icon_g2_golden_star_small.svgAward-winning SolarWinds Observability alternative
No missed alerts. No data silos.

If you're monitoring your IT monitoring tool, something's wrong.

Pivoting between separate modules to piece together a single incident? Chasing alerts that should have fired but didn't? Decoding a renewal invoice that grew in ways you didn't anticipate? Checkmk Cloud was built to solve exactly that – in one unified platform.

Check2,000+ built-in integrations — cloud, network, containers, apps
CheckAuto-discovery and rule-based setup — no per-entity tuning
CheckTransparent pricing — always know what you pay for
CheckNative OpenTelemetry support, AI-assisted root cause analysis
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G2 - High Performer
G2 - Best Relationship

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Checkmk Cloud vs SolarWinds Observability at a glance
Checkmk Cloud SolarWinds Observability
Pricing model
One transparently priced tier Multi-dimensional - multi-tier
Setup complexity
Guided, intuitive, fast onboarding Entity-by-entity instrumentation
Visibility
Single-pane view; no context-switching Fragmented "Explorers" & modular data silos
Cost as you scale
Transparent, predictable Multiple calculations across modules
6 reasons to switch from SolarWinds Observability
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Zero-touch scaling

Configuration is hierarchical. New assets automatically inherit monitoring policies based on rules/tags/folders. Zero manual touch for seamless scaling.

Manual mapping

Configuration is tied to the individual "Entity." Requires manual mapping and wizard steps as the environment grows.



Unified monitoring logic

Checkmk's monitoring model is built around consistent and unified definitions of hosts and services. You get full visibility in one place without context-switching.

Siloed modular suite

Built as a collection of specialized "Explorers" (Logs, APM, Infra). Correlation often requires jumping between separate data silos.



Vendor-agnostic

Built on open-source heritage with native, deep support for OpenTelemetry and SNMP. Open standards ensure your data remains portable.

Platform-centric model

While supporting open standards like OTel, the architecture still prioritizes a proprietary data model and specific agents to unlock core features.



Meaningful defaults & rapid troubleshooting

Automated discovery applies host-specific thresholds for immediate visibility. Paired with AI-assisted root cause analysis, this quickly turns infrastructure noise into actionable insights.

Observation-based manual setup

A high-touch process requiring a calibration period to establish baselines. Demands manual oversight during onboarding, prioritizing long-term data collection over rapid deployment.



Predictable pricing

Costs scale on a transparent curve based on monitored services/devices, making forecasting straightforward.

Complex and fragmented pricing

Pricing is more complex to forecast, requiring assumptions for data ingestion, host counts, and feature modules.



Efficient & automated approach

Automated workflows with a unified rule-based setup and auto-discovery for minimal maintenance. Designed to be managed alongside existing IT tasks.

Granular approach

Requires consistent ownership and manual tuning to maximize value and avoid data noise.



Hybrid & deep

2,000+ built-in integrations. High coverage for legacy, specialized hardware, and modern hybrid stacks at no extra cost.

Cloud-native & broad

1,000+ integrations focused on modern SaaS and cloud environments. Support for on-prem and legacy tech is often less comprehensive.

Checkmk is trusted by industry leaders worldwide
  • Adobe
  • Cisco
  • Fujitsu
  • Siemens
  • Volkswagen
  • Lincoln Laboratory
  • Zalando
  • Fitbit
  • ING
  • HP
Trust our users, not just our claims
G2 Review

Checkmk is initially easy to set up and later powerful to use. There are tons of possibilities to enhance and optimize the tool to fit your needs.

Rasmus P., Senior System Analyst

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G2 Review

A leading IT infrastructure monitoring system which helps your business easily manage servers, keep track of your applications and monitor cloud infrastructure.

Sarah J., Management Consultant

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G2 Review

Checkmk has very well-organized and easy-to-follow dashboards that display real-time data from various IT infrastructure. It’s transformed our business operations.

Jade J., Operational Risk Consultant

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G2 Review

A low-cost and extremely well-performing monitoring tool with good support from both the developers and the product community as well. 

Peter L., Principal System Engineer

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G2 Review

I sleep well knowing that if there is an issue, Checkmk will find it before users start complaining. Compared to other IT monitoring solutions, Checkmk is the most efficient platform.

George P., Lead Technical Support Engineer

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Scale predictably and transparently. No billing surprises.

Checkmk Cloud uses a transparent, service-based model that scales linearly. SolarWinds Observability is modular, meaning every new capability adds a fresh layer of cost.

Checkmk Cloud

Easy forecasting. Reduced IT workload.


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Transparent service-based subscription.
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Simple forecasting. Scaled by number of services.
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Standardized checks and rule-based scaling reduce admin overhead
Solarwinds Observability

Complex and fragmented pricing. High IT workload.


Crossed
Costs are calculated across multiple modular SKUs based on specific feature sets and entities.
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Cost forecasting requires multiple assumptions.
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Per-entity instrumentation increases IT workload.
Monitor at a glance. Resolve with a click.
Infrastructure monitoring

Cloud, server, network, container in one place

Application observability

Native OTel integration to observe any application

Advanced analytics

Queryless exploration of large volumes of data

Dynamic dashboards

Flexible, real-time dashboards

Smart alerting

Pre-set meaningful thresholds that reduce alert fatigue

Availability and SLA reporting

Out-of-the-box reporting on what matters

Automated deployment

Auto-discovery of hosts and mass roll-out of agents

Is Checkmk Cloud the right fit for you?

Checkmk Cloud is designed for teams that run hybrid IT, that:

Illustration: Checkmk monitors on-prem and cloud
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Operate hybrid

Manage complex cloud and on-premises infrastructure from a single pane of glass.

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Demand broad and deep visibility

Require full-stack insights, from serverless functions to physical hardware.

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Seek simplicity

Unify monitoring of servers, network devices, and containers into one platform with predictable costs.

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Prioritize security

Require regional data residency and encrypted, outbound-only connections to maintain the privacy and stability of the internal network.

Checkmk Cloud vs other competitors

Evaluating other alternatives? See how Checkmk Cloud compares across the monitoring landscape.

Checkmk Cloud vs Datadog

Compare an integrated platform approach with specialized cloud-native features and usage-based models.

See comparison

Checkmk Cloud vs LogicMonitor

Compare hybrid monitoring approaches, cloud-native features, and pricing models.

See comparison

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Note: competitive comparisons presented on this page are based on publicly available information, user reviews, and product documentation as of May 2026.