Meraki Dashboard vs NetMon comparison

Cisco and Exabeam are both solutions in the Network Monitoring Software category. Cisco is ranked #20 with an average rating of 8.5, while Exabeam is ranked #52 with an average rating of 7.7. Cisco holds a 0.8% mindshare in NMS, compared to Exabeam’s 0.7% mindshare. Additionally, 98% of Cisco users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Exabeam users who would recommend it.

Meraki Dashboard

Read 60 Meraki Dashboard reviews

2,546 Views
2,240 Comparison Views

98% willing to recommend

NetMon

Read 12 NetMon reviews

1,466 Views
1,231 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Meraki Dashboard

NetMon

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Feb 1, 2026

Meraki Dashboard and NetMon provide network management solutions with distinct features and approaches. Meraki Dashboard holds an advantage due to its user-friendly cloud-based interface and centralized control, while NetMon excels in detailed traffic analysis and security monitoring.

Features: Meraki Dashboard offers easy integration, a centralized control interface, and strong security features. Its cloud-based design enables comprehensive monitoring and seamless device management. NetMon provides extensive traffic analysis, deep packet analytics, and AI-based monitoring for threat detection.

Room for Improvement: Meraki users highlight licensing complexity, high costs, and limitations in user navigation and scalability for larger enterprises. They also seek expanded VPN features. NetMon faces challenges with third-party integration, a complex pricing model, and requires improved data analytics, customization, and training documentation.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Meraki Dashboard is deployed via the public cloud, enhancing accessibility and ease of use. Its customer service is generally positive but slow at times. NetMon primarily operates on-premises, suitable for existing infrastructures, with good technical support but improvement needed in communication regarding deployment and services.

Pricing and ROI: Meraki Dashboard's pricing is high but justified by its features and management ease, providing notable ROI through time savings and simplified IT operations. NetMon, while priced for large companies, is considered expensive for smaller ones. Both solutions aim to save time and enhance network awareness, with Meraki offering better value in ease of use and management.

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

Buyer's Guide

Meraki Dashboard vs. NetMon

February 2026

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Helped 881,733 peers since 2012

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

Meraki Dashboard

Ranking in Network Monitoring Software

20th

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

5.7

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

NetMon

Ranking in Network Monitoring Software

52nd

Average Rating

7.6

Reviews Sentiment

6.1

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Identity Threat Detection and Response (ITDR) (16th)

Mindshare comparison

As of February 2026, in the Network Monitoring Software category, the mindshare of Meraki Dashboard is 0.8%, down from 1.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of NetMon is 0.7%, up from 0.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Network Monitoring Software Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Meraki Dashboard	0.8%
NetMon	0.7%
Other	98.5%

Network Monitoring Software

Featured Reviews

MURALI NIDAMANURI

Managing Director at a manufacturing company with 10,001+ employees

Dashboard provides comprehensive network security and management capabilities

I don't have specific handy names. Meraki Dashboard uses multiple functions where we can configure SSIDs, firewall policies, DHCP, multiple VLANs and DHCP configurations, VLAN configurations, access control policies, MAC binding, client access based on MAC authentication and certificate-based authentication. We have configured SSO for Windows Active Directory by configuring the RADIUS services. We have implemented many customer requirements in Meraki Dashboard. With the detailed visibility feature of Meraki Dashboard, I get connected clients information, including how much data each client downloaded and what applications they accessed. I can obtain detailed data including ISP links level monitoring and speed. I can perform speed tests, generate analytics reports, convert to Excel based on each user for each department, create dashboards, monitor and limit bandwidths, and restrict specific URLs. The advanced security configuration in Meraki Dashboard is useful for network security. Substantial security can be achieved within Meraki Dashboard itself, eliminating the need for additional firewalls to protect your network. You can configure WAN monitoring, users' ACLs, URL filtering, web filtering, and department-wise access configuration for specific client applications. It's completely cloud-managed, and in a simplified way, you don't need to visit any physical infrastructure to monitor activities. Apart from access points, everything is in the cloud. We have monitored IoT solutions, CCTV monitoring, and can detect and control intrusions. When people connect IoT devices to your network, Meraki Dashboard can detect what device it is and control those access controls, even with different operating systems.

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SumitRangari

Pan India IT Infrastructure Management / End-user Services at Tata Group

Has supported real-time event detection and reporting accuracy while database integration has required extra effort

Sometimes it may be difficult to incorporate new additional databases in NetMon, and we faced some challenges at that time. However, currently, it is not giving many challenges.It is difficult to integrate NetMon with other databases. We can customize NetMon's monitoring views, but it is done by the team who handles it, as it is outsourced.

