What network monitoring features matter most for remote teams?

Cloud-native agent management (no VPN needed), built-in remote access and troubleshooting, zero-trust device compliance checks, automated patching that works over any internet connection, and asset visibility across home networks and coworking spaces.

Can network monitoring tools work without VPN?

Cloud-native tools like NinjaOne, JumpCloud, and Action1 communicate over HTTPS without VPN dependency. On-premises platforms (SCCM, BigFix) require VPN or cloud management gateways for remote endpoints.

How do remote teams handle endpoint security with network monitoring software?

The best approach combines device posture checks (OS version, encryption status, antivirus state) with conditional access policies. Cloud-native tools enforce compliance at every check-in, not only when the device connects to the corporate network.

Best network monitoring tools for remote and distributed teams in 2026

Remote and distributed teams need network monitoring tools that work outside the corporate network: cloud-native management, zero-trust device posture checks, built-in remote access, and policy enforcement that doesn't depend on VPN connectivity. These tools handle the operational reality of managing endpoints you can't physically reach.

Use this page alongside the full Network Monitoring category hub for deeper evaluation criteria, or browse the software directory to search across all tools. For methodology context, read how we review software and how rankings work. Our IT calculators can help build a business case before vendor conversations begin.

5 built for remote teams highlighted below, plus 5 more in this category.

Network Monitoring tools compared

Every tool on this page, with the price each vendor actually publishes, its deployment model and its own authored best-fit line. The chips filter these rows and state how many each one holds.

10 network monitoring tools compared on published price, deployment, best fit and main tradeoff.
Tool	Published price	Deployment	Free trial	Best for	Main tradeoff	Vendor link
PRTG	€1,799 a year for 500 sensors, from ITCommons' March 17, 2026 check; not re-verified since	Cloud / On-prem	Yes	PRTG is best for internal IT teams and network engineers managing heterogeneous infrastructure, mixed device vendors, industrial or IoT components, cloud services alongside on-premises…	Sensor count planning adds a persistent administrative overhead: PRTG's sensor-based pricing means every monitoring decision has a licensing implication	Visit Website
Auvik	quote only	Cloud	Yes	Auvik is best for MSPs managing multiple client networks who need consistent network visibility without manual topology setup per engagement, and for internal IT teams supporting distributed…	Cloud-only deployment excludes organizations with on-premises requirements: Auvik is entirely SaaS	Get Pricing Details
Datadog Infrastructure	$15 per host per month on Pro billed annually, or $18 on-demand, verified October 16, 2026	Cloud	Yes	Datadog Infrastructure is best for cloud-native engineering teams running production workloads on AWS, Azure, or GCP that need unified infrastructure metrics with deep container and…	Cost complexity and billing surprises are the dominant adoption risk: Datadog's per-host pricing looks simple at $15 or $23 per host per month, but the total bill is shaped by variables that…	Visit Website
Domotz	£35 per Collector per month, or £20 per home per month for residential integrators	Cloud	Yes	Domotz is best for MSPs, IT teams, and AV integrators managing multi-site environments who need network-layer monitoring, device discovery, remote access, and topology mapping with published…	No endpoint management or patch management: Domotz monitors networks and network-connected devices	Visit Website
LogicMonitor	$16 per Hybrid Unit per month on Essentials, up to 999 Hybrid Units	Cloud	No	LogicMonitor is best for mid-market and enterprise IT operations teams managing hybrid infrastructure across on-premises data centers and one or more cloud providers (AWS, Azure, GCP) who…	Hybrid unit conversion ratios require careful cost modeling: While LogicMonitor now publishes per-unit pricing, the hybrid unit conversion ratios add complexity that can obscure actual costs	Get Pricing Details
Checkmk	Free on Community; paid self-hosted from €190 per month, billed annually	Cloud / On-prem	Yes	Checkmk is best for IT and DevOps teams managing heterogeneous infrastructure, a mix of network devices, Linux and Windows servers, cloud workloads, and containers, who want a single…	Steep learning curve compared to cloud-native monitoring tools: Checkmk's configuration model, hosts, folders, host tags, service discovery, WATO (Web Administration Tool), notification…	Visit Website
ManageEngine OpManager	About $245 for 10 devices on Standard, from ITCommons' March 17, 2026 check; not re-verified since	Cloud / On-prem	Yes	ManageEngine OpManager is best for IT teams managing traditional on-premises network infrastructure, routers, switches, firewalls, Windows servers, and VMware, who need a single monitoring…	Add-on architecture significantly increases all-in cost: Traffic analysis (NetFlow Analyzer), firewall log analysis (Firewall Analyzer), application performance monitoring (Application…	Get Pricing Details
Nagios XI	$1,995 perpetual for 50 nodes on Standard, or $495 a year as a subscription, from ITCommons' March 17, 2026 check; not re-verified	On-prem	Yes	Nagios XI is best for IT operations teams with Linux administration skills that need on-premises, deeply customizable infrastructure monitoring with transparent perpetual licensing…	Steep learning curve and complex initial setup: Nagios XI requires genuine Linux system administration skills to deploy and configure properly	Get Pricing Details
Site24x7	$9 a month for 10 basic monitors billed annually, from ITCommons' March 17, 2026 check; not re-verified since	Cloud	Yes	Site24x7 is best for IT operations and DevOps teams that need all-in-one monitoring, website, server, network, APM, cloud infrastructure, and real user monitoring, from a single console at a…	UI is functional but cluttered, finding settings feels like a scavenger hunt: Site24x7's interface packs enormous functionality into a dashboard that reviewers consistently describe as…	Visit Website
SolarWinds NPM	Around $1,638 a year for small environments, from ITCommons' March 17, 2026 check; not re-verified, and no element count is attached to it	On-prem	No	SolarWinds NPM is best for IT operations teams managing large, multi-vendor on-premises networks where deep SNMP polling, NetFlow traffic analysis, hardware-specific monitoring (Cisco ASA…	On-prem deployment requires dedicated Windows Server and SQL Server infrastructure: SolarWinds NPM runs on Windows Server and requires a separate SQL Server instance for the Orion database	Get Pricing Details

Showing 10 of 10. Published price means the vendor states a figure on its own pricing page; quote only means it states none. Best for is each tool's own authored best-fit line, and reads "Not stated" where no such line exists rather than repeating the deployment column.

