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Infoblox NIOS vs SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Jun 3, 2026

Review summaries and opinions

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

ROI

Sentiment score
6.7
Infoblox NIOS improved efficiency with significant error reduction, incident resolution speed, cost savings, and streamlined management.
Sentiment score
7.2
SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager offers quick ROI through improved visibility, automation, and reduced need for onsite engineers.
This is helping us achieve five to 10 times faster delivery due to the reduced downtime.
Software Engineering Manager at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
We did not have any DNS-related incidents in three years supporting the traffic flow for about 10 million people.
Network Security Engineer at ORANGE MALI
Previously, people spent around 100 hours a month on tasks that were reduced to 10 hours, freeing up time for learning and engaging in multiple projects, increasing from three or four per month to nine or ten.
Lead Network Engineer at Chevron
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
8.3
Infoblox NIOS customer service is praised for its expertise and prompt support, though occasional effectiveness issues are noted.
Sentiment score
6.6
SolarWinds support is helpful with 24x7 availability, but users seek faster prioritization and improved response times.
They supported issues related to DNS, DHCP, and the grid architecture, providing not just scripted answers, but also helping us with configuration, outages, and complex troubleshooting.
Software Engineering Manager at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
The technical support for Infoblox NIOS is at a very high level based on the engagement that I have with clients that use Infoblox NIOS.
Account Manager at BNI - Blue Networks and Infrastructure
We got incredible support from them during the weekend as well.
Network Security Specialist at PHOENIX group - Integrated Healthcare Provider
Technical support is limited but generally acceptable as we possess skilled personnel, making us less dependent on SolarWinds.
Managed Services Engineer at Loop1 Systems
SolarWinds tech support is a strong point.
MD at Thembanet
The support for SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager is quite supportive, and I can work with them in-depth, especially regarding installation.
Software Engineer at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
6.5
Infoblox NIOS offers scalable grid architecture, managing DNS, DHCP, and IPAM efficiently, ensuring growth and minimal downtime.
Sentiment score
7.6
SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager offers scalability and seamless integration, ideal for diverse enterprises despite being pricier than alternatives.
Regarding DDI, DNS and DHCP at scale, it handles millions of DNS queries per second and huge lease volume without hiccups.
Software Engineering Manager at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
Whenever we make replacements or changes, the downtime is really low.
Network Engineer III at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees
Infoblox NIOS's scalability is excellent for our organization; they are flexible to align with our growth.
Network Security Engineer at ORANGE MALI
The product is scalable as SolarWinds increased its licensing capacity from supporting 12,000 devices to 48,000 devices with stack licenses.
Managed Services Engineer at Loop1 Systems
SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager is known for its network monitoring capability, where it started and continues to lead.
Software Engineer at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
8.7
Infoblox NIOS is preferred for its stability, reliability, and efficiency in production networks, outperforming other evaluated options.
Sentiment score
7.6
SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager is stable and user-friendly, with minor issues mainly due to system specifications or updates.
Infoblox NIOS is very stable in our environment, with no unexpected downtime.
Network Security Engineer at ORANGE MALI
It is designed for critical infrastructure, high availability, minimal downtime, and predictable behavior.
Software Engineering Manager at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
I evaluated other options before choosing Infoblox NIOS, and I can confirm that Infoblox NIOS is stable.
Network Engineer III at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees
I would rate the stability of SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager at a nine out of ten.
Software Engineer at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
 

Room For Improvement

Infoblox NIOS users seek a simpler UI, better extensibility, clearer licensing, and improved cost control for easier onboarding.
SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager needs enhancements in monitoring, UI, automation, reports, integration, and support to address user concerns.
Infoblox engineers recommend upgrading to NIOS 9.0.5 for enhanced visibility and control, but considering NIOS 9.6 may offer better logging and troubleshooting capabilities, as well as performance enhancements and future-ready integration.
Lead Network Engineer at Chevron
Advanced features such as grid extensibility and APIs require solid training.
Software Engineering Manager at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
The missing point I can see in Infoblox NIOS is the load balancing functionalities, where for a DNS A record that has two IP addresses, we need the possibility to monitor those IP addresses to see if one goes down.
Network Security Engineer at ORANGE MALI
Currently, there are limitations in performing tasks without logging into routers directly.
Managed Services Engineer at Loop1 Systems
Regarding the automation capabilities of SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager, I think that is an area they will need to explore in making it more autonomous.
Software Engineer at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
I would like to see more features in terms of wireless reporting and more historical information for client connectivity in SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager.
MD at Thembanet
 

Setup Cost

Infoblox NIOS is perceived as expensive but valuable, offering multiple licensing models and discounts for long-term commitments.
SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager pricing is moderate but varies by device and features, offering value with extensive support.
We bought the perpetual plus support contract which provides renewed support yearly.
Software Engineering Manager at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
My experience with the pricing, setup cost, and licensing for Infoblox NIOS was good, but it is very, very expensive compared to other DNS infrastructure vendors.
Network Security Engineer at ORANGE MALI
Infoblox NIOS pricing feels somewhat higher because I am comparing it to competitors.
Security Presales at a university with 11-50 employees
The licensing costs of SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager are expensive, but considering its reliability, feature enhancements, and support, it is worthwhile.
MD at Thembanet
On pricing, I would rate SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager as one of the best in its segment among leading products and competitors.
Software Engineer at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
 

