# Checkmk

> Infrastructure monitoring for hybrid environments, Community free or from €190 per month.

Checkmk is an infrastructure monitoring platform for servers, networks, and devices across hybrid and cloud environments. It is available as a free Community edition or starting from €190 per month when billed annually for self-hosted Pro, with Checkmk Cloud SaaS also available. Listing updated 6 September 2026. Checked by MSP Software 6 September 2026.

- Page: https://mspsoftware.net/software/checkmk
- Vendor: Checkmk GmbH, https://mspsoftware.net/vendors/checkmk, website https://checkmk.com/
- Categories: Network monitoring (primary)
- Free trial: yes. Free version: yes.
- Deployment: cloud, on-premises and hybrid. Platforms: web, Linux and Windows. HQ: Germany.
- Support: email, knowledge base and phone. Training: documentation, webinars and live online.

## From the vendor

Checkmk is an infrastructure monitoring platform from Checkmk GmbH for IT teams managing hybrid and cloud environments. It provides unified monitoring across servers, networks, containers, applications, and storage through automatic discovery, SNMP support, and over 2,000 integrations with hardware and software vendors. MSPs and enterprises use Checkmk to monitor heterogeneous infrastructure without consolidating onto a single vendor's stack, integrating with Cisco, Juniper, NetApp, Dell, and monitoring tools like Alertmanager and Graylog rather than requiring proprietary agents alone. Checkmk is available as a free Community edition supporting roughly 100 hosts, as self-hosted Pro and Ultimate editions starting from €190 per month when billed annually, or as a fully managed Checkmk Cloud SaaS offering at €240 per month (checked September 2026). All editions include access to comprehensive documentation and professional support. Community is permanently free with core monitoring features and the full integration catalog. Pro and Ultimate self-hosted editions each include a 30-day free trial, and Checkmk Cloud also offers a 30-day trial requiring no installation. Checkmk deploys on Linux (RHEL, SLES, Debian, Ubuntu), Docker containers, AWS and Azure marketplaces, or as hardware or virtual appliances, suiting MSPs who need on-premises infrastructure control as much as those preferring managed cloud hosting. The platform offers automatic network discovery, topology mapping, bandwidth and wireless monitoring, device configuration backup, configuration change detection, uptime and outage alerting, multi-site dashboards, and documented APIs for custom integrations. Checkmk is based in Germany. The Cloud offering is hosted on AWS with data centres in Frankfurt and Northern Virginia for regional data residency. Before committing, MSPs should confirm that Checkmk's service-based pricing model, where a service is any individual metric, interface, or sensor on a host, aligns with their infrastructure size.

## Our take

Checkmk stands out for vendor-agnostic monitoring across mixed infrastructure, suiting MSPs managing Cisco, Juniper, NetApp, and other multi-vendor environments. It scales from free Community for small setups to enterprise cloud deployments, without forcing consolidation onto proprietary stacks. Compare with Auvik for MSP-focused workflows or Zabbix for open-source alternatives. Checkmk's service-based pricing differs from per-host or per-site models, so test the free Community edition or request a trial to understand scaling with your device count. Verify that your specific hardware platforms, cloud providers, and third-party tools are on the current integration list before committing.

## Pricing

Checkmk starts at €190.00 per network_device per month, according to the vendor (pricing page: https://checkmk.com/pricing).

| Plan | Price | Per | Highlights |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Pro | €190.00 | network_device per month | Advanced monitoring features, Professional support, Billed annually |
| Ultimate | €275.00 | network_device per month | All Pro features, Advanced analytics, Billed annually |

## Features

| Feature | Supported | Note |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Automatic network discovery | yes | Automated discovery of hosts and services across infrastructure |
| Topology mapping | yes | Network topology visualization and mapping capabilities |
| Device configuration backup | yes | Device configuration backup and management |
| Uptime and outage alerting | yes | Uptime and outage alerting with smart alerting engine |
| Bandwidth monitoring | yes | Bandwidth and traffic monitoring across network devices |
| SNMP support | yes | Full SNMP monitoring support for network devices |
| Wireless and access point monitoring | yes | Wireless and access point monitoring capabilities |
| Configuration change detection | yes | Configuration change detection and tracking |
| Multi-site dashboard | yes | Multi-site dashboards and management capabilities |
| Remote access to devices | yes | Checkmk Relay enables indirect device monitoring and remote access |

