organisations needing more than Pro's limits (50 users, 1,000 FPS, 120-day retention) cannot get a number without a sales conversation
  • It is a specialised flow and traffic analytics tool, not a general infrastructure monitoring platform, so most buyers will still need a separate tool like PRTG or Icinga for host and service uptime checks
  • Data retention is capped at 120 days for traffic and 45 days for forensic data even on Pro, which may be short for organisations with longer compliance or investigation requirements

PRTG Network Monitor

  • Licensing by sensor rather than device means the real cost per device is unpredictable until sensor density is measured; a small network of complex devices can need a much larger tier than device count alone suggests
  • Different PRTG licence sizes cannot be combined on one server, so outgrowing a tier means a step change to the next tier rather than a smooth incremental add
  • It requires a Windows server for on-premises deployment, which is an added infrastructure and patching burden compared with a Linux-native open source alternative
  • Pricing is materially higher than open source options like Icinga or LibreNMS for comparable core monitoring capability, and the premium is for polish and support rather than unique functionality
  • The free tier (100 sensors) is limited enough that most real deployments quickly need a paid tier, so it functions more as a trial than a genuinely usable free offering
  • Custom sensor scripting and advanced configuration still require real monitoring expertise; the polished UI does not remove the underlying complexity of correctly instrumenting a large network

Pricing, plan by plan

Kentik

On request
  • Pro$24000/year
    • 50 users
    • 1,000 flows per second baseline
    • 2.5M synthetics credits
  • Premier$undefined/year
    • 1,000 users
    • 5M synthetics credits
    • Custom dimensions and scheduled reporting

PRTG Network Monitor

On request
  • PRTG 500$200/month
    • Up to 500 sensors
  • PRTG 1000$358/month
    • Up to 1,000 sensors
  • PRTG 2500$742/month
    • Up to 2,500 sensors
  • PRTG 5000$1300/month
    • Up to 5,000 sensors

Which should you pick?

Choose Kentik if

  • You need flow-based traffic analysis.
  • You work on Web, API.
  • You also want synthetic testing.
Kentik review

Choose PRTG Network Monitor if

  • You need sensor-based monitoring.
  • You work on Windows, Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want auto-discovery.
PRTG Network Monitor review

Questions people ask

Is Kentik or PRTG Network Monitor better?
Neither clearly leads. Kentik starts at On request and PRTG Network Monitor at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Kentik or PRTG Network Monitor?
Kentik starts at On request and PRTG Network Monitor at On request.
Does Kentik or PRTG Network Monitor run on more platforms?
Kentik runs on Web, API. PRTG Network Monitor runs on Windows, Web, iOS, Android.
What is Kentik best used for?
Kentik is most often used for a network engineering team at an isp or large enterprise needing flow-level traffic visibility beyond basic uptime monitoring, a cloud-heavy organisation wanting visibility into cloud provider network cost and performance across multiple providers, a security or network operations team wanting ddos detection layered on top of standard traffic monitoring, a team needing synthetic testing alongside passive flow analysis in one platform rather than two separate tools. Of those, a network engineering team at an isp or large enterprise needing flow-level traffic visibility beyond basic uptime monitoring and a cloud-heavy organisation wanting visibility into cloud provider network cost and performance across multiple providers are not what PRTG Network Monitor is typically brought in for.
What can Kentik do that PRTG Network Monitor cannot?
Kentik covers Flow-based traffic analysis, Synthetic testing, Cloud network monitoring, DDoS detection. PRTG Network Monitor covers Sensor-based monitoring, Auto-discovery, Multiple monitoring technologies, Maps and dashboards.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Kentik: Is there a monthly billing option?

No, Kentik states contracts are annual only.

PRTG Network Monitor: Is PRTG licensed per device or per sensor?

Per sensor. Each individually monitored metric counts as one sensor, so a single device is typically several sensors.

Kentik: What is the entry price?

Pro starts at $2,000/month billed as $24,000/year for 50 users and baseline flow and synthetics quotas.

PRTG Network Monitor: Can I combine two PRTG licence tiers on one server?

No, Paessler states different license sizes cannot be combined on one PRTG installation.

Kentik: Does Kentik replace general infrastructure monitoring tools like PRTG?

No, it is focused on flow-based traffic and network observability rather than general host and service uptime monitoring.

PRTG Network Monitor: Is there a free tier?

Yes, PRTG offers a free tier limited to 100 sensors, which most production networks will exceed quickly.

Share

Related pages

More on Kentik

More on PRTG Network Monitor

Keep looking

Other head to heads