Nagios vs Uptime Kuma: Pricing and Ratings Compared (2026)
Entry prices and free plans as read on each vendor's pricing page, and user ratings as published on review sites, for Nagios and Uptime Kuma side by side. This page compares data; it is not a hands-on review.
On the data: On the data below the two are close or not directly comparable, so we do not name a winner for this pair.
Short on time? Here's the quick answer
Based on published vendor pricing and features and on public review data, 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:
- • You want legacy monitoring standard
Uptime Kuma
Self-hosted uptime monitoring with beautiful status pages
Best for you if:
- • You want a fully free tool (Nagios requires payment)
| At a Glance | Nagios | Uptime Kuma |
|---|---|---|
Starts at | Free plan | Free 100% free |
Category | Monitoring Cloud & Infrastructure | Monitoring Status Pages |
Rating | 4.5/5 G2 4.5 58 reviews | 4.6/5 G2 4.6 348 reviews |
Free plan | Yes | Yes |
Choose Nagios or Uptime Kuma?
Choose Nagios if
- You want legacy monitoring standard
- You want highly customizable
Choose Uptime Kuma if
- You want a fully free tool (Nagios requires payment)
- You want self-hosted uptime monitoring
- You want clean UI
In-Depth Analysis
Nagios
The industry standard in open-source IT monitoring tools for servers, networks, applications, and services.
Nagios' pricing model, with a robust free tier and one-time purchase options for commercial versions, is quite generous compared to many subscription-based monitoring tools.
Strengths
- Pro: Legacy monitoring standard
- Pro: Highly customizable
- Pro: Large plugin library
- Pro: Free and open source
- Pro: Battle-tested
Weaknesses
- Con: UI very dated
- Con: Configuration complex
- Con: Scaling difficult
- Con: Setup time-consuming
- Con: Alternatives more modern
Key features
Uptime Kuma
Self-hosted uptime monitoring with beautiful status pages
Uptime Kuma's pricing is exceptionally generous, being entirely free.
Strengths
- Pro: Self-hosted uptime monitoring
- Pro: Clean UI
- Pro: Many check types
- Pro: Free and open source
- Pro: Easy Docker setup
Weaknesses
- Con: Requires self-hosting
- Con: Single instance only
- Con: Limited scalability
- Con: No team features
- Con: Basic compared to paid
Key features
Plans and prices: Nagios vs Uptime Kuma
| Tool | Plans and prices | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Nagios |
| nagios.org read Sep 30, 2026 |
| Uptime Kuma |
| github.com/louislam/uptime-kuma read Sep 30, 2026 |
Prices as read on each vendor's own pricing page on the date shown. Plans are listed per tool and are not matched against the other tool's plans: a plan name or price in one column says nothing about the same row in the other. Details on Nagios pricing and Uptime Kuma pricing.
Key Takeaways
Nagios
- Choose if you want the industry standard in open-source IT monitoring tools for servers, networks, applications, and services
Uptime Kuma
- Choose if you want self-hosted uptime monitoring with beautiful status pages
What the data shows
On the data below the two are close or not directly comparable, so we do not name a winner for this pair.
- User ratings are within 0.2 points (4.5/5 from 58 reviews for Nagios, 4.6/5 from 348 reviews for Uptime Kuma).
- Both have a free plan.
Criteria: user rating (only above 20 reviews on both sides, gap of 0.2 or more), entry price (only on the same billing basis), free plan. How we rate
Frequently Asked Questions
How do Nagios and Uptime Kuma compare in 2026?
On the data below the two are close or not directly comparable, so we do not name a winner for this pair. User ratings are within 0.2 points (4.5/5 from 58 reviews for Nagios, 4.6/5 from 348 reviews for Uptime Kuma). Both have a free plan.
What are Nagios and Uptime Kuma used for?
Nagios: The industry standard in open-source IT monitoring tools for servers, networks, applications, and services. Uptime Kuma: Self-hosted uptime monitoring with beautiful status pages.
What does Nagios cost vs Uptime Kuma?
Nagios has no public paid-plan price on file. Uptime Kuma is free. Prices read on the vendors' pricing pages, latest check Sep 30, 2026.
What's the main difference between Nagios and Uptime Kuma?
Nagios's main strength: legacy monitoring standard. Uptime Kuma's main strength: self-hosted uptime monitoring.