Comparing MRTG with PRTG Traffic Grapher

While MRTG offers a free, open-source freeware solution, Paessler PRTG provides comprehensive network monitoring software capabilities that have helped organizations achieve up to 80% cost reduction in their overall monitoring operations. This detailed comparison examines both solutions to help you make an informed decision for your network monitoring needs.

The choice between MRTG and PRTG for your network bandwidth monitoring is - to some extent - a matter of how comfortable you are with configuration files, manual installation, and adding additional functionality over time. However, modern IT infrastructure demands go beyond basic traffic graphs and require comprehensive network performance monitoring across diverse operating systems including Linux, Unix, and Windows environments.

Cost of Ownership: MRTG vs PRTG Analysis

While MRTG appears cost-effective as a free solution, the hidden costs of manual configuration, maintenance, and limited functionality often result in higher total cost of ownership. Multiple case studies demonstrate that organizations migrating from MRTG to PRTG achieve an 80% reduction in operational costs due to automated setup, comprehensive monitoring capabilities, and reduced administrative overhead.

Key Cost Factors:

• MRTG: Free software + high administrative time + limited functionality + manual maintenance
• PRTG: Subscription cost + minimal setup time + comprehensive features + automated maintenance

Understanding MRTG: The Multi Router Traffic Grapher

MRTG (Multi Router Traffic Grapher) is an open-source freeware network monitoring tool designed specifically for monitoring network traffic on router interfaces and network devices. Developed in the 1990s, MRTG has served as a reliable solution for basic traffic analysis and bandwidth monitoring.

MRTG Key Features:

• Free and Open Source: No licensing costs
• SNMP-Based Monitoring: Uses SNMP v1/v2c protocols for collecting network performance metrics
• Static HTML Reports: Generates basic traffic graphs and HTML pages for web-based visualization
• Simple Traffic Graphing: Focuses solely on in/out bandwidth usage measurements and basic metrics
• Lightweight: Minimal system resource requirements

MRTG Limitations:

• Manual Configuration: Requires extensive command-line setup
• Limited Alerting: Basic threshold notifications only
• No Real-Time Interface: Static HTML pages with periodic updates, lacking real-time network performance monitoring
• Single Metric Focus: Primarily monitors traffic volume without comprehensive IT infrastructure metrics like CPU, memory, or uptime monitoring
• Scalability Issues: Becomes unwieldy with large network deployments across multiple operating systems and network devices

PRTG Network Monitor: Comprehensive Network Monitoring

Paessler PRTG Network Monitor represents a modern approach to network monitoring, extending far beyond simple traffic graphs to provide comprehensive IT infrastructure monitoring capabilities across diverse operating systems, firewalls, and network devices.

Modern Features Only PRTG Provides:

Paessler PRTG's traffic monitoring capabilities extend far beyond MRTG's basic functionality with advanced features including:

• Real-time dashboards with live network performance data and customizable visualization for comprehensive performance monitoring
• Automated network discovery that identifies network devices, Cisco equipment, firewalls, and creates appropriate sensors automatically
• Comprehensive alerting system with multiple notification methods (email, SMS, push notifications, SNMP traps) for proactive troubleshooting
• Distributed monitoring capabilities for multi-site networks
• Traffic classification by source or destination for advanced traffic monitoring and network management
• Quality of Service (QoS) parameter measurement
• Unusual network activity detection for security monitoring and automated troubleshooting

PRTG Advanced Monitoring Technologies:

Paessler PRTG offers multiple traffic monitoring technologies including:

• Packet sniffing (recommended for connections under 50 Mbit/s)
• NetFlow v5/v9, sFlow, IPFIX, and jFlow support for comprehensive network traffic analysis
• SNMP Traffic sensors with SNMP v2c or v3 protocol support for monitoring Cisco devices and firewalls
• Custom channel definitions for detailed traffic analysis and performance monitoring metrics
• IPv4 and IPv6 network support

Feature-by-Feature Comparison: MRTG vs PRTG

Installation and Setup: A Critical Difference

MRTG Setup Process:

1. Manual installation and configuration
2. Command-line configuration file editing
3. SNMP community string setup for network devices
4. Web server configuration for HTML pages and graphs viewing
5. Cron job scheduling for data collection
6. Manual creation of each monitoring target

PRTG Setup Process:

1. Download and run installer
2. Access user-friendly web-based configuration interface
3. Run automated network discovery across network devices, Cisco equipment, and firewalls
4. Review and confirm discovered devices
5. Begin monitoring immediately

Ready to experience the difference? Start your free 30-day PRTG trial and monitor up to 100 sensors at no cost.

Scalability and Performance Considerations

MRTG Scalability Limitations:

• Manual scaling: Each new network device requires individual configuration across different operating systems
• Performance degradation: Large IT infrastructure deployments become difficult for network management
• Limited concurrent monitoring: Single-threaded data collection affects network performance metrics gathering
• Storage limitations: Basic RRD database structure

PRTG Scalability Advantages:

• Automated scaling: Auto-discovery with automation handles network growth across operating systems
• Distributed monitoring: Remote probes for multi-site deployments
• High-performance database: Optimized for monitoring system data storage (outperforms SQL servers)
• Load distribution: Multiple probes share monitoring workload

PRTG Network Monitor supports monitoring for up to several thousand sensors per installation and can work with remote probes to distribute high monitoring loads across multiple sites. The platform includes an in-depth report generator creating on-demand or scheduled reports in HTML, PDF, CSV, or XML formats, with multiple pre-built templates available.

