8 Best Server Monitoring Software [Free & Paid]
Monitor your server performance and health with the best tools
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Key notes
- If you own a server, it’s crucial that it works at peak performance thanks to the best server monitoring software.
- The most important feature of such a tool is the easy implementation across your network architecture.
- Also, make sure that it includes all the metrics and anomaly detection applications you need.
If you own a server, it’s imperative that you keep a close eye on it for any potential issues. There are several ways to do that, but the best one is by using server monitoring software.
When it comes to server monitoring tools, there are many great applications, and in this article, we’re going to show you the best applications that let you keep an eye on your server at all times.
What should you look for in a server monitoring software?
Whether you want to monitor SQL, mail, or web servers, you need the best tool to get the most needed information and take action quickly.
Let’s go through a few of the most important ones you should consider:
➡ Easy implementation
The most important aspect of a server monitoring tool is to be able to implement it easily on any server, no matter its role or platform.
This is usually performed through plugins so make sure you have everything you need when committing to such software, including implementation assistance.
➡ Features and metrics
When you monitor one or more servers, it’s important to detect any traffic spikes quickly so you can act fast and resolve the situation.
Make sure that the software you choose monitors all the metrics you need. For instance, Site24x7 comes with an Anomaly Dashboard that will alert you immediately when it detects unusual behavior.
➡ Free or paid
There are some open-source server monitoring software out there and if you have a skilled IT management team, they will get the best out of it.
However, some of the software below have very accessible plans and if you want to guarantee a certain quality of service, you should go for a paid solution.
Mostly because obviously, free server monitoring software doesn’t ensure ideal performance metrics stability and there is no customer support.
What is the best server monitoring software for Windows?
Site24x7 – Complete server monitoring
If you’re looking for the best server monitoring software, you can’t overlook Site24x7. In fact, this tool will not only cater to your server needs but to your entire network infrastructure.
Whether they are application servers, mail servers, web servers, virtual or database servers, this too will offer you in-depth visibility of all key performance indicators.
In fact, you will get over 60 performance metrics and comprehensive inventory reports of up to ten servers for a small monthly fee.
The data includes load average, thread and handle count of processes, and more, all that from a single dashboard even if you’re running Debian, SUSE, CentOS, or something else.
However, Site24x7 is not limited to network architecture but also analyzes the performance of Microsoft applications like Exchange, IIS, SQL, Windows server backups, SharePoint, Office 365, Active Directory, Failover Cluster, & Hyper-V.
The solution offers plugin integrations like Apache, MySQL, and Nagios, but you can also write your own to monitor the required data.
And if your business implies managing the customers’ accounts, you will be able to do that securely manage them and support their capabilities and endpoints from a single place.
Site24x7 features:
- Over 60 performance metrics
- Monitor Microsoft applications like Exchange, IIS, SQL and more
- Apache, MySQL and Nagios plugin integrations
- Control everything from a single dashboard
- Manage customer accounts and endpoints securely
Site24x7
Monitor your whole network infrastructure with over 60 performance metrics from a single dashboard.ManageEngine OpManager – Great for network management
ManageEngine’s Op Manager uses the SNMP and WMI protocols to monitor your servers and make sure they are at peak performance at all times.
The solution stores all the data for historical performance tracking and troubleshooting, to eliminate the need for multiple server monitoring tools.
With OpManager, you will get detailed server reports in real-time so that the IT manager can perform key adjustments if needed.
Moreover, this network management solution identifies all the devices within your network at any time so you can keep track of any activity.
So, it not only takes care of the servers but the whole network by using agents and sensors to detect key performance metrics, including response times, packet loss, and more.
OpManager can even detect break-in attempts on your application servers. That includes login failures, account lockouts, failed attempts to access secure files, and more. And that is achieved by constantly processing Windows Event logs and syslog monitoring.
However, one of the best advantages is that Op Manager has a cloud-based dashboard that can be accessed from anywhere in the world.
ManageEngine OpManager key features:
- Real-time server performance monitoring
- Proactive server monitoring with multi level thresholds
- Advanced network device discovery features
- Windows event log monitoring
- Single web-based dashboard accessible from any location in the world
ManageEngine OpManager
Take server monitoring to the next level with this complete network management solution!PRTG Network Monitor – Premade and customizable sensors
PRTG comes from Paessler, and it allows you to view important server data such as server uptime, health, disk, space, and performance.
By keeping all this information easily available, you’ll ensure that your server is working at peak performance without any issues.
Regarding the server types, PRTG works great for mail servers, web servers, database servers, file servers, and other types of servers that you might use.
The software can also monitor your bandwidth and it has 12 sensors available allowing you to easily find the source or any bottlenecks on your server.
PRTG monitors your database, and you may view specific datasets from your database, and thanks to the customizable reports, you’ll ensure that your database is running smoothly.
Since server security is crucial, it’s worth mentioning that the firewall monitoring feature is also available, so you can have a detailed report of all incoming and outgoing network traffic.
For maximum security, there’s support for automatic notifications, and you’ll receive them if there are any issues with your firewall or if the network security is compromised in any way.
Speaking of security, the software offers port monitoring, package capturing, and network traffic monitoring, so you can keep up with the traffic activity on your server.
