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Kentik is a network intelligence platform for network operations, multi-cloud infrastructure, DDoS and traffic investigations. Its listed starting price is $2,000, with annual pricing, so teams weighing a smaller initial commitment or self-hosted metrics should compare alternatives. The options below range from Prometheus and Zabbix, which you operate, to hosted observability platforms. Before moving network workflows, check API coverage, data export, integration requirements and production limits with each vendor.
01Why people leave Kentik
High starting price and annual pricing
Kentik starts at $2,000 and uses annual pricing. Compare the total cost and commitment against your traffic volume and the alternatives’ pricing models.
Integration details need verification
Confirm the APIs, SDKs and integrations your network workflows depend on before migration; Kentik’s integration details need checking.
Preference for self-hosted metrics
Teams that want control over metric storage can compare open-source, self-hostable options such as Prometheus and Zabbix.
02The alternatives, ranked by fit
- Self-hosted metrics
PrometheusPrometheusPrometheus is an open-source, self-hostable metrics system with PromQL and no usage fees, making it a fit if you want to own metric storage instead of paying for a hosted network intelligence platform. You run the servers, and migration means planning collection and storage around your existing metrics. Check how your network data maps to Prometheus before switching.
Trade-off: You operate the servers and build the surrounding workflows.
7.8/10from
Freefree plan - Telemetry dashboards
GrafanaGrafanaGrafana is open source, has a free plan and suits teams already using OpenTelemetry or Prometheus. It offers a broad observability platform for bringing telemetry signals into dashboards, rather than a like-for-like network intelligence replacement. Compare API coverage and data export for your integrations, and model costs against telemetry use: bills can grow as usage increases.
Trade-off: Telemetry growth can raise bills; validate network-specific coverage.
7.6/10from
$19/mofree plan - Self-hosted infrastructure
ZabbixZabbixZabbix is an open-source, self-hostable infrastructure monitoring option with no per-device license fees. It can suit teams avoiding a usage-based or device-based bill and wanting to run monitoring themselves. Plan for hands-on setup and tuning, and confirm that its monitoring workflows cover the network and traffic investigations you currently run through Kentik.
Trade-off: Setup and tuning require operational effort.
7.8/10from
Freefree plan - Unified observability
DatadogDatadogDatadog fits teams consolidating observability and security across Kubernetes and cloud infrastructure. Its listed starting price is $500, but usage costs and telemetry hygiene need close attention as data volume grows. Compare its API and SDK coverage with the integrations in your network workflows, and estimate cost using your expected telemetry rather than the starting price alone.
Trade-off: Usage costs require telemetry controls and ongoing review.
6.2/10from
$500/mo - Lower-cost entry
New RelicNew RelicNew Relic is a hosted observability platform with a free plan and a listed starting price of $10. It can suit teams consolidating application and infrastructure monitoring or starting within the free ingest allowance. Check how ingest and user costs change at your expected scale, then verify that its integrations cover the network signals you need to move.
Trade-off: Ingest and user costs can rise as you scale.
7.2/10from
$10/mofree plan - Broad observability
DynatraceDynatraceDynatrace offers broad observability and automation, with a listed starting price of $7. It may fit Kubernetes and cloud-native teams consolidating tracing and user monitoring with infrastructure data. Treat the starting price as a comparison point, not a production estimate: verify integrations and expected costs with the vendor before migrating network workflows.
Trade-off: Confirm integration coverage and production costs before committing.
7.1/10from
$7/mo - Network path analysis
ThousandEyesThousandEyesThousandEyes is the closest fit here for tracing user-to-application network paths and investigating delivery issues across domains. It suits global SaaS experience monitoring and Cisco-heavy network operations. Pricing is enterprise-oriented, so get a quote and confirm developer access and API coverage before choosing it as a Kentik replacement.
Trade-off: Expect enterprise pricing; confirm developer access before committing.
6.4/10from
Custom
03Side by side
| Tool | Score | From | Free plan | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Kentik Kentik (current) | 6.8 | $2,000/mo | Yes | Network operations teams |
| Prometheus Prometheus | 7.8 | Free | Yes | Teams monitoring systems and services |
| Grafana Grafana | 7.6 | $19/mo | Yes | Teams consolidating telemetry signals |
| Zabbix Zabbix | 7.8 | Free | Yes | Teams with self-hosting capacity |
| Datadog Datadog | 6.2 | $500/mo | No | Teams consolidating observability and security |
| New Relic New Relic | 7.2 | $10/mo | Yes | Teams consolidating observability tools |
| Dynatrace Dynatrace | 7.1 | $7/mo | No | Teams consolidating observability tools |
| ThousandEyes ThousandEyes | 6.4 | Custom | No | Tracing user-to-application network paths |
Questions people ask
Which Kentik alternatives are open source?
Prometheus, Grafana and Zabbix are listed as open source. Prometheus and Zabbix are also self-hostable. Prometheus provides metrics and PromQL, while Zabbix is aimed at infrastructure monitoring. Grafana is a broader observability platform; compare each tool’s data model and integration fit with the network workflows you need to keep.
Which alternative is best for network path analysis?
ThousandEyes is the strongest fit among these options for tracing user-to-application network paths and global SaaS experience. Its pricing is enterprise-oriented, and developer access should be confirmed before committing. If you need broader metrics storage instead, compare Prometheus and Zabbix, while accounting for the work of running and tuning them.
What should developers check before replacing Kentik?
Map the network signals, alerts and integrations your teams rely on, then verify API and SDK coverage, data export, retention and production limits with each vendor. Estimate costs using expected telemetry and users, not just a starting price. For self-hosted options, include the server operations and tuning work in the migration plan.