Icinga vs Meraki Dashboard comparison

Why PeerSpot?

Icinga and Cisco are both solutions in the Network Monitoring Software category. Icinga is ranked #42, while Cisco is ranked #10 with an average rating of 8.7. Icinga holds a 1.1% mindshare in NMS, compared to Cisco’s 0.8% mindshare. Additionally, 85% of Icinga users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 98% of Cisco users who would recommend it.

Icinga

Read 17 Icinga reviews

7,642 Views
5,579 Comparison Views

85% willing to recommend

Meraki Dashboard

Read 67 Meraki Dashboard reviews

5,500 Views
4,510 Comparison Views

98% willing to recommend

Icinga

Meraki Dashboard

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 10, 2024

Icinga and Meraki Dashboard are competing products in the network management space. Meraki Dashboard seems to have the upper hand due to its comprehensive feature set, despite higher costs.

Features: Icinga offers a highly customizable open-source platform with extensive monitoring capabilities and flexibility, making it ideal for complex IT infrastructures. It also allows for user-defined scripts, tailored alerts, and a broad range of plugins. Meraki Dashboard provides a cloud-managed network solution with a wide array of features such as advanced security protocols, seamless integration with existing systems, and an intuitive user interface.

Room for Improvement: Icinga could improve its user interface and simplify the setup process, and enhance its support resources to assist users better. Additionally, offering more out-of-the-box functionalities without relying heavily on plugins would benefit users. Meraki Dashboard's areas for improvement include reducing dependency on high subscription fees, offering more flexibility in feature customization, and optimizing its pricing structure to accommodate different business sizes.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Meraki Dashboard offers a simplified deployment process owing to its cloud-based architecture, supported by robust customer service that facilitates swift implementation and resolution of issues. In contrast, Icinga requires more intricate initial setup and configuration, resulting in a steeper learning curve, and support may not be as comprehensive as Meraki's, particularly for less experienced users.

Pricing and ROI: Icinga provides a cost-effective solution with low setup costs and potential for significant ROI due to its open-source nature and absence of licensing fees. This positions it as a budget-friendly option for long-term savings. Meraki Dashboard, however, involves higher upfront and ongoing subscription fees. Despite this, its feature-rich environment and resulting operational efficiencies justify the investment for users seeking enhanced network management capabilities.

To learn more, read our detailed Icinga vs. Meraki Dashboard Report (Updated: September 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Icinga vs. Meraki Dashboard

September 2026

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Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Categories and Ranking

Icinga

Ranking in Network Monitoring Software

42nd

Average Rating

7.6

Reviews Sentiment

6.1

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Server Monitoring (15th), IT Infrastructure Monitoring (49th), Cloud Monitoring Software (34th)

Meraki Dashboard

Ranking in Network Monitoring Software

10th

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

6.2

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of September 2026, in the Network Monitoring Software category, the mindshare of Icinga is 1.1%, down from 3.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Meraki Dashboard is 0.8%, down from 1.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Network Monitoring Software Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Meraki Dashboard	0.8%
Icinga	1.1%
Other	98.1%

Network Monitoring Software

Featured Reviews

reviewer2292201

Innovation Service Manager at a tech services company with 201-500 employees

Easy to use, and it's possible to customize the product as per the needs we may have but average multi-tenancy aspect

It's supported by the community. We use Icinga, which is not part of the Open-Source platform but is wrapped into a commercial solution from another provider, a local provider in Italy. Icinga is an open-source platform, so it is supported by the community. It's quite easy to use, and it's possible to customize the product as per the needs we may have. So it's not expensive, and it's quite a general purpose. We can easily monitor any kind of infrastructure we encounter. The ability to customize scripts and build your own queries to request information from the infrastructure elements you want to monitor. This level of personalization and customization is highly appreciated. The alerting is the same as any other monitoring platform. It's not a "wow" feature that has changed our lives, but it's perfectly adequate.

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NicolasFigaro

IT Network Manager at a tech services company with 10,001+ employees

Cloud-based management has simplified global Wi-Fi operations and improved daily troubleshooting

What I would like to improve in Meraki Dashboard is the template part, which is really helping me to manage at large scale. Integration with AI or native AI functionality would be interesting depending on the price, how far it goes, and how far it shares the information I have. For the rest, it is quite straightforward. The next tool maybe to be integrated, which I do not know if it exists today within Meraki, is IPAM management for IP address management. I do not know if it is part of the roadmap, but it is something I have to use on a dedicated platform, so integrating this would be interesting as well. Finally, I would rate Meraki Dashboard overall as a 9 out of 10. There are still some missing features, but there are also some considerations. I am familiar with the Chinese situation where there is a dedicated portal for China, so if I need to deploy access points in China, I have to connect to a dedicated portal due to the regulations in that country. However, this is not due to Cisco or company policy.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"I like the ability to amend and adjust things really easily, which is useful in a case where you could make it auto-discover and then set a template to say all of these applications or servers under this template have an automatic threshold set that you’d set up manually."

