A SolarWinds alternative focused on the network.
Looking for a SolarWinds alternative? SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor runs on Windows Server, and its features are also available in SolarWinds Observability Self-Hosted, a broad platform licensed per node on multi-year contracts. TarleyNode is a single self-hosted network monitor for Linux, priced per year by sensors, with flow analysis, configuration backups and network maps in every licence.
TarleyNode and SolarWinds side by side
| Feature | TarleyNode | SolarWinds |
|---|---|---|
| Where it runs | Your own Linux server | Windows Server 2016 to 2025 [4] |
| SNMP v3 | Yes, with SHA-256 and AES | Yes [7] |
| NetFlow, sFlow, IPFIX | Included | Advanced tier and above [3] |
| Syslog and SNMP traps | Included | Yes, in the Log Viewer [9] |
| Windows servers | WinRM: health, services, counters | WMI, WinRM or agent [10] |
| VMware and Hyper-V | Yes | Advanced tier and above [3] |
| Azure and AWS | Yes | Yes, plus Google Cloud [2] |
| Remote sites | Connected sites, included | Extra polling engines need Enterprise [5] |
| LLDP and CDP map | Yes | Layer 2 and 3 topology [11] |
| Configuration backups | Included, with change history | Network Configuration Manager [12] |
| High availability | Option, USD 480 a year for 3 servers, with an alert when no server is active | Add-on, or included with Enterprise [5] |
| Single sign-on | OpenID Connect or Microsoft | SAML 2.0 [8] |
| Nagios plugins | Compatible | Partly: Nagios script monitor [13] |
| Licence | Commercial, priced by sensors | Per node, multi-year contracts [3] |
Numbers in brackets link to the SolarWinds page each answer comes from.
Prices
| Tier | Listed starting price | Adds |
|---|---|---|
| Essentials | $8 per node per month | Network, server and application monitoring, logs, IP address management |
| Advanced | $14 per node per month | Flow analysis, virtualisation monitoring, server configuration management |
| Premier | $17.50 per node per month | Storage and web performance monitoring |
SolarWinds lists these as starting prices on multi-year contracts billed annually. Enterprise editions, required above 1,500 nodes, include additional polling engines and high availability.
Nodes and sensors are counted differently, so the two cannot be compared line by line. TarleyNode is free for up to 100 sensors after a 30-day trial, then from USD 600 a year for 500 sensors.
Where SolarWinds is stronger
- A much broader platform: server and application monitoring, log analysis, IP address management, user device tracking and VoIP quality in one product family.
- Very large scale, with up to 1,000,000 elements and 100 additional polling engines per instance.
- NetPath hop-by-hop path views across on-premises and cloud networks.
- Storage and web performance monitoring in the Premier tier.
- Google Cloud monitoring alongside AWS and Azure.
- Single sign-on with any SAML 2.0 identity provider.
Where TarleyNode differs
- Runs on Linux with a single installer, rather than on Windows Server.
- Flow analysis, configuration backups, an LLDP and CDP map and public status pages are in every licence, with no higher tier to buy.
- Priced per installation per year by sensor count, with published prices.
- Connected sites for remote locations are included on every tier, with results kept on disk if a link drops.
- High availability is one option at USD 480 a year for three servers, without moving to an enterprise licence.
- Unlimited users on every licence, and it installs on networks with no internet access.
Which team should pick which
Pick SolarWinds if you run a large Windows-based IT operation and want network, server, application, log and storage monitoring from one vendor at a scale of thousands of nodes, and a multi-year contract suits your budget.
Pick TarleyNode if network monitoring is the main job, you would rather run it on Linux, and you want flow analysis, configuration backups and maps in one yearly licence priced by sensors.
Switching from SolarWinds
- Install TarleyNode on a separate server or virtual machine.
- Run a discovery scan of the networks SolarWinds monitors, using the same SNMP and Windows credentials.
- Apply device templates, then compare alerts and reports from both over a few weeks.
- Switch when you are satisfied, and keep SolarWinds running until you no longer need it.
Questions
How is SolarWinds NPM related to Observability Self-Hosted?
SolarWinds says the features of Network Performance Monitor are also available as part of SolarWinds Observability Self-Hosted, which is licensed per node in Essentials, Advanced and Premier tiers.
Does TarleyNode run on Windows like SolarWinds?
No. The TarleyNode server runs on Linux; the current release installs on Ubuntu or Debian, x86-64. Windows servers are monitored over WinRM, and connected sites can run on Linux or Windows.
How does TarleyNode pricing compare with SolarWinds?
SolarWinds lists starting prices per node per month on multi-year contracts. TarleyNode is priced per installation per year by sensor count: free for up to 100 sensors after a 30-day trial, then from USD 600 a year for 500 sensors. Because nodes and sensors are counted differently, ask SolarWinds for a quote for your estate before comparing.
Does TarleyNode include flow analysis and configuration backups?
Yes. NetFlow, IPFIX and sFlow traffic summaries and configuration backups over SSH with change history are in every TarleyNode licence.
Can TarleyNode scale like SolarWinds?
The largest listed TarleyNode licence covers 10,000 sensors, about 1,000 devices, per installation. SolarWinds documents up to 1,000,000 elements per instance, so very large estates may be better served by SolarWinds.
See TarleyNode on your own network
Ask for an invitation through Request a demo; every request is read by a person. An evaluation includes every feature with unlimited sensors for 30 days, and TarleyNode then stays free for up to 100 sensors. It does not change device configuration, so it can run next to SolarWinds while you compare.
Guides
Other comparisons
Sources
- SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor
- SolarWinds Observability Self-Hosted
- SolarWinds Observability Self-Hosted pricing
- SolarWinds Platform system requirements
- SolarWinds Platform licensing model
- SolarWinds scalability guidelines
- SolarWinds SNMP credentials
- SolarWinds SAML authentication
- SolarWinds Log Viewer
- SolarWinds polling methods
- SolarWinds topology connections
- SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager
- SolarWinds Nagios script monitor
SolarWinds details were checked on the vendor’s own website in October 2026. TarleyNode details describe release 0.3.6. If anything here is out of date, tell us at sales@tarleynode.com. Product names are trademarks of their respective owners. TarleyNode is not affiliated with or endorsed by them.