Akvorado vs SparrowIQ
Akvorado
akvorado.netSparrowIQ
sparrowiq.comSide by side
| Figure | Akvorado | SparrowIQ |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | — | — |
| Free plan | — | — |
| Free trial | — | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | — | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | — |
| Linux | Yes | — |
| iOS | — | Yes |
| Android | — | Yes |
| API | Yes | — |
| Self-hosted | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 0 | 4 |
| Spec score · Network Traffic Analysis Software | 8.1 (#4) | 7.2 (#18) |
| Spec score · Bandwidth Monitoring Software | 8.1 (#9) | 7.3 (#27) |
| Deployment | Akvorado is available as a Docker image or a prebuilt binary; the documented prebuilt binary is for Linux x86-64. | The network can be monitored through a switch SPAN or mirror port, or through a network tap. |
| Purpose | Akvorado collects network flows, enriches them with metadata, and provides a web interface to explore the data. | SparrowIQ provides network traffic analysis and visibility alongside existing network management systems. |
| Support | The project directs users to its documentation and GitHub Discussions for help, and asks them to read troubleshooting guidance before opening a discussion. | Technical support is available by email, and customers with an active maintenance package can open a support ticket. |
Plans
SparrowIQ
- SparrowIQ 15Priced on request
- SparrowIQ 30Priced on request
- SparrowIQ 30+Priced on request
- SparrowIQ 7Priced on request
In their own words
Akvorado
Akvorado is free network-flow software that receives NetFlow, IPFIX, and sFlow records, enriches them, and exposes the results through a web interface. Its inlet forwards incoming flows to Kafka. The outlet parses and augments them before sending data to ClickHouse. SNMP can supply exporter and interface details, while IPinfo or MaxMind can add geographic information. Optional BGP routes received through BMP contribute AS numbers, AS paths, and communities. A Grafana plugin is available, and the inlet, outlet, orchestrator, and console expose HTTP metrics. Written in Go, Akvorado is delivered as a single binary or Docker image, but deployment requires Kafka and ClickHouse. Recommended resources are 8 vCPUs, 100 GB disk, and 16 GB RAM, with AMD64 or ARM64 listed. The console expects an authenticating proxy to provide user headers. Relational data can use SQLite, MySQL, or PostgreSQL; without one, data remains in memory and disappears on restart. Downgrades are unsupported. The license is AGPLv3.
SparrowIQ
SparrowIQ analyzes network traffic and adds visibility alongside existing network management systems. Its dashboard updates automatically with summaries of bandwidth use, applications, destinations and timing, with interactive drilldowns. Users can set email alerts when a user, group or application exceeds its share of network resources, and generate daily, weekly or monthly reports, from executive summaries to individual activity. Monitoring uses a switch SPAN or mirror port, or a network tap. SparrowIQ examines traffic headers rather than payload data and stores analyzed information in a database on the local PC. It is installed on a Windows PC, with a browser interface accessible from a PC, Mac or mobile device, including remotely through the installation machine. The product is aimed at smaller businesses with limited technical resources, time and budget. Paid plans require a quote and can be billed monthly or annually; plan limits vary by throughput, concurrent users, reporting history and alerts. A free 15-day trial is available without a credit card.