"I use it for monitoring infrastructure and it was very good for that issue."

"There's a module called Icinga Director, which helps us configure the product using an intuitive interface through clicks instead of creating a text configuration. It's very helpful for us."

"We monitor all, starting from UPS to international mail chains."

"The drafts are easy but what I like about Icinga is that there are many add-ons that you can download."

"It is really easy in Icinga to create your own plugin and integrate it without any fuss. And it works just perfectly fine."

"If you have a small infrastructure or a small number of devices that you want to monitor, then I think it's a good solution."

"The ability to customize scripts and build your own queries to request information from the infrastructure elements you want to monitor. This level of personalization and customization is highly appreciated."

More Icinga pros

"It's an easy-to-use product; it's really user-friendly, with a great, simple user interface and a very stable platform, and the initial implementation process is simple."

"It improved the marketing solution of the company where I deployed it and it improved the way they gather marketing data tremendously."

"It's really user-friendly."

"This solution now saves us time, and I like the added features that the Meraki dashboard offers."

"What I found most valuable in Meraki Dashboard is that it's well-organized, easy to use, and practical."

"Easy to configure with great troubleshooting feature."

"The most valuable feature is its simplicity in navigating through the dashboard. It's well set out, and the layout is nice and user friendly. A lot of clients enjoy seeing layer 7 visibility. They get a good indication and insight into what is happening in their network and what applications are being used the most. They can then customize and give preference to business-critical applications."

"The hardware of Meraki is very good quality."

More Meraki Dashboard pros

Cons

"Icinga is a complex solution that's hard to learn. It's a powerful product for monitoring, but new users will have a hard time figuring out what to do."

"We have found some problems with Nagios, and support isn't very responsive."

"I think the software is quite good, but we have had problems with getting it to recognize certain areas and amend certain checks, where we needed so we would have to create backend scripts for those checks. Though, being open source, it has the support to create backend scripts, it would be better to have these scripts in-built."

"Network Discovery capabilities would be extremely helpful."

"One of the areas that are frustrating is remote monitoring for more than one machine."

"It is not really adequate for our current needs. It causes additional issues which we have to work around and takes us time that a better solution would not."

"The solution lacks many features important to higher-level IT management and network support."

"The connection between Icinga and Icinga Web."

More Icinga cons

"The wait time to speak with a Meraki support engineer is always long, but they get the job done."

"It is a little bit expensive."

"The initial setup is complex and can be made more straightforward."

"An area for improvement in Meraki Dashboard is licensing management because it's a little complex. Product licensing can be made a little bit easier through license concurrency and a more straightforward approach to applying the license to products and services."

"I am concerned about the fact that once your licensing expires the devices stop working and become a brick."

"Meraki lacks their own software for connecting to the VPN which creates some issues."

"The tool needs to incorporate more integration platforms. Integrating technical support features directly into the dashboard would be highly beneficial. This would allow technicians to troubleshoot issues more efficiently."

"Some features could be added."

More Meraki Dashboard cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"This is an open-source solution with paid support."

"The product is inexpensive compared to other DBM products."

"The solution is cheap."

"The solution is free to use."

"We're using the free version of Icinga."

"It's an open-source solution."

"It is cost-effective, and the return on investment can be very interesting because the price is low."

"Even though Icinga's financial cost is low, it is an expensive product regarding the resources required to maintain and operate it."

"The licensing fees are $180 USD, per AP, for three years."

"It is said to be expensive."

"The Meraki Dashboard has more competitive pricing."

"Typically, the license model is for one, three, and five years. They can just be a bit more flexible around it and look into providing an option for 24 months."

"I’m not sure of the exact cost, however, it’s my understanding the Meraki WiFi is around $800. That’s for a three-year license. It’s about $150 a year."

"Meraki Dashboard is a utility and portal that's part of the Meraki solution."

"The pricing of the tool is relatively high compared to other solutions. It comes with a premium that exceeds that of its competitors by approximately 25 percent."

"You don't have to pay for the dashboard."

More Meraki Dashboard pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Educational Organization

14%

Comms Service Provider

13%

University

11%

Financial Services Firm

Outsourcing Company

12%

Construction Company

10%

Healthcare Company

Comms Service Provider

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	9
Midsize Enterprise	4
Large Enterprise	8

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	24
Midsize Enterprise	14
Large Enterprise	32

Questions from the Community

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Meraki Dashboard?

Regarding their pricing, the company I work for, Akkodis, was acquired by Adecco in 2022, so I am using the same technologies and I am somehow on the contract regarding Meraki purchase and so on. P...

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What needs improvement with Meraki Dashboard?