User Experience and Interface Comparison

MRTG User Experience:

MRTG serves basic traffic monitoring needs for organizations comfortable with manual configuration and limited functionality across Linux and Unix systems, though modern IT infrastructure typically requires more comprehensive monitoring capabilities that Paessler PRTG provides out-of-the-box. The user interface consists of static HTML pages with basic traffic graphs and limited visualization that update periodically.

PRTG User Experience:

Paessler PRTG's graphics engine provides user-friendly live graphs and historic data visualization, while network analysis modules automatically discover network devices, Cisco equipment, firewalls, and AWS resources to create appropriate sensors. The monitoring system supports distributed monitoring across different locations and includes special features for managed service providers (MSPs) to monitor customer IT infrastructure effectively.

Key Interface Benefits:

• Single Page Application (SPA): Web-based interface avoids time-intensive page reloading
• Customizable dashboards: Real-time network performance data with multiple visualization and graphs options
• Mobile-responsive design: Full functionality across devices
• Multi-language support: Available in 9 languages

Advanced Monitoring Capabilities

What MRTG Cannot Do:

• Application monitoring: Limited to basic traffic metrics without comprehensive performance monitoring
• Server health monitoring: No CPU, memory, or disk space performance monitoring across operating systems
• Database monitoring: Cannot track SQL database performance or metrics
• Cloud service monitoring: No support for modern cloud platforms like AWS
• Security monitoring: Limited threat detection and troubleshooting capabilities

PRTG's Comprehensive Monitoring:

Paessler PRTG monitoring solution can monitor:

• Uptimes, downtimes, and slow servers
• System health of hardware devices
• Network devices and bandwidth utilization
• Applications and virtual servers
• Service level agreements (SLAs)
• System usage (CPU load, memory, disk space) across different operating systems
• Database performance and SQL table values
• Email servers and cloud services including AWS infrastructure
• Physical network environments

Security and Reliability Features

MRTG Security Considerations:

• Basic SNMP security: Limited to community strings without advanced network management features
• No encrypted communications: Network traffic data transmitted in clear text
• Minimal access controls: Limited user-friendly management functionality
• No audit trails: Limited logging capabilities

PRTG Security Standards:

• SSL/TLS secured connections: Encrypted web interface and data transmission
• Advanced user rights management: Granular access controls with user-friendly interface
• Secure authentication: Multiple authentication methods
• Comprehensive logging: Detailed audit trails and security monitoring for troubleshooting
• High security standards: Regular security updates and patches

Making the Right Choice: MRTG vs PRTG in 2024

The choice between MRTG and PRTG ultimately depends on your organization's monitoring requirements, technical expertise, and growth plans. While MRTG provides a free freeware solution for basic traffic monitoring, Paessler PRTG offers comprehensive network monitoring software capabilities that reduce operational costs and provide the scalability modern IT infrastructure demands.

Choose MRTG if:

• You need only basic traffic graphs and bandwidth usage monitoring
• You have extensive command-line expertise
• Budget constraints prevent commercial solutions
• Your IT infrastructure is small and unlikely to grow
• You can dedicate significant time to manual configuration

Choose PRTG if:

• You need comprehensive network monitoring software with advanced functionality
• You want automation for setup and maintenance with out-of-the-box functionality
• Your network spans multiple locations
• You require real-time notification, alerting, and reporting with advanced metrics
• You value user-friendly web-based interfaces and mobile access for network management
• You need to scale monitoring system capabilities over time across diverse operating systems

Migration from MRTG to PRTG

Organizations migrating from MRTG freeware to Paessler PRTG network monitoring tool typically experience:

• 80% reduction in administrative overhead
• Immediate access to advanced monitoring capabilities
• Improved network performance visibility and faster troubleshooting
• Enhanced reporting with advanced visualization and documentation capabilities
• Better compliance with monitoring standards

Ready to modernize your network monitoring? Download PRTG's free trial and discover automated setup, comprehensive alerting, and advanced traffic analysis that MRTG simply cannot provide. Get PRTG Free Trial

Conclusion

While MRTG freeware remains a viable network monitoring tool for organizations with basic traffic monitoring needs and strong technical expertise across Linux/Unix operating systems, Paessler PRTG Network Monitor provides the comprehensive, scalable monitoring solution that modern IT infrastructure environments demand. The initial investment in PRTG pricing is quickly offset by reduced administrative costs, improved network performance visibility, and enhanced operational efficiency through automation.

Organizations seeking reliable, user-friendly network monitoring software with advanced functionality, out-of-the-box automation, and professional support will find Paessler PRTG delivers superior value despite its pricing. The ability to monitor diverse network devices, Cisco equipment, firewalls, AWS infrastructure, automate routine network management tasks, and scale with organizational growth makes PRTG the preferred network monitoring solution for forward-thinking IT departments.

Experience PRTG's advanced traffic monitoring capabilities with a free 30-day trial. Monitor up to 100 sensors at no cost and see why organizations achieve 80% cost savings when switching from MRTG. Start Free Trial