Checkmk vs New Relic: Which is Better in 2026?
Choosing between Checkmk and New Relic comes down to understanding what each tool does best. This comparison breaks down the key differences so you can make an informed decision based on your specific needs, not marketing claims.
Bottom line: New Relic wins this matchup. Our overall Monitoring pick is Better Uptime. Our free Monitoring pick is Spiceworks. Pick Checkmk if you need monitoring.
Short on time? Here's the quick answer
We've tested both tools. Here's who should pick what:
Checkmk
Comprehensive IT monitoring platform for cloud, hybrid, and data center infrastructures.
Best for you if:
- • You want comprehensive monitoring across diverse IT environments (cloud, hybrid, data center)
- • You want high degree of automation reduces manual work (auto-discovery, auto-configuration)
New Relic
Full-stack observability with 50+ monitoring capabilities
Best for you if:
- • You want generous free tier
- • You want full-stack observability
| At a Glance | Checkmk | New Relic |
|---|---|---|
Starts at | FreeFree tier available | FreeFree tier available |
Best For | Monitoring | DevOps |
Rating | 4.7/5 | 4.4/5 |
Free plan | Yes | Yes |
Choose Checkmk or New Relic?
Choose Checkmk if
Comprehensive IT monitoring platform for cloud, hybrid, and data center infrastructures.
- You want comprehensive monitoring across diverse IT environments (cloud, hybrid, data center)
- You want high degree of automation reduces manual work (auto-discovery, auto-configuration)
- Your work is monitoring-shaped, not DevOps-shaped
Choose New Relic if
Full-stack observability with 50+ monitoring capabilities
- You want generous free tier
- You want full-stack observability
- Your work is DevOps-shaped, not monitoring-shaped
| Feature | Checkmk | New Relic |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing Model | Freemium | Freemium |
| User Rating | ★4.7/5 344 reviews | ★4.4/5 783 reviews |
| Categories | MonitoringCloud & Infrastructure | DevOpsAnalytics |
In-Depth Analysis
Checkmk
Comprehensive IT monitoring platform for cloud, hybrid, and data center infrastructures.
Checkmk offers a generous free 'Raw' tier, making it accessible for small teams or individuals.
Watch out
Potential for increased costs with more monitored hosts/services.
Strengths
- +Comprehensive monitoring across diverse IT environments (cloud, hybrid, data center)
- +High degree of automation reduces manual work (auto-discovery, auto-configuration)
- +Massively scalable architecture supports millions of services
- +Extensible with open source code and custom plug-ins
- +Rich feature set including advanced alerting, dashboards, and business intelligence
Weaknesses
- -The free 'Raw' edition is for mid-sized infrastructures, implying limitations for very small setups or advanced features.
Key features
New Relic
Full-stack observability with 50+ monitoring capabilities
New Relic's freemium model is generous, offering 100 GB/month and a full platform user for free.
Watch out
Data ingest overages at $0.40/GB (Standard)
Strengths
- +Generous free tier
- +Full-stack observability
- +AI insights
Weaknesses
- -Complex to set up
- -Data can be expensive
Key features
Pricing: Checkmk vs New Relic
| Plan | Checkmk | New Relic |
|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 | Free forever Raw | Free Free |
| Tier 2 | $175/month Enterprise | $10 Standard |
| Tier 3 | $250/month Cloud | $349 Pro |
| Tier 4 | $275/month MSP | Enterprise |
| Tier 5 | $240/month Cloud SaaS | N/A |
Pricing verified from each vendor's public pricing page. Compare in detail on Checkmk pricing and New Relic pricing.
Who Should Use What?
On a budget?
Both are freemium. Compare plans on their websites.
Go with: Checkmk
Want the highest-rated option?
Checkmk: 4.7/5 (344 reviews). New Relic: 4.4/5 (783 reviews).
Go with: Checkmk
Value user reviews?
Checkmk: 344 reviews (4.7/5). New Relic: 783 reviews (4.4/5).
Go with: New Relic
3 Questions to Help You Decide
What's your budget?
Both are freemium. Pricing won't help you decide here.
What's your use case?
Checkmk is a monitoring tool. New Relic is in DevOps. Pick the category that matches your needs.
How important are ratings?
Checkmk is rated higher: 4.7/5 vs 4.4/5.
Key Takeaways
New Relic
- Larger review base (783 reviews)
- Free tier available
- Our pick for this comparison
Checkmk
- Higher user rating: 4.7/5 vs 4.4/5
- Better fit for monitoring
The Bottom Line
New Relic wins this matchup. Our overall Monitoring pick is Better Uptime. Our free Monitoring pick is Spiceworks.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Checkmk or New Relic better?
New Relic is rated in our evaluation. Both are freemium.
What are Checkmk and New Relic used for?
Checkmk: Comprehensive IT monitoring platform for cloud, hybrid, and data center infrastructures.. New Relic: Full-stack observability with 50+ monitoring capabilities.
What does Checkmk cost vs New Relic?
Checkmk is freemium (free tier + paid plans). New Relic is freemium (free tier + paid plans). Visit their websites for detailed pricing.