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Nagios XI vs Stackdriver

Nagios XI logo

Nagios XI

Logging

Enterprise-grade monitoring solution with advanced visualization and reporting

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Visit Nagios XIFull review
Stackdriver logo

Stackdriver

Logging

Google Cloud Operations - Monitoring and Logging

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Visit StackdriverFull review

The short version

  • Stackdriver is free; Nagios XI starts at $2595/mo.
  • Where Nagios XI falls short: free Edition caps at 7 nodes or 100 services, whichever limit is hit first.
  • Where Stackdriver falls short: Stackdriver is now branded Google Cloud Observability and cloud.google.com/stackdriver redirects to the Observability product page.
  • Prices and features on this page were last checked on 13 November 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Nagios XI and Stackdriver actually diverge.

Attributes where Nagios XI and Stackdriver differ
AttributeNagios XIStackdriver
Pricing modelOne-timeUsage-based
PlatformsWebWeb, API

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), category (Logging).

Not yet recorded: founded for Nagios XI.

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 Nagios XI

Nothing recorded that Stackdriver does not also cover.

Only in Stackdriver

  • Log management
  • Metrics collection
  • Real-time monitoring
  • Error reporting
  • API
  • Webhooks
  • REST
  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Nagios XI

  • Monitoring servers, networks, and IoT devices for status changesnot Stackdriver
  • Detecting infrastructure problems before they cause outagesnot Stackdriver
  • Creating customizable dashboards for real-time IT visibilitynot Stackdriver
  • Tracking SLA compliance and generating capacity planning reportsnot Stackdriver

Stackdriver

  • Application performance monitoringnot Nagios XI
  • Log aggregation and analysisnot Nagios XI
  • Cloud infrastructure observabilitynot Nagios XI
  • Distributed trace analysisnot Nagios XI

Where each one falls short

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

Nagios XI

  • Free Edition caps at 7 nodes or 100 services, whichever limit is hit first
  • Standard Edition is licensed per node count, starting at $2,595 for 100 nodes and rising to $14,995 for 1,000 nodes
  • Enterprise Edition, which adds capacity planning and SLA reporting, is sold as an add-on starting at $4,690 for 100 nodes on top of the base license
  • Sitewide Edition for large distributed environments has no published price and requires contacting sales

Stackdriver

  • Stackdriver is now branded Google Cloud Observability and cloud.google.com/stackdriver redirects to the Observability product page
  • Cloud Logging charges $0.50 per GiB ingested, with only the first 50 GiB per project per month free
  • Logs kept beyond 30 days cost an extra $0.01 per GiB per month on top of the ingestion charge
  • Monitoring metric ingestion starts at $0.2580 per MiB, with only the first 150 MiB per billing account free
  • Alerting policies are billed at $0.35 per month for each metric reference in the policy
  • Uptime checks cost $0.30 per 1,000 executions and synthetic monitors $1.20 per 1,000 executions, with only 100 synthetic executions per billing account free
  • Monitoring read API calls cost $0.50 per million time series returned beyond the first million per billing account
  • Log volume is measured before indexing on the actual size of log entries, so verbose logging directly drives cost

Pricing, plan by plan

Nagios XI

Free
  • Free EditionFree
    • 7 nodes OR 100 services limit
    • Self-supported only
  • Standard 100-Node$2,595 one-off
    • 100 nodes
    • First year includes support and upgrades
  • Standard 500-Node$8,295 one-off
    • 500 nodes
    • First year includes support and upgrades
  • Standard 1000-Node$14,995 one-off
    • 1,000 nodes
    • First year includes support and upgrades

Stackdriver

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Log management
    • Metrics collection
    • Real-time monitoring

Which should you pick?

Choose Nagios XI if

  • You want to start without paying.
Nagios XI review

Choose Stackdriver if

  • You need log management.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, API.
  • You also want metrics collection.
Stackdriver review

Questions people ask

Is Nagios XI or Stackdriver better?
Neither clearly leads. Nagios XI starts at Free and Stackdriver at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Nagios XI or Stackdriver?
Nagios XI starts at Free and Stackdriver at Free.
Does Nagios XI or Stackdriver run on more platforms?
Nagios XI runs on Web. Stackdriver runs on Web, API.
Can I use Nagios XI for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Nagios XI best used for?
Nagios XI is most often used for monitoring servers, networks, and iot devices for status changes, detecting infrastructure problems before they cause outages, creating customizable dashboards for real-time it visibility, tracking sla compliance and generating capacity planning reports. Of those, monitoring servers, networks, and iot devices for status changes and detecting infrastructure problems before they cause outages are not what Stackdriver is typically brought in for.
What can Nagios XI do that Stackdriver cannot?
Stackdriver covers Log management, Metrics collection, Real-time monitoring, Error reporting.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Nagios XI: What is Nagios XI's pricing model?

Nagios XI uses perpetual licensing with one-time purchase costs based on node count, ranging from $2,595 for 100 nodes to $14,995 for 1,000 nodes.

Source
Stackdriver: How much does Google Cloud Observability (Stackdriver) cost?

Google Cloud Observability does not publish fixed subscription prices. The service uses a usage-based pricing model where you pay for actual consumption. Specific rates require visiting the individual pricing pages for Cloud Logging, Cloud Monitoring, Cloud Trace, and Cloud Profiler.

Source
Nagios XI: Is there a free version of Nagios XI?

Yes, Nagios XI Free Edition is available at no cost with a limit of 7 nodes or 100 services, whichever is reached first.

Source
Stackdriver: What is the pricing model for Cloud Logging?

Cloud Logging uses usage-based pricing charged per GB of logs ingested and per GB stored, with monthly free tiers included. Storage charges vary by retention period and location.

Source
Nagios XI: What is included with Nagios XI licensing?

Initial licenses include one year of free version upgrades, up to 10 support cases, and support portal access. Each license permits three installations: production, backup/failover, and testing/development.

Source
Stackdriver: How is Cloud Monitoring billed?

Cloud Monitoring charges per custom metric time series per month, with a monthly free tier for metrics. Standard monitoring includes basic default metrics at no extra charge.

Source
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