PRTG includes a wide array of features, and we just barely mentioned some of its most prominent features. If you’re looking for professional and secure server monitoring software, PRTG is the best way to go.
PRTG features:
- Extensive server monitoring
- Application monitoring
- Bandwidth and database monitoring
- Firewall monitoring
- Port and network traffic monitoring
PRTG Network Monitor
PRTG offers advanced server monitoring features for server administrators.Netwrix Auditor – Great for network auditing
If you’re looking for a professional server monitoring software, then Netwrix Auditor might be the perfect choice for you.
The software works with various services, including Active Directory, Azure AD, Exchange, SharePoint, Windows Server, SQL Server, Oracle Database, and many others.
Netwrix Auditor offers extensive reporting so you can easily identify potential security issues. There is also a log feature available, so you may see who is accessing certain files.
Thanks to the alert feature, you’ll receive alerts whenever a suspicious activity is detected in your environment so you can prevent any data breaches from occurring.
Netwrix Auditor offers solid features, and it might be just the perfect server monitor software for your needs.
Netwrix Auditor features:
- Works with various services including Active Directory, Azure AD, Windows Server, etc.
- Extensive reporting feature
- Log feature
- Alert feature
Manage Engine Applications Manager – Great performance monitoring
Another powerful server monitoring software that you might want to consider is Manage Engine Applications Manager.
The tool offers extensive monitoring features, and it allows you to keep track of your server’s hardware performance and temperature with ease.
With Manage Engine Applications Manager you may also troubleshoot application server issues. The application can monitor private, public, and hybrid clouds as well as cloud-hosted applications.
The software keeps track of your database, so you may easily monitor its performance, and see the detailed performance reports.
Manage Engine Applications Manager offers a wide array of features, and if you want all-in-one server monitoring software, this might be the perfect choice for you.
Manage Engine Applications Manager features:
- Extensive monitoring features
- Ability to troubleshoot server issues
- Support for cloud monitoring
- Database monitoring
ManageEngine Applications Manager
Keep track of your server’s hardware performance and temperature with this powerful tool.Solarwinds Server & Application Monitor – Easy to implement
Solarwinds Server & Application Monitor offers a remote monitoring feature that allows you to easily monitor the overall performance and availability of your servers.
By analyzing the data, you can easily identify issues and remotely fix them. You may also identify and troubleshoot issues associated with server hardware health.
The software supports over 1200 monitoring templates including Azure, AWS, Microsoft, Active Directory, and Apache Server Monitoring.
There’s an Application monitoring feature too, and by using it, you’ll ensure that your applications are fast, reliable, and at their peak performance.
Overall, Solarwinds Server & Application Monitor offers great features, so you might want to try it out.
Solarwinds Server & Application Monitor features:
- Remote server monitoring
- Over 1200 monitoring templates
- Application monitoring
- Azure monitoring
- Active Directory monitoring
Zabbix – For open-source fans
Zabbix is an open-source and completely free server monitoring software. It allows you to monitor the server hardware, and you’ll be notified if new components are added or removed, and the same goes for the network module.
You can also keep a close eye on your resource usage, bandwidth usage, and packet loss rate. Of course, you’ll get notifications if there are warnings on your system or if the server temperature is too high or too low.
Zabbix offers cloud monitoring, application monitoring, and services monitoring. Thanks to the dozens of available templates and supported services, you should be able to manage any server without issues.
Zabbix features:
- Completely open-source and free
- Ability to monitor server hardware and resources
- Warning notifications
- Cloud, application, and services monitoring
- Support for dozens of templates and services
NetCrunch – Detailed, customizable overview
When you’re a server administrator, you know that there are many parameters that need to be monitored if you plan on doing your job effectively, so the right tools can mean everything.
Well, NetCrunch offers the complete package when it comes to agentless server monitoring, starting from hardware, virtualization, and operating systems, and ending with containers and application services.
Thanks to these tools, NetCrunch lets you identify all present and potential issues, all thanks to a system that involves layers of monitoring that are constantly and persistently checked.
NetCrunch prioritizes system stability, and the built-in automatic reaction system lets your network handle itself and fix possible problems with minimal user input.
Lastly, NetCrunch does a fine job collecting data and analyzing it in order to optimize its actions for future scans and fixes, basically adapting itself to your network’s needs and most common issues.
Here’s a brief overview of NetCrunch’s capabilities:
- Server Monitoring with OS Performance Monitors for Windows, Linux, Mac OS, BSD, FreeBSD, Solaris SQL Sensors for Oracle, SQL Server, MySQL, MariaDB, ODBC
- Over 250+ monitor types, including protocols, monitoring packs, and advanced sensors
- Log Monitoring (Windows, Apache, Log4J, Text logs in custom format)
- Syslog Server, VMware ESXi, vCenter, and Hyper-V monitoring
- IPMI Sensors (for Dell, HP, IBM, and generic)
- Web & HTTP/REST Sensors
- 16 WMI Sensors
- 70 Application Sensors
Monitoring a server isn’t an easy task, but I hope these applications will be helpful to you.
If we had to pick one application to recommend, it would be PRTG due to the extensive number of features, so we encourage you to try it out.
While we’re on the subject, you may also check our best network traffic monitoring tools for Linux list if you’re running a UNIX server.
If you’ve tried one of the products listed above, share your experience with us and the other readers in the comments section below.
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