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Networking · head to head

ThousandEyes vs ZeroTier

ThousandEyes logo

ThousandEyes

Networking

Internet and network path monitoring, owned by Cisco but still sold as a standalone product on its own annual contracts

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
ZeroTier logo

ZeroTier

Networking

Software-defined mesh networking, free up to 10 devices and one network, then billed per device

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only ZeroTier has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: ThousandEyes cisco does not publish a current definitive rate card, so any price a buyer finds online is likely outdated and should be confirmed directly with sales before budgeting; ZeroTier the free tier caps at 10 devices and 1 network, which a small business will outgrow quickly and then face both a base plan fee and per-device overage charges
  • They diverge on capability: ThousandEyes covers Path visualisation, ZeroTier covers Peer-to-peer mesh networking.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which ThousandEyes and ZeroTier actually diverge.

Attributes where ThousandEyes and ZeroTier differ
AttributeThousandEyesZeroTier
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelquote, unit-based consumption on annual or prepaid contractsFree up to 10 devices and 1 network, then per additional device per month
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, APIWindows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android

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 ThousandEyes

  • Path visualisation
  • Cloud, enterprise and endpoint agents
  • Internet Insights
  • Cisco ecosystem integration
  • Unit-based consumption billing

Only in ZeroTier

  • Peer-to-peer mesh networking
  • Free personal tier
  • Per-device overage pricing
  • Multiple networks
  • Cross-platform clients

What people use each for

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

ThousandEyes

  • A network operations team at a large enterprise needing to diagnose whether a performance problem sits inside their network, with an ISP, or at the destinationnot ZeroTier
  • An organisation already standardised on Cisco networking wanting internet path monitoring that integrates with existing Cisco toolingnot ZeroTier
  • A company needing endpoint agent testing from real employee devices to reproduce user-reported performance issuesnot ZeroTier
  • An SRE team wanting aggregated internet outage and BGP visibility across a wide customer base rather than building that dataset themselvesnot ZeroTier

ZeroTier

  • A hobbyist or small home lab wanting free virtual LAN connectivity across devices without a business tiernot ThousandEyes
  • A small business connecting a handful of remote offices or remote workers into one virtual network on the Essential plannot ThousandEyes
  • A growing company scaling past the free device limit that needs multiple networks and predictable per-device overage pricingnot ThousandEyes
  • A service provider or large IoT deployer needing custom Enterprise or Quantum packaging for very large device countsnot ThousandEyes

Where each one falls short

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

ThousandEyes

  • Cisco does not publish a current definitive rate card, so any price a buyer finds online is likely outdated and should be confirmed directly with sales before budgeting
  • A 12-month minimum contract removes the option to trial the platform under real production load on a shorter commitment
  • Unit-based consumption billing across different test types is not always intuitive to forecast, and usage can grow unpredictably as more tests and agents are added
  • Since the Cisco acquisition, purchasing now runs through Cisco's broader enterprise sales and licensing process, which can be slower and less transparent than dealing with a smaller standalone vendor
  • Deep Cisco ecosystem integration is a real advantage only for organisations already standardised on Cisco; it offers less differentiated value for a non-Cisco shop
  • Endpoint agent pricing tiers (Essentials versus Advantage) gate meaningfully different capability, and choosing the wrong tier at signup can mean a contract renegotiation to get needed features

ZeroTier

  • The free tier caps at 10 devices and 1 network, which a small business will outgrow quickly and then face both a base plan fee and per-device overage charges
  • Per-additional-device pricing on Essential ($2.00 each) is proportionally expensive for a team that grows just past the included count, since the jump from free to paid is immediate once the 11th device joins
  • Relay fallback, when a direct peer-to-peer path cannot be established (common behind certain NAT or firewall configurations), routes traffic through ZeroTier's infrastructure, adding latency and a dependency the buyer does not fully control
  • Enterprise and Quantum tiers are entirely custom-quoted, so very large deployments cannot be budgeted from the public pricing page
  • Network administration for larger deployments (Scale and above) still requires understanding ZeroTier's access control and network rule model, which has a real learning curve beyond simple device joining
  • As with any software-defined mesh network, security depends on correctly configured network authorization; a misconfigured network can expose devices more broadly than intended

Pricing, plan by plan

ThousandEyes

On request
  • ThousandEyes$undefined/year
    • Cloud and enterprise agent testing
    • Endpoint agents
    • Internet Insights

ZeroTier

Free
  • PersonalFree
    • 10 devices included
    • 1 network
  • Essential$18/month
    • 10 devices included
    • 10 networks
    • $2.00 per additional device/month
  • Scale$179/month
    • 100 devices included
    • Unlimited networks
    • $1.80 per additional device/month

Which should you pick?

Choose ThousandEyes if

  • You need path visualisation.
  • You work on Web, API.
  • You also want cloud, enterprise and endpoint agents.
ThousandEyes review

Choose ZeroTier if

  • You need peer-to-peer mesh networking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android.
  • You also want free personal tier.
ZeroTier review

Questions people ask

Is ThousandEyes or ZeroTier better?
Neither clearly leads. ThousandEyes starts at On request and ZeroTier at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, ThousandEyes or ZeroTier?
ZeroTier has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for ThousandEyes and Free for ZeroTier.
Does ThousandEyes or ZeroTier run on more platforms?
ThousandEyes runs on Web, API. ZeroTier runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android.
Can I use ZeroTier for free?
Yes. ZeroTier has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. ThousandEyes starts at On request.
What is ThousandEyes best used for?
ThousandEyes is most often used for a network operations team at a large enterprise needing to diagnose whether a performance problem sits inside their network, with an isp, or at the destination, an organisation already standardised on cisco networking wanting internet path monitoring that integrates with existing cisco tooling, a company needing endpoint agent testing from real employee devices to reproduce user-reported performance issues, an sre team wanting aggregated internet outage and bgp visibility across a wide customer base rather than building that dataset themselves. Of those, a network operations team at a large enterprise needing to diagnose whether a performance problem sits inside their network, with an isp, or at the destination and an organisation already standardised on cisco networking wanting internet path monitoring that integrates with existing cisco tooling are not what ZeroTier is typically brought in for.
What can ThousandEyes do that ZeroTier cannot?
ThousandEyes covers Path visualisation, Cloud, enterprise and endpoint agents, Internet Insights, Cisco ecosystem integration. ZeroTier covers Peer-to-peer mesh networking, Free personal tier, Per-device overage pricing, Multiple networks.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

ThousandEyes: Is ThousandEyes still sold as a standalone product after the Cisco acquisition?

Yes, it remains a distinct, purchasable product line rather than being merged into another Cisco offering.

ZeroTier: Is ZeroTier free for personal use?

Yes, the Personal plan is free for up to 10 devices and 1 network.

ThousandEyes: Is there a published, current price list?

No, Cisco does not publish a definitive current rate card; historical unit prices exist online but should not be treated as confirmed 2026 pricing.

ZeroTier: How does overage pricing work?

Beyond a plan's included device count, additional devices are billed individually per month, at $2.00 each on Essential and $1.80 each on Scale.

ThousandEyes: What is the minimum contract length?

12 months.

ZeroTier: Is there a nonprofit or education discount?

Yes, registered charities and educational organisations receive up to 50% off.

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