Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

OpenNMS VS LibreNMS

Compare OpenNMS VS LibreNMS and see what are their differences

OpenNMS logo OpenNMS

Project home page of OpenNMS - a java based network managememnt platform developed under the Open Source model

LibreNMS logo LibreNMS

A fully featured network monitoring system that provides a wealth of features and device support.
  • OpenNMS Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-23
  • LibreNMS Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-04-20

OpenNMS features and specs

  • Open Source
    OpenNMS is an open-source network management system, which means it is free to use and modify. This allows organizations to save on licensing costs and tailor the software to their specific needs.
  • Customization
    Being open-source and highly modular, OpenNMS offers extensive customization options. Users can add plugins and scripts to adapt the system to their unique requirements.
  • Scalability
    OpenNMS can scale to monitor very large networks, making it suitable for both small businesses and enterprise environments. It supports distributed monitoring environments for large-scale deployments.
  • Comprehensive Monitoring
    The platform provides a wide range of monitoring capabilities, including performance monitoring, fault detection, and service assurance across various types of network devices and applications.
  • Community and Support
    OpenNMS has an active community and extensive documentation, providing users with a wealth of resources for troubleshooting and development. Professional support options are also available from the developers.

Possible disadvantages of OpenNMS

  • Complexity
    The advanced features and flexibility of OpenNMS come with a steep learning curve. It can be complex to set up and configure, particularly for users without a strong background in network management.
  • Resource Intensive
    OpenNMS can be resource-intensive, requiring substantial hardware resources, especially as the scope of monitoring and the size of the network grows.
  • User Interface
    Some users may find the user interface less intuitive or outdated compared to commercial alternatives. This can impact the ease of navigation and the overall user experience.
  • Initial Investment in Setup
    While the software itself is free, deploying OpenNMS can require a significant time investment for setup and configuration. Organizations may also need to invest in training for their technical staff.
  • Limited Proprietary Integration
    Integration with some proprietary systems and devices may be limited, potentially requiring additional customization or the use of third-party tools to achieve full compatibility.

LibreNMS features and specs

  • Open Source
    LibreNMS is open-source software, allowing you to customize, modify, and distribute it freely. This also means it has a community of contributors who help improve and maintain the project.
  • Vendor-Agnostic
    Supports a wide range of network devices and vendors, making it a versatile network monitoring tool capable of managing heterogeneous environments.
  • Scalability
    Designed to scale from small office networks to large data center environments, ensuring it can grow with your network infrastructure needs.
  • Auto Discovery
    Includes automatic network discovery capabilities which help in identifying and adding devices to the monitoring system effortlessly.
  • Extensive Features
    Offers a robust set of features including alerting, graphing, and support for a variety of network protocols (e.g., SNMP, ICMP, BGP).
  • Integration
    Integrates well with other tools and services such as RANCID, Collectd, Nagios, and more, enhancing its capabilities in various IT ecosystem setups.
  • User-Friendly Interface
    Provides an intuitive web-based interface that makes it easier for administrators to navigate and use the tool effectively.

Possible disadvantages of LibreNMS

  • Complex Initial Setup
    The initial setup can be complex and time-consuming, especially for users who are not familiar with network monitoring systems.
  • Resource Intensive
    Requires significant server resources (CPU, memory, disk space) as your network grows, which could necessitate infrastructure upgrades.
  • Learning Curve
    Has a steep learning curve for new users, particularly those who are not experienced with network monitoring tools.
  • Documentation
    While there is documentation available, it can sometimes be lacking in detail or out-of-date, making it difficult for users to troubleshoot or fully utilize all features.
  • Community Support
    Relies heavily on community support which can be inconsistent and may not always provide timely solutions for critical issues.
  • Third-Party Dependencies
    Requires several third-party dependencies for full functionality, making the setup process more complicated and sometimes leading to compatibility issues.

Analysis of OpenNMS

Overall verdict

  • OpenNMS is a solid choice for network monitoring and management.

Why this product is good

  • OpenNMS is an open-source network management platform that offers a comprehensive suite of features for monitoring network health, performance, and outages. It is highly customizable and scalable, catering to both small businesses and large enterprises. Its open-source nature means it benefits from contributions from a large community, leading to continuous improvements and updates. The platform also supports a wide range of network protocols and has robust reporting and alerting features.

Recommended for

    OpenNMS is recommended for IT professionals, network administrators, and businesses that require scalable and customizable network monitoring solutions. It is suitable for organizations with varying levels of network complexity and those that value the flexibility and community support that come with open-source software.

Analysis of LibreNMS

Overall verdict

  • Yes, LibreNMS is generally considered a good solution for network monitoring, especially for medium to large environments. Its open-source nature also makes it a cost-effective choice compared to some proprietary alternatives, and it offers a great deal of flexibility through its plugins and API.

