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It's a split decision.
Nagios XI fits teams that want self-hosted infrastructure checks, active polling, and a plugin-based path from Nagios Core. Its free edition tops out at 7 nodes or 100 services; paid licenses scale by node tier. New Relic fits teams that want hosted application, infrastructure, log, security, and user-experience monitoring, with OpenTelemetry and Kubernetes among its named ecosystem targets. Compare Nagios node tiers with New Relic’s ingest and seat costs: they scale on different meters.
01Side by side
| Nagios XI | New Relic | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | One-time node-tier licenses; first support year included | Per-user plans; ingest and add-ons can add costs |
| Free tier | Up to 7 nodes or 100 services | 100 GB monthly ingest; one full-platform user |
| Open source and licence | Open source; licence name not specified | Open-source status not specified |
| Self-hosting | Self-hostable | Hosted observability platform |
| Integrations | Thousands of plugins, including NCPA, NRPE, and NSCA | Mentions OpenTelemetry, Kubernetes, LLMs, and agents |
| Platforms | Windows and Linux | Web |
| Limits and scaling | Node tiers; 2,000+ nodes require sales | Ingest charges; Standard caps full-platform users at five |
| Deployment model | Self-hosted, active-polling monitor | Hosted observability service |
Nagios XI Choose Nagios XI if
- Choose Nagios XI if you need to self-host monitoring.
- Choose Nagios XI if you already run Nagios Core.
- Choose Nagios XI if node-based licensing fits your budget.
New Relic Choose New Relic if
- Choose New Relic if you need hosted observability across software systems.
- Choose New Relic if you monitor Kubernetes and cloud-native infrastructure.
- Choose New Relic if application, log, and user-experience data belong together.
02Pricing at real usage
Nagios XI’s Free Edition costs $0 and stops at 7 nodes or 100 services, whichever comes first. Its 30-day free trial is separate. Paid Standard licenses are one-time, node-tier purchases: $2,595 for 100 nodes and $14,995 for 1,000; Enterprise is $4,690 and $17,090 at those tiers. Both include unlimited services per licensed node and the first year of Maintenance & Support. Renewal prices are not published, and 2,000+ node pricing requires sales.
New Relic Free includes 100 GB of monthly ingest, one full-platform user, unlimited basic users, and at least eight days of retention. Standard starts at $10 monthly for its first full-platform user, then $99 per additional user, capped at five; ingest beyond 100 GB is $0.40/GB. Pro costs $349/user/month annually or $418.80 month to month. Model ingest and seats before rollout.
03API, SDKs and integration
Neither product homepage specifies API styles, language SDKs, a CLI, or developer documentation. Confirm those details before choosing either product as a foundation for custom automation.
Nagios XI’s integration model centers on its plugin architecture. The product supports thousands of plugins and add-ons, including NCPA, NRPE, and NSCA. Active polling checks device health, service availability, and performance across monitored systems. Teams moving from Nagios Core can use XI’s enterprise dashboards and easier configuration, though a review notes configuration and migration work.
New Relic’s homepage names OpenTelemetry, Kubernetes, cloud environments, LLMs, agents, and microservices. Its platform covers application, infrastructure, log, security, AI, and digital-experience monitoring. Those are useful integration targets to verify against your existing telemetry pipeline; the homepage does not specify SDK languages or CLI workflows. Check the vendor’s current developer documentation for ingestion methods, supported libraries, and automation interfaces.
04Open source, self-hosting and lock-in
Nagios XI is open source and self-hostable, but Nagios does not name its licence on the product homepage. Confirm the licence terms before redistributing or modifying it. New Relic does not state its open-source status or a self-hosted option on its homepage; a review describes it as a hosted observability platform.
Nagios positions XI as a step up from Nagios Core, with enterprise dashboards and easier configuration. Its plugin model offers flexibility, but a review notes configuration and migration work. Neither product homepage describes data-export formats or an exit path. Before standardizing on New Relic’s ingest and query workflows, ask about exporting telemetry, dashboards, alerts, and data subject to retention limits. For Nagios, confirm how configuration and plugins move between Core and XI.
Questions people ask
Is Nagios XI cheaper than New Relic?
They use different billing units, so the cheaper option depends on your deployment. Nagios XI charges a one-time fee by node tier, with the first support year included. New Relic charges by user on paid plans and can add ingest and other usage costs. Compare your node count, users, and data volume.
Can I self-host Nagios XI or New Relic?
Nagios XI is self-hostable and monitors systems through active polling. New Relic is described as a hosted observability platform; its homepage does not state a self-hosted option. If deployment control is a requirement, confirm New Relic’s available deployment choices with the vendor.
What do the free plans include?
Nagios XI Free covers up to 7 nodes or 100 services, whichever comes first. New Relic Free includes 100 GB of monthly data ingest, one full-platform user, unlimited basic users, 500 synthetic checks, and at least eight days of data retention.
Can New Relic replace Nagios XI?
They overlap in infrastructure monitoring, but their operating models differ. Nagios XI is self-hostable and plugin-based, with active polling and a path from Nagios Core. New Relic is a hosted platform spanning application, infrastructure, logs, security, and digital experience. Compare required checks and deployment constraints.