Softwr

Networking · head to head

MikroTik RouterOS vs PRTG Network Monitor

MikroTik RouterOS logo

MikroTik RouterOS

Networking

Router and network operating system with a one-time perpetual licence rather than a recurring subscription

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: MikroTik RouterOS the management interface and overall polish are less refined than enterprise competitors like Cisco or Juniper, and the learning curve for advanced configuration is real; 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: MikroTik RouterOS covers Full routing and firewall stack, 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 MikroTik RouterOS and PRTG Network Monitor actually diverge.

Attributes where MikroTik RouterOS and PRTG Network Monitor differ
AttributeMikroTik RouterOSPRTG Network Monitor
Pricing modelOne-time purchase, per licence levelPer sensor tier, billed monthly on an annual contract
PlatformsWebWindows, 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 MikroTik RouterOS

  • Full routing and firewall stack
  • Perpetual licensing
  • Cloud Hosted Router (CHR)
  • Winbox and CLI management
  • Wireless and VLAN support

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.

MikroTik RouterOS

  • A network engineer or small ISP wanting capable BGP and firewall routing hardware at a lower total cost than Cisco or Juniper equivalentsnot PRTG Network Monitor
  • An organisation that specifically wants to avoid ongoing recurring licence dependency for core routing hardwarenot PRTG Network Monitor
  • A team wanting to run RouterOS as a virtual router in the cloud (CHR) with its own separate perpetual licensing tiersnot PRTG Network Monitor
  • A hobbyist or small business self-managing network infrastructure without a vendor support contractnot 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 MikroTik RouterOS
  • An organisation that wants a Windows-installable on-premises monitoring server with a polished UI out of the boxnot MikroTik RouterOS
  • A team sizing a monitoring purchase that needs to calculate sensor density per device carefully before committing to a tiernot MikroTik RouterOS
  • A company wanting hybrid on-premises and cloud monitoring from the same licence and dashboardnot MikroTik RouterOS

Where each one falls short

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

MikroTik RouterOS

  • The management interface and overall polish are less refined than enterprise competitors like Cisco or Juniper, and the learning curve for advanced configuration is real
  • Formal vendor support is thinner than what an enterprise buyer gets from Cisco or Juniper; community forums and documentation are the primary self-support resource
  • Feature and licence-level naming (Level 3 through Level 6, and separately Free/P1/P10/P-Unlimited on CHR) is confusing enough that buyers commonly need to research which level a given deployment actually requires
  • Perpetual licensing on hardware, while avoiding a recurring fee, also means MikroTik has less ongoing incentive to keep pushing free feature updates to a specific licence level indefinitely, and major version jumps sometimes bring new requirements
  • Hardware build quality and long-term reliability at the low end of MikroTik's range is more variable than higher-priced enterprise-grade routing hardware
  • Security patch cadence and past history of vulnerabilities in RouterOS mean patching discipline matters more without vendor-managed cloud updates the way Meraki or Mist provide automatically

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

MikroTik RouterOS

On request
  • RouterOS (bundled with hardware)$undefined/one-time
    • Licence level included with the router purchase price
    • Perpetual, does not expire
  • Cloud Hosted Router (CHR)$undefined/one-time
    • Free tier available with throughput limits
    • P1, P10 and P-Unlimited perpetual licence levels
    • 60-day trial on paid levels

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 MikroTik RouterOS if

  • You need full routing and firewall stack.
  • You also want perpetual licensing.
MikroTik RouterOS 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 MikroTik RouterOS or PRTG Network Monitor better?
Neither clearly leads. MikroTik RouterOS 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, MikroTik RouterOS or PRTG Network Monitor?
MikroTik RouterOS starts at On request and PRTG Network Monitor at On request.
Does MikroTik RouterOS or PRTG Network Monitor run on more platforms?
MikroTik RouterOS runs on Web. PRTG Network Monitor runs on Windows, Web, iOS, Android.
What is MikroTik RouterOS best used for?
MikroTik RouterOS is most often used for a network engineer or small isp wanting capable bgp and firewall routing hardware at a lower total cost than cisco or juniper equivalents, an organisation that specifically wants to avoid ongoing recurring licence dependency for core routing hardware, a team wanting to run routeros as a virtual router in the cloud (chr) with its own separate perpetual licensing tiers, a hobbyist or small business self-managing network infrastructure without a vendor support contract. Of those, a network engineer or small isp wanting capable bgp and firewall routing hardware at a lower total cost than cisco or juniper equivalents and an organisation that specifically wants to avoid ongoing recurring licence dependency for core routing hardware are not what PRTG Network Monitor is typically brought in for.
What can MikroTik RouterOS do that PRTG Network Monitor cannot?
MikroTik RouterOS covers Full routing and firewall stack, Perpetual licensing, Cloud Hosted Router (CHR), Winbox and CLI management. PRTG Network Monitor covers Sensor-based monitoring, Auto-discovery, Multiple monitoring technologies, Maps and dashboards.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

MikroTik RouterOS: Does a MikroTik router stop working if I stop paying anything?

No, the RouterOS licence bundled with hardware is a one-time purchase and does not expire or require ongoing payment.

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.

MikroTik RouterOS: Is CHR licensed the same way as physical hardware?

It uses its own separate perpetual licence tiers (Free, P1, P10, P-Unlimited) rather than the Level 3-6 scheme used on physical hardware.

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.

MikroTik RouterOS: Can I upgrade a licence level later?

Yes, upgrading to a higher licence level is possible at the price difference between levels rather than buying a new licence outright.

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.

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