Valuable Features

Infoblox NIOS enhances IPAM, DNS security, and network visibility with automation, hybrid cloud support, and robust API integrations.
SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager optimizes network management with monitoring, automation, compliance, backup, and customizable features streamlining workflows.
Infoblox NIOS has impacted my organization positively by giving us an overview about how users utilize the internet, stopping many DNS breaches generated by internal users, and helping us to determine the distribution of IP addresses through DNS IPAM.
Security Presales at a university with 11-50 employees
Infoblox NIOS has positively impacted my organization by providing visibility and control over everything. This visibility and control help my team with faster troubleshooting and better security.
Network Engineer III at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees
We use DNS threat protection. Apart from that, we use DNSSEC as well on these to protect the DNS solutions, and the threat has been reduced by about 70 to 80 percent.
Network Security Specialist at PHOENIX group - Integrated Healthcare Provider
The solution facilitates compliance reporting through an NCM module, effectively generating out-of-the-box reports on software vulnerabilities and outdated software versions.
MD at Thembanet
SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager handles the performance side, allowing companies to measure and improve their network performance, making it an excellent choice for enterprises needing a robust network insight tool.
Software Engineer at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
Configuration pushing, upgrade capabilities, job backup, configuration backup, and real-time configuration change monitoring are highly beneficial features of SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager.
Managed Services Engineer at Loop1 Systems
 

Categories and Ranking

Infoblox NIOS
Ranking in Network Automation
7th
Average Rating
8.8
Reviews Sentiment
7.0
Number of Reviews
8
Ranking in other categories
DDI (4th)
SolarWinds Network Configur...
Ranking in Network Automation
3rd
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
28
Ranking in other categories
Configuration Management (12th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of June 2026, in the Network Automation category, the mindshare of Infoblox NIOS is 1.4%, up from 0.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager is 7.1%, down from 9.9% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Network Automation Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager7.1%
Infoblox NIOS1.4%
Other91.5%
Network Automation
 

Featured Reviews

AS58 - PeerSpot reviewer
Software Engineering Manager at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
Centralized IP management has reduced outages and now delivers faster, disciplined network operations
Infoblox NIOS can be improved because there is always a scope of improvement in everything. I would recommend UI simplicity. The UI is powerful, actually, but it feels heavy for new users. A more modern and task-oriented interface would reduce the onboarding time. Advanced features such as grid extensibility and APIs require solid training. Better guided workflows and in-product tips would help teams adopt faster. Reporting and dashboard are very interactive, but I think the built-in reports are functional but basic. More customizable visual dashboards would help managers and NOCs quickly see trends. The licensing clarity feels a bit complex. If the packaging were clearer and there was easier visibility of the feature uses, it would help with planning and cost control. I feel that if there could be any feature related to role-based self-service portals integrated for non-network teams, that would help in reducing the dependency on the network team for other teams. That would help in collaborating better.
reviewer1327239 - PeerSpot reviewer
Software Engineer at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
Automated configuration management has improved monitoring, backups, and policy control
I do not think there is anything I would like to improve at this point in time because SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager compares almost perfectly to what it is supposed to do. I think it is one of the best products in its category. Regarding the automation capabilities of SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager, I think that is an area they will need to explore in making it more autonomous. Discovery happens through IP address scanning, but building out automation is something they need to focus on. I absolutely believe in providing automation for SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager. It is essential to address how to deploy, discover, and remediate wherever possible. I think that is something they should already be looking at because AAFS is currently something everybody is focused on, and storage also needs to consider it.
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
23%
University
11%
Manufacturing Company
11%
Healthcare Company
8%
Government
11%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Construction Company
7%
Computer Software Company
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business2
Midsize Enterprise1
Large Enterprise6
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business15
Midsize Enterprise5
Large Enterprise9
 

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Infoblox NIOS?
My experience with pricing, setup costs, and licensing for Infoblox NIOS is that they are pretty expensive.
What needs improvement with Infoblox NIOS?
I have not worked with the cloud platform yet, so I am not sure about that. I have just started to work here, so I am not that capable of saying, but I have not felt anything that needs an improvem...
What is your primary use case for Infoblox NIOS?
Infoblox NIOS is a parallel competitor for BlueCat, and both are doing the same thing, hosting the product for the same features like DNS and DHCP. I work with NIOS, and we are using it for DDI.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager?
On pricing, I would rate SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager as one of the best in its segment among leading products and competitors. SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager is positioned as...
What needs improvement with SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager?
I do not think there is anything I would like to improve at this point in time because SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager compares almost perfectly to what it is supposed to do. I think it is...
What is your primary use case for SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager?
SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager is used for managing a large number of IPs, distributing them within my enterprise, and addressing issues related to them. People typically manage this thro...
 

Also Known As

No data available
SolarWinds NCM
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Information Not Available
United Lincolnshire Hospitals, Air Rarotonga, NetSuite, Thai AirAsia, REA Group, 335th Signal Command, Agilisys, Marine Expeditionary Force
Find out what your peers are saying about Infoblox NIOS vs. SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager and other solutions. Updated: June 2026.
900,644 professionals have used our research since 2012.