Nagios vs Better Uptime: Which Should You Choose in 2026?
Choosing between Nagios and Better Uptime 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.
By Toolradar Team · Last updated February 28, 2026 · Methodology
Short on time? Here's the quick answer
We've tested both tools. Here's who should pick what:
Nagios
The industry standard in open-source IT monitoring tools for servers, networks, applications, and services.
Best for you if:
- • Open-source IT monitoring for servers, networks, applications, and services.
- • Offers both a free, community-supported core and an enterprise-grade paid version (Nagios XI).
Better Uptime
Uptime monitoring with beautiful status pages
Best for you if:
- • You want the higher-rated option (8.6/10 vs 8.5/10)
- • Better Uptime monitors your website and alerts you when it goes down
- • It provides status pages, incident management, and multi-channel notifications
| At a Glance |  Nagios |  Better Uptime |
|---|---|---|
Price | Free + Paid | Free + Paid |
Best For | Monitoring | Monitoring |
Rating | 85/100 | 86/100 |
| Feature | Nagios | Better Uptime |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing Model | Freemium | Freemium |
| Editorial Score | 85 | 86 |
| Community Rating | No ratings yet | No ratings yet |
| Total Reviews | 0 | 0 |
| Community Upvotes | 0 | 0 |
| Categories | MonitoringIncident Management | MonitoringIncident Management |
How Nagios and Better Uptime Compare
Nagios
The industry standard in open-source IT monitoring tools for servers, networks, applications, and services.
Free tier available · 85/100 score
Better Uptime
Uptime monitoring with beautiful status pages
Free tier available · 86/100 score
Who Should Use What?
On a budget?
Both are freemium. Compare plans on their websites.
Go with: Nagios
Want the highest-rated option?
Nagios: 85/100. Better Uptime: 86/100.
Go with: Better Uptime
Value user reviews?
Neither has user reviews yet.
Go with: Better Uptime
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?
Both are monitoring tools. Compare their specific features to decide.
How important are ratings?
Better Uptime scores higher: 86/100 vs 85/100.
Key Takeaways
Better Uptime
- Higher score: 86/100 vs 85
- Free tier available
- Our pick for this comparison
Nagios
The Bottom Line
Better Uptime (86/100) is our pick.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Nagios or Better Uptime better?
Better Uptime scores 86/100 in our evaluation. Both are freemium.
What are Nagios and Better Uptime used for?
Nagios: The industry standard in open-source IT monitoring tools for servers, networks, applications, and services.. Better Uptime: Uptime monitoring with beautiful status pages.
What does Nagios cost vs Better Uptime?
Nagios is freemium (free tier + paid plans). Better Uptime is freemium (free tier + paid plans). Visit their websites for detailed pricing.