The main aspect I would like to see improved in Meraki Dashboard is the dependency on cloud connectivity for centralized management. If the primary Internet or ISP connection goes down, access to t...

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What is your primary use case for Meraki Dashboard?

We have deployed the Meraki Dashboard for centralized management and monitoring of all devices, appliances, and sensors across two shopping malls. The shopping malls are connected across different ...

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Compared 26% of the time

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Compared 6% of the time

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Compared 4% of the time

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Compared 4% of the time

SolarWinds User Device Tracker vs Meraki Dashboard

Compared 3% of the time

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Icinga

September 2026

Download Icinga product report

Buyer's Guide

Meraki Dashboard

September 2026

Download Meraki Dashboard product report

Also Known As

Icinga Cloud Monitoring

No data available

Overview

Icinga is a robust tool for monitoring IT infrastructure, known for its distributed monitoring capabilities and seamless integration with multiple platforms. It efficiently observes servers, network devices, and environments like Linux and Windows, enabling proactive issue identification and resource management.

With a focus on task delegation and clustering, Icinga offers an intuitive interface through its GUI and Icinga Director, simplifying configuration. The extensive plugin library supports diverse technologies, while the API allows automation with tools like Terraform and Ansible. Despite its strengths, users report challenges with data display in the GUI, a need for improved dashboards, and complex configuration processes. Users benefit from its SNMP alerts, email notifications, and automated incident handling, making it essential for managed service environments and enterprises.

What are the key features of Icinga?

Task Delegation: Streamlines monitoring tasks across distributed systems.
Event Handler: Enables automatic service recovery with minimal intervention.
Plugin Library: Offers extensive support for integrating diverse technologies.
API Accessibility: Facilitates automation with popular tools like Terraform.
Custom Plugins: Allows easy creation and personalization for monitoring needs.

What benefits should you consider in Icinga reviews?

Flexibility: Tailors monitoring to specific requirements with community support.
Scalability: Successfully manages growing infrastructure demands.
Proactivity: Enhances issue identification and resource allocation.
Integration: Seamlessly works with existing IT operations platforms.

Icinga is widely adopted in IT environments for monitoring servers, networks, and applications across industries such as finance, healthcare, and technology. Its ability to integrate with various operating systems and automation platforms makes it a versatile choice for industries prioritizing comprehensive surveillance and proactive management of their infrastructure.

Icinga

Meraki Dashboard offers intuitive, cloud-based network management, simplifying tasks with centralized control, real-time monitoring, and comprehensive security.

Offering ease of use and a single-pane-of-glass view, Meraki Dashboard enhances network management through centralized monitoring and configuration. Its intuitive interface allows remote device management, policy configuration, and real-time alerts. Cloud-based access provides scalability and automatic updates, while detailed analytics and security measures ensure robust control over networks. Though some users mention complexity in certain configurations and third-party integration gaps, its continuous improvement and network management efficiency accommodate extensive business requirements.

What are the Key Features of Meraki Dashboard?

Ease of Use: Simplified interface that allows easy navigation and operations.
Single-Pane-of-Glass View: Centralized management of all network components from one platform.
Real-Time Monitoring: Provides up-to-date insights for proactive network management.
Cloud-Based Access: Accessible from anywhere, enabling remote management and updates.
Automatic Updates: Ensures the system is always up-to-date with the latest features and security patches.
Detailed Analytics: Offers insights into network performance and security analytics.
Comprehensive Security Measures: Features built-in security protocols and tools for enhanced protection.

What Benefits and ROI Should Users Consider?

Centralized Control: Streamlines network management across multiple sites.
Scalability: Grows with business needs, supporting a wide range of devices and configurations.
Integration Capabilities: Merges easily with existing systems, though improvements are desired for third-party devices.
Improved Network Efficiency: Enhances visibility and control, reducing downtime and improving performance.
Remote Management: Facilitates convenient configuration and monitoring from any location.

Enterprises deploy Meraki Dashboard for diverse network management purposes, including monitoring, access point deployment, security configuration, and VLAN and LAN management. In education, it provides centralized Wi-Fi management and ensures secure student access. Retail businesses utilize it for seamless device integration and analytics, while healthcare facilities employ its robust security and real-time monitoring to safeguard patient data and maintain network efficiency. Its cloud-based interface enhances control and visibility across numerous sites, simplifying management and configurations.

Cisco

Sample Customers

Puppet Labs, Audi, Spacex, Debian, Snapdeal, McGill, RIPE Network Coordination Centre

Coop eG, Peet's Coffee & Tea, Priefert Manufacturing, Century Care Management, Clifton College, Zürs Ski Resort, Capital FM Arena, MAXI Autohöfe

Buyer's Guide

Icinga vs. Meraki Dashboard

September 2026

Free Report: Icinga vs. Meraki Dashboard

Find out what your peers are saying about Icinga vs. Meraki Dashboard and other solutions. Updated: September 2026.

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