Built for remote teams

PRTG

Sensor-based · Cloud / On-prem · Free trial

PRTG is a strong choice for IT teams that need deep, customizable monitoring of complex and heterogeneous infrastructure and are willing to invest the setup time that sensor-based configuration requires.

Best for: PRTG is best for internal IT teams and network engineers managing heterogeneous infrastructure, mixed device vendors, industrial or IoT components, cloud services alongside on-premises hardware, where

View profileContact vendor for exact pricing and packaging details.

Auvik

Custom quote · Cloud · Free trial

Auvik earns its position on the shortlist for MSPs that onboard new networks regularly and need consistent visibility without spending engineering time on setup.

Best for: Auvik is best for MSPs managing multiple client networks who need consistent network visibility without manual topology setup per engagement, and for internal IT teams supporting distributed offices w

View profileContact vendor for exact pricing and packaging details.

Datadog Infrastructure

Host-based · Cloud · Free trial

Datadog Infrastructure is the strongest unified infrastructure monitoring platform available for cloud-native teams that need breadth, integration depth, and correlation across metrics, logs, and traces in a single product.

Best for: Datadog Infrastructure is best for cloud-native engineering teams running production workloads on AWS, Azure, or GCP that need unified infrastructure metrics with deep container and Kubernetes visibil

View profileContact vendor for exact pricing and packaging details.

Domotz

Per-network · Cloud · Free trial

Domotz is the clearest choice when a team needs network-layer monitoring and remote access across distributed sites with published, predictable pricing and fast deployment, without needing endpoint management, patching, or ITSM from the same tool.

Best for: Domotz is best for MSPs, IT teams, and AV integrators managing multi-site environments who need network-layer monitoring, device discovery, remote access, and topology mapping with published per-devic

View profileContact vendor for exact pricing and packaging details.

LogicMonitor

Custom quote · Cloud

LogicMonitor is a mature, capable hybrid observability platform that earns its place on enterprise shortlists through integration breadth, automated discovery, and genuine hybrid infrastructure coverage rather than through the lowest price point.

Best for: LogicMonitor is best for mid-market and enterprise IT operations teams managing hybrid infrastructure across on-premises data centers and one or more cloud providers (AWS, Azure, GCP) who need unified

View profileContact vendor for exact pricing and packaging details.

Other network monitoring tools

These tools are part of the network monitoring category but may not match the for remote teams filter above. Worth reviewing if the primary options don't fit.

Checkmk

Host-based · Cloud / On-prem · Free trial

Checkmk earns a strong position on any shortlist where the team needs a single monitoring platform to cover network infrastructure, Linux and Windows servers, cloud environments, and containers simultaneously, especially if there is an appetite for self-hosted deployment and the technical capability to manage a Linux server.

View profileContact vendor for exact pricing and packaging details.

ManageEngine OpManager

Custom quote · Cloud / On-prem · Free trial

ManageEngine OpManager earns its place on a network monitoring shortlist primarily through two practical advantages: published pricing that enables self-guided commercial evaluation, and a comprehensive feature set covering network, server, and virtualization monitoring from a single on-premises deployment.

View profileContact vendor for exact pricing and packaging details.

Nagios XI

Custom quote · On-prem · Free trial

Nagios XI is the right choice when a team needs deeply customizable, on-premises infrastructure monitoring with perpetual licensing and complete data sovereignty, and has the Linux administration skills to configure and maintain it.

View profileContact vendor for exact pricing and packaging details.

Site24x7

Host-based · Cloud · Free trial

Site24x7 is the strongest choice when a team needs broad monitoring coverage, website, server, network, APM, cloud, and real user monitoring, from a single platform at a fraction of what Datadog or Dynatrace charges.

View profileContact vendor for exact pricing and packaging details.

SolarWinds NPM

Custom quote · On-prem

SolarWinds NPM is the strongest choice when a team needs deep SNMP-based monitoring across a large, multi-vendor on-premises network with mature alerting, topology mapping, and cross-stack data correlation.

View profileContact vendor for exact pricing and packaging details.

For Remote Teams FAQ for network monitoring

What network monitoring features matter most for remote teams?: Cloud-native agent management (no VPN needed), built-in remote access and troubleshooting, zero-trust device compliance checks, automated patching that works over any internet connection, and asset visibility across home networks and coworking spaces.
Can network monitoring tools work without VPN?: Cloud-native tools like NinjaOne, JumpCloud, and Action1 communicate over HTTPS without VPN dependency. On-premises platforms (SCCM, BigFix) require VPN or cloud management gateways for remote endpoints.
How do remote teams handle endpoint security with network monitoring software?: The best approach combines device posture checks (OS version, encryption status, antivirus state) with conditional access policies. Cloud-native tools enforce compliance at every check-in, not only when the device connects to the corporate network.

Next steps for network monitoring

Return to the Network Monitoring category hub for the full evaluation framework, including buying criteria, pricing context, and deployment guidance across every tool in this space. You can also explore free tools and open source options within this category. Once the shortlist narrows to two or three finalists, open a head-to-head comparison to see exactly where the remaining candidates differ on pricing, workflow depth, and deployment fit.