IPNetwork Monitor vs SolarWinds

Criteria	IPNetwork Monitor	SolarWinds
Platform	On-premises Windows-based monitoring with unified desktop & web UI.	Primarily Windows-server-based platform with a web console and add-on modules for specific functions.
Agents	Remote Network Agent for distributed networks.	Combines agents and polling engines, which can increase deployment and maintenance overhead in large environments.
Pricing	Simple per-monitor licensing with a free 50-monitor tier.	Module- and element-based licensing that can make total costs less predictable as your environment expands.
Scalability	Scales from small sites to distributed networks via agents.	Faces scaling issues with log collection and event downloads, and tends to hit limits around 20,000 devices/nodes.
Integrations	Open protocols (SNMP, WMI, syslog, SSH, HTTP/S, ODBC) and custom scripts instead of heavy proprietary plug-ins.	Smaller integration catalog that can leave monitoring blind spots for some technologies.
Alerts	Flexible alert rules with multiple delivery and script actions.	Robust alerting features, but significant manual tuning is often required to keep alert noise under control.
Visibility	Full-stack view from basic uptime to traffic, databases, system resources and synthetic web transactions.	Does not offer native multi-account visibility; each account typically has to be configured separately.
Dashboards	Clear status views in desktop and web consoles.	Custom dashboards are available, but usually need to be built and tailored manually for each team or use case.
Logs / Search	Central event log and monitor logs with time-range filters, state change history and sortable web reports.	Deeper log search and correlation typically rely on separate log-analysis tools or add-on components.
Adoption / Training	Quick Start guides, discovery wizards and application templates make initial setup fast even for small teams.	Generally requires formal training and dedicated resources to operate and maintain effectively.
Monitoring	40+ monitor types covering network devices, Windows/Linux servers, databases, web apps, traffic, syslog and more.	Supports a wide range of devices, but many advanced checks depend on purchasing and managing additional modules.
Deployment	Installs on Windows with optional remote agents and a built-in web UI – no external database or SaaS tenancy required.	Initial deployment and configuration can be complex, resource-intensive, and time-consuming.
Retention	Flexible history retention for reports and analysis.	Long-term data retention is constrained by database sizing and may require extra storage and administration effort.
Analytics	Built-in graphs, trend analysis and issue reports provide practical performance analytics without extra modules.	Provides performance charts, but more advanced analytics often depend on external reporting or BI tooling.
Distribution	Remote Network Agents enable secure monitoring of remote subnets, including those without Windows hosts.	Remote polling engines support distributed sites, but each additional engine adds infrastructure and configuration overhead.
Experience	Single monitoring server with integrated Windows and web interfaces, reports and admin tools in one place.	Presents multiple components that feel more like a collection of tools than a single, unified experience.
Value	Rich monitoring, alerting and reporting at SMB-friendly pricing plus a perpetual free tier for smaller environments.	AI/ML-driven insights can generate a high volume of false positives during the first 6–9 months of tuning.
Support	Email support with comprehensive documentation.	Support responses can be slow, particularly during peak periods.
Noise reduction	Monitor dependencies and state conditions reduce alert storms.	Alert thresholds and suppression rules must largely be tuned by hand to avoid alert storms.
Security	Supports protocols like SNMP v3, SSH and HTTPS plus syslog and Windows Event Log monitoring for security-relevant events.	Security relies heavily on hardening on-premises servers and databases, increasing the customer’s operational responsibility.
API Support	HTTP/SSH integrations; MCP API coming next release.	Exposes APIs and SDKs, but meaningful automation generally requires custom scripting and knowledge of the underlying data model.
Sensitive Data Protection	On-premises solution storing all credentials and configuration data locally in a secure RDBMS under full user control.	Hybrid and on-premises products have experienced notable security incidents in the past.

DISCLAIMER: This comparison reflects the latest versions offered by each vendor as of November 2025. Details are compiled from publicly available websites, forums, and customer reviews.

Why IPNetwork Monitor is the practical choice for network monitoring

65+ out-of-the-box Application Templates

10+ ways to send alerts and notifications

40+ monitor types for networks, servers, and services

Straightforward per-monitor licensing with a free 50-monitor tier

IPNetwork Monitor is a strong fit if you want wide coverage and fast deployment without turning monitoring into a separate engineering project. It supports the protocols teams rely on every day—SNMP, WMI, SSH, HTTP(S), ODBC, and scripting—so you can monitor both standard infrastructure and custom services.

Instead of being centered only on APM, IPNetwork Monitor is designed to deliver full infrastructure visibility and the workflows that network teams actually use.

Discover why teams choose IPNetwork Monitor

Quick setup, faster results

Deploy in minutes and start turning issues into actionable alerts—no lengthy onboarding required.

Keep sensitive data under your control

Store credentials and configuration locally, so you remain in charge of access and security.

One platform for infrastructure monitoring

Track servers, SNMP devices, services, and web endpoints from a single dashboard.

Frequently Asked Questions about IPNetwork Monitor vs SolarWinds

Check out our Knowledge Base where we answer questions regarding various topics

When does IPNetwork Monitor make more sense than SolarWinds?

Choose IPNetwork Monitor if you want a single on-premises Windows install with an integrated desktop + web experience, fast onboarding (wizards/templates), and predictable per-monitor licensing. SolarWinds is often chosen for large, module-driven environments, but it can require more components, training, and ongoing tuning to keep operations efficient. If you want a quick product tour before installing, see IPNetwork Monitor Demo.

How is deployment and day-to-day maintenance different compared to SolarWinds modules?

IPNetwork Monitor installs as one monitoring server with built-in admin tools, reports, and a web UI, and it scales to distributed sites using Remote Network Agents when needed. SolarWinds commonly grows into multiple servers/components (polling engines, add-on modules), which can increase deployment time and ongoing maintenance overhead. For distributed networks with IPNetwork Monitor, start with Remote Network Agents.

How do I keep alerts actionable and avoid alert storms in IPNetwork Monitor?

Build alerting around dependencies and state conditions so downstream monitors don’t cascade when an upstream device fails, then add spike filters and sensible thresholds to reduce noise from brief glitches. You can also attach multiple simple actions (email, scripts, HTTP requests, etc.) with schedules for escalations and recoveries. See Monitor Dependencies and State Conditions.

Does IPNetwork Monitor provide reporting and analytics without extra modules?

Yes—IPNetwork Monitor includes built-in graphs, trends, issue reports, and web reports so you can troubleshoot and plan capacity without buying separate analytics modules. You can also control how long history is retained to balance troubleshooting needs with storage usage. Review Reports and DB Maintenance.

What are the security advantages of IPNetwork Monitor if I’m worried about sensitive data?

IPNetwork Monitor keeps credentials and monitoring configuration on-premises under your control, supports secure protocols like SNMPv3, SSH, and HTTPS, and can monitor security-relevant events via syslog and Windows Event Log. For a hardened setup, avoid default access settings and follow recommended practices on Security Considerations, including configuring an Access Password.