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SPECIFICTION
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Observium

observium.org

Free plan WebLinuxAPISelf-hosted
Visit observium.org
Spec score 7.9 #13 of 26 in Network Performance Monitoring Software

What it is

Observium is a self-hosted network monitoring and management platform for discovering devices and services, collecting performance measurements, and producing alerts. Its web interface combines network status, live metrics, and historical data. Automatic discovery can find supported devices and metrics, while discovery protocols create network maps. The supported-device catalogue lists 825 platform definitions, 367 named vendors, 21 device classes, and 916 associated MIBs. Professional Edition adds threshold alerts for entity types and traffic accounting based on transferred data or the 95th percentile. The platform provides email, SMS, webhook, and mobile alert channels, plus synthetic checks, traffic monitoring, and topology maps. A RESTful API supports custom integrations and automation. Listed integrations include collectd, munin, smokeping, and RANCID, with collectors for Apache, BIND, DRBD, Memcached, MySQL, and NFS. Community is free; Professional is billed at £250/yr and Enterprise at £1500 / yr.

Spec sheet

Purpose
Observium is a network monitoring and management platform that discovers devices and services, collects performance metrics, and generates alerts.Read 8 Oct 2026 · observium.org
Intended users
The maker describes Community as suited to home use, evaluation, labs, and small non-critical deployments, Professional for SMEs and ISPs, and Enterprise for large enterprises.Read 8 Oct 2026 · observium.org
API
The feature comparison lists a RESTful API, and the documentation describes it as available for custom integrations and automation.Read 8 Oct 2026 · observium.org
Integrations
The site lists integrations with collectd, munin, smokeping, and RANCID, with supplied collectors including Apache, BIND, DRBD, Memcached, MySQL, and NFS.Read 8 Oct 2026 · observium.org
Support
Enterprise includes 10 hours of support time; the Community documentation points users to informal support through Discord, IRC, and a mailing list.Read 8 Oct 2026 · observium.org
Headquarters
Ramsey, Isle of ManRead 28 Sep 2026 · observium.org
Founded
2007Read 28 Sep 2026 · observium.org
Company
The site identifies Observium Limited as registered in the Isle of Man and gives its address as Viking House, Ramsey, IM8 1GB.Read 8 Oct 2026 · observium.org
Alerting
Professional Edition provides threshold alerting for different entity types, and creates alert entries during discovery.Read 8 Oct 2026 · observium.org
Community release cadence
Community Edition is distributed as six-monthly tar.gz releases under the QPL Open Source license, with updates and new features on a 6-to-12-month cycle.Read 8 Oct 2026 · observium.org
Device coverage
The supported-device page lists 825 platform definitions, 367 named vendors, 21 device classes, and 916 associated MIBs.Read 8 Oct 2026 · observium.org
Discovery
Observium supports automatic discovery of supported devices and metrics, plus network mapping through discovery protocols.Read 8 Oct 2026 · observium.org
License and eligibility
Professional subscriptions are available free of charge to registered charities and open-source projects.Read 8 Oct 2026 · observium.org
Subscription updates
Professional and Enterprise editions use an SVN-based release mechanism that provides daily security and bug fixes and new features.Read 8 Oct 2026 · observium.org
Traffic accounting
Professional Edition traffic accounting supports billing measurements by total transferred data and 95th percentile.Read 8 Oct 2026 · observium.org
Web interface
Its web interface displays network status, real-time performance metrics, and historical data.Read 8 Oct 2026 · observium.org

Plans and prices

Community Free Unlimited monitored devices, ports and sensors · intended for home labs and small non-critical deployments Read 8 Oct 2026 · observium.org
Enterprise Price not published £1500 / yr Unlimited monitored devices, ports and sensors · includes 10 hours of support · ideal for large enterprises Read 8 Oct 2026 · observium.org
Professional Price not published £250 / yr Unlimited monitored devices, ports and sensors · ideal for SME and ISPs Read 8 Oct 2026 · observium.org

Every Observium plan and price →

Strong points and limits

Strong points

  • Free Community plan covers unlimited monitored devices
  • Broad catalogue of platforms, vendors, classes, and MIBs
  • Automatic discovery and topology mapping
  • RESTful API for integrations and automation
  • Multiple alert channels and synthetic checks

Limits

  • Community releases arrive only every six months
  • Professional is billed at £250/yr
  • Enterprise support is limited to 10 hours
  • Self-hosted deployment requires your own infrastructure

Who it suits

Community suits home use, evaluation, labs, and small non-critical deployments. Professional targets SMEs and ISPs, while Enterprise is intended for large enterprises.

Verdict

Observium combines broad device coverage with discovery, charts, alerts, traffic accounting, and a REST API. The free Community edition is aimed at smaller, non-critical deployments, while paid editions add operational features and support.

Where Specifiction places it

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