ntop vs Cacti : Which is Better?

ntop icon

ntop

ntop is software that probes a computer network to show network use in a way similar to what the program top does for processes.

License: Open Source

Categories: Network & Admin

Apps available for Mac OS X Windows Linux

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Cacti icon

Cacti

Cacti is a network graphing solution designed to harness the power of RRDTool's data storage and graphing functionality.

License: Open Source

Categories: Network & Admin

Apps available for Windows Linux

ntop VS Cacti

Ntop excels in real-time monitoring and network traffic analysis, making it ideal for dynamic environments, while Cacti offers powerful graphing and historical data analysis, making it suitable for long-term performance tracking.

ntop

Pros:

  • Real-time traffic monitoring
  • Intuitive user interface
  • Customizable alerts
  • Supports a wide range of protocols
  • Mobile access to data

Cons:

  • Limited historical data storage
  • Not primarily focused on graphing
  • Less suitable for SNMP-based monitoring
  • More suitable for advanced users

Cacti

Pros:

  • Strong graphing capabilities
  • Robust SNMP support
  • Plugin architecture for extensibility
  • Historical data analysis
  • Large community support

Cons:

  • Steeper learning curve
  • Requires more setup and configuration
  • Not as effective for real-time monitoring
  • Graphing can be complex for beginners

Compare ntop

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Compare Datadog and ntop and decide which is most suitable for you.