## Integrations

- Alertmanager, https://docs.checkmk.com/latest/en/notifications_alertmanager.html
- Kubernetes, https://docs.checkmk.com/latest/en/monitoring_kubernetes.html
- Amazon AWS, https://docs.checkmk.com/latest/en/monitoring_aws.html
- Microsoft Azure, https://docs.checkmk.com/latest/en/monitoring_azure.html
- Cisco, https://checkmk.com/integrations
- Juniper Networks, https://checkmk.com/integrations
- NetApp, https://checkmk.com/integrations
- Graylog, https://checkmk.com/integrations

## Alternatives

- Cisco Meraki Dashboard: Cloud-managed network platform for wireless, switching, SD-WAN and IoT device oversight. https://mspsoftware.net/software/meraki-dashboard. Compare: https://mspsoftware.net/compare/checkmk-vs-meraki-dashboard
- LogicMonitor: Network and infrastructure monitoring with AI-powered anomaly detection, quote-only pricing. https://mspsoftware.net/software/logicmonitor. Compare: https://mspsoftware.net/compare/checkmk-vs-logicmonitor
- ManageEngine OpManager: Network monitoring for routers, switches and firewalls with automatic discovery and alerting. https://mspsoftware.net/software/manageengine-opmanager. Compare: https://mspsoftware.net/compare/checkmk-vs-manageengine-opmanager
- PRTG Network Monitor: Sensor-based network monitoring with a free tier and subscriptions from 200 dollars per month. https://mspsoftware.net/software/prtg. Compare: https://mspsoftware.net/compare/checkmk-vs-prtg

## FAQ

### How much does Checkmk cost?

Checkmk starts at €190.00 per network_device per month, according to the vendor, checked September 2026.

### Does Checkmk offer a free trial?

Checkmk offers a free trial. There is a genuinely free version.

### What does Checkmk integrate with?

Checkmk lists integrations with Alertmanager, Kubernetes, Amazon AWS, Microsoft Azure, Cisco and Juniper Networks.

### Is Checkmk cloud or on-premises?

Checkmk can be run in the cloud or on-premises. Checkmk supports a hybrid deployment.

### Who is Checkmk for?

MSPs report using Checkmk at sizes of 6-15, 16-50, 51-200 and 200+ technicians.

### Is Checkmk free to use?

Checkmk offers a free Community edition permanently available for small infrastructures up to roughly 100 hosts. Community includes the full integration catalog and core monitoring features. Pro and Ultimate paid editions add advanced features and analytics; both offer 30-day free trials before committing to a subscription. Checkmk Cloud SaaS also includes a 30-day trial requiring no installation.

### How is Checkmk priced and what does it cover?

Checkmk uses service-based pricing where a service is any individual aspect of a host such as a file system, interface, metric, or sensor. Pro starts at €190 per month billed annually, and Ultimate from €275 per month billed annually (checked September 2026). Checkmk Cloud SaaS is €240 per month and is fully managed by Checkmk. Pricing reflects the number of services monitored rather than a fixed per-host or per-site fee, so MSPs with many metrics per device should test the free Community edition to understand scaling.

### Can Checkmk monitor infrastructure from multiple vendors?

Yes, Checkmk is designed for vendor-agnostic monitoring and integrates with over 2,000 platform and vendor technologies. It monitors Cisco, Juniper, F5, Fortinet firewalls, NetApp and EMC storage, Dell and HP servers, and third-party monitoring tools like Graylog and Alertmanager without requiring a single-vendor stack. MSPs managing heterogeneous infrastructure can consolidate monitoring without forcing customers onto proprietary hardware or software platforms.

### Where can Checkmk be deployed?

Checkmk offers multiple deployment options. Self-hosted editions run on Linux (RHEL, SLES, Debian, Ubuntu), Docker containers, AWS and Azure marketplaces, or as physical or virtual appliances, giving MSPs full control over infrastructure. Checkmk Cloud is a fully managed SaaS option hosted on AWS with data centres in Frankfurt and Northern Virginia, providing options for data residency compliance across regions.

### What support and training does Checkmk include?

All Checkmk editions include professional support with varying response times depending on edition. The vendor provides extensive documentation via docs.checkmk.com, webinars, and live online training to help MSPs and IT teams get started. The Community edition is supported through community forums and the public documentation, while paid Pro, Ultimate, and Cloud editions include guaranteed support response times and direct vendor assistance.