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Networking · head to head

Domotz vs Netdata

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
-
Netdata logo

Netdata

Networking

Per-second metrics collection with automatic dashboards and on-node anomaly detection

From
Free
Rated
-

The short version

  • Only Netdata 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; Netdata the dashboard interface is under a restrictive Netdata licence rather than GPL and is served from Netdata infrastructure by default, so the deployment is not fully self-contained without extra configuration.
  • They diverge on capability: Domotz covers Device discovery and monitoring, Netdata covers Per-second collection.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Domotz and Netdata actually diverge.

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

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 Netdata

  • Per-second collection
  • Zero-configuration discovery
  • Edge machine learning
  • Tiered database engine
  • Streaming and replication
  • Health alarms

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

Netdata

  • Diagnosing a short-lived performance incident where one-minute averages hide the spike entirelynot Domotz
  • Kubernetes clusters where per-series billing from a hosted vendor has become the largest observability costnot Domotz
  • Adding dense host visibility to an estate that already has Prometheus for application metricsnot Domotz
  • Small teams with no monitoring engineer who need working dashboards on the day of installationnot 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

Netdata

  • The dashboard interface is under a restrictive Netdata licence rather than GPL and is served from Netdata infrastructure by default, so the deployment is not fully self-contained without extra configuration.
  • Retention is limited by disk on each node unless you build and maintain a parent tier, which makes it a poor archive for year-over-year capacity planning.
  • Per-second collection consumes noticeable CPU and memory on small or heavily loaded nodes, and on constrained edge hardware the monitoring becomes part of the problem.
  • Default alerting is generous and fires on conditions many teams consider normal, so the first weeks involve pruning alarms rather than responding to them.
  • Fleet-level features that make it usable across hundreds of nodes sit in Netdata Cloud, so the free agent alone leaves you visiting individual node dashboards.

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

Netdata

Free
  • Netdata AgentFree
    • GPLv3 agent with unlimited nodes
    • Per-second metrics and edge anomaly detection
    • Local dashboards and alerting
  • Netdata Cloud paid tiers$undefined/month
    • Per-node subscription for fleet management features
    • Role based access control and longer alert history
    • Business and enterprise support options

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.

Choose Netdata if

  • You need per-second collection.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, macOS, FreeBSD, Docker, Kubernetes, Windows.
  • You also want zero-configuration discovery.

Questions people ask

Is Domotz or Netdata better?
Neither clearly leads. Domotz starts at On request and Netdata at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Domotz or Netdata?
Netdata has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Domotz and Free for Netdata.
Does Domotz or Netdata run on more platforms?
Domotz runs on Web, iOS, Android. Netdata runs on Linux, macOS, FreeBSD, Docker, Kubernetes, Windows.
Can I use Netdata for free?
Yes. Netdata 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 Netdata is typically brought in for.
What can Domotz do that Netdata cannot?
Domotz covers Device discovery and monitoring, Remote access without VPN, Two published pricing models, Automated alerting. Netdata covers Per-second collection, Zero-configuration discovery, Edge machine learning, Tiered database engine.

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.

Netdata: Is Netdata fully open source?

The agent is GPLv3. The current dashboard interface is under a separate restrictive licence, so the complete product is open core rather than open source.

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.

Netdata: Can it run without any connection to Netdata Cloud?

Yes, agents work standalone and dashboards can be served locally, but you lose fleet-wide views and need to configure local interface serving deliberately.

Domotz: Is there a free trial?

Yes, a 14-day free trial is offered.

Netdata: Does it replace Prometheus?

For host and container infrastructure metrics it often does. For custom application metrics with an existing exporter ecosystem and long retention, most teams keep both.

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