Why this product is good

  • LibreNMS is a network monitoring tool that is known for its ease of use, extensive documentation, and active community support. It provides automated monitoring and discovery of network devices and supports a wide range of devices and operating systems. Its web-based interface is considered user-friendly and it offers comprehensive graphing and alerting capabilities.

Recommended for

    Network administrators and IT professionals who need an efficient and scalable monitoring solution for a variety of network devices. It's particularly well-suited for those who prefer open-source software and are interested in contributing to or benefitting from community-driven improvements and support.

OpenNMS videos

OpenNMS 101 - Module 6: SNMP Review

More videos:

  • Review - OpenNMS 101 - Module 2: Getting Started (Horizon 19 and later)

LibreNMS videos

Network Monitoring - LibreNMS

More videos:

  • Review - NLNOG day 2017 - Neil Lathwood (LibreNMS) - Monitoring Everything
  • Review - [LibreNMS] Explaining alert rules
  • Tutorial - Introduction to LibreNMS and Prime Features - LibreNMS
  • Tutorial - LibreNMS Application -Apache

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to OpenNMS and LibreNMS)
Monitoring Tools
47 47%
53% 53
Log Management
44 44%
56% 56
Performance Monitoring
37 37%
63% 63
Network & Admin
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare OpenNMS and LibreNMS

OpenNMS Reviews

The Best Nagios Alternatives for Server, Application and Network Monitoring
OpenNMS earns our recommendation for its extensive support for monitoring solutions and systems, making it a versatile choice for organizations with diverse monitoring needs. The partnership with larger companies ensures seamless integration and robust support, enhancing the reliability of the platform. OpenNMS's commitment to open-source principles fosters a...
10 Best Open Source Monitoring Software for IT Infrastructure
OpenNMS got built-in reporting, which means you can view the report in a beautiful dashboard and chart. Overall, OpenNMS got an excellent user interface.
Source: geekflare.com
Best Open Source Network Monitoring Tools and Software (Linux/Windows)
For example, there are many other open source monitoring tools that exist such as OpenNMS, Cacti, and Zennos and you have to consider the benefits of each one from the perspective of your requirement.
Best Linux Network Monitoring Tools for 2020
OpenNMS has been around since the late 1990s, when it was established as a management-oriented open-source monitoring tool for businesses and large networks. It has since acquired a formidable online community with a streamlined process of modifications and improvements. OpenNMS prides itself on its notification system, which provides live updates to the central control...

LibreNMS Reviews

The Best Cacti Monitoring Alternatives
LibreNMS is a fully-fledged network monitoring system supporting various device types and vendors, including Linux, Foundry, Cisco, and many others. As a result, it’s one of the most accessible tools on this list to use straight out of the box. In addition, its autodiscovery features help you spend as little time as possible setting it up.
The Best Open Source Network Monitoring Tools in 2023
Description: LibreNMS is an open source network monitoring system that uses several network protocols to observe every device on your network. The LibreNMS API can retrieve, manage, and graph the data it collects and supports horizontal scaling to grow its monitoring capabilities alongside your network. The tool features a flexible alerting system that is tailor-made to...
Top 10 PRTG Alternatives for Monitoring Networks and IT Infrastructure
Observium is similar to LibreNMS (which is a fork of it) and comes in Enterprise, Professional and Community Editions, so you have a free version if you want to try it out. It is more a network centric tool instead of a systems monitoring tool.
10 Best Open Source Monitoring Software for IT Infrastructure
LibreNMS is a fully featured network monitoring system. It is based on PHP/MySQL/SNMP. LibreMNS covers a wide range of operating systems and network hardware.
Source: geekflare.com
13 Best Nagios Alternatives for Networks, Servers, IT Systems Monitoring
During the setup process, LibreNMS automatically discovers individual devices and end-points using various protocols such as CDP, FDP, LLDP, OSPF, BGP, SNMP and ARP. Users don’t need to spend hours adding individual devices to be monitored.

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, OpenNMS seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 1 time since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

OpenNMS mentions (1)

  • iTerm2 and the Gap Between Developers and Users
    Up until recently, I was at OpenNMS, an open source network monitoring project that was Doing It Right™ for a very long time, even with a commercial component. However, since being acquired, it has kind of lost its direction as it fumbled around trying to work on a new product, and I've watched it slowly sink into obscurity as it has failed to engage meaningfully with its community. It's still a great tool with a... - Source: dev.to / about 1 year ago

LibreNMS mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of LibreNMS yet. Tracking of LibreNMS recommendations started around Mar 2021.

What are some alternatives?

When comparing OpenNMS and LibreNMS, you can also consider the following products

The Dude - MikroTik is a Latvian company which was founded in 1996 to develop routers and wireless ISP systems. MikroTik now provides hardware and software for Internet connectivity in most of the countries around the world.

Zabbix - Track, record, alert and visualize performance and availability of IT resources

Pandora FMS - Pandora FMS: Opensource monitoring software

Observium - Observium

cStatus - Monitor and scan a network.

Nagios - Complete monitoring and alerting for servers, switches, applications, and services