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Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"It's a scalable solution."

"With the detailed visibility feature of Meraki Dashboard, I get connected clients information, including how much data each client downloaded and what applications they accessed."

"The most valuable feature of Meraki Dashboard is we can manage our switches and access point in one place."

"The solution scales well."

"The most valuable feature is knowing the wireless and switch are healthy."

"The most valuable features are that it's easy to use and technically very complete. I can configure, do advanced troubleshooting in the dashboard, and reboot access points remotely."

"I like that Meraki Dashboard is a user-friendly product."

"It is very stable and we have been using it for five years."

More Meraki Dashboard pros

"LogRhythm NetMon's most impressive feature is that it's a bundled package, so you're not just relying on monthly data; you get a six-month view for more comprehensive indicators of compromise. This dual approach is precious. We implement LogRhythm NetMon in our cybersecurity strategy mainly for compliance and correlation of network, user, and decision activities, particularly for network firewalls and access control."

"The protocols with which you see the traffic for a particular website that a client has in their environment, for example, are valuable. We can monitor whether the traffic is up to the mark or whether they need to add more bandwidth. Also, we can see if we're able to get real-time environment data as well. The customization dashboard is really good. LogRhythm NetMon has its own in-built dashboards which are helpful in guiding customization."

"It is a stable solution...It is a scalable solution."

"The initial setup is straightforward because we can deploy an open server."

"NetMon's best feature is traffic analysis."

"The analytics feature is the most valuable feature."

"It has a very strong artificial intelligence engine."

"The most valuable feature is the log, which can be analyzed by our SIEM solution."

More NetMon pros

Cons

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

"There is a bit of a problem when you try to log in and you don't have a fixed IP address. If you're granting access, you need to log in by using the IP address. If your administrator's IP address is not a fixed IP address and it has changed, you might need to update the changed IP address in the interface. For this, you need to log in to the interface to update the IP address. This issue might not have so much to do with Meraki interface."

"Third-party switches do not necessarily integrate easily with the system and this could be improved to allow for better adaptation."

"What we would like from the IT perspective is a lot more granular control, more visibility into the packets, into the routing, and things of that nature."

"It would be helpful to have the ability to create a floor plan based on an existing PDF or JPEG, which is automatically converted into a usable network map."

"The solution has a limited routing table and needs improvement by increasing the numbers as well as providing a summarization for the table."

"This solution can be quite complicated to configure and manage, unless you have a technical person with specific knowledge working on it."

"I would like to see an alert event feature to monitor what users are downloading and how to block some applications."

More Meraki Dashboard cons

"There is an issue with tunneling in relation to how the connectivity is established between the end devices and where NetMon is installed. On the console, I often observe that there's a difference of a few seconds or maybe a minute, and this lag time should not be there."

"The platform's integration features often need to be improved."

"The main concern is that LogRhythm has not improved NetMon but instead introduced a separate product, which many customers, including us, would prefer to be integrated into a single platform for easier management."

"Sometimes it may be difficult to incorporate new additional databases in NetMon, and we faced some challenges at that time."

"Sometimes it's hard to find the network devices' self-audit logs."

"Could use a topology diagram which would help get an exact visual."

"The training for this product is not very good and needs to be improved."

"I would like to see better integration with multiple products. Integration is not something that is readily available for most of the products."

More NetMon cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"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."

"Licensing is around under 1000 pounds. The licensing is either one year, three years, five years or ten years and during the licensing, we can choose to renew it per year or per every three years. We've got a license for three years. It's about 160 or about 200 pounds each."

"It is said to be expensive."

"Licensing fees are paid on a yearly basis."

"From a pricing perspective, they are still expensive."

"My view is that it's expensive, but it's the best."

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

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

More Meraki Dashboard pricing and cost advice

"NetMon's licensing costs about $85k per year, with some extra costs for support."

"The product is expensive for smaller companies."

"LogRhythm's licensing part is something that depends on the license you want since they offer it on a perpetual and subscription basis."

"Pricing is okay. There were some competitors that were extremely expensive and there were some which were really inexpensive but LogRhythm stayed in the middle of them."

"I don't have visibility into the pricing of LogRhythm NetMon as it's handled through our commercial partnerships."

"The price of this solution is too high, so it should be made more practical and more valuable for the customer."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

10%

Manufacturing Company

Educational Organization

Government

Transportation Company

18%

Performing Arts

12%

Financial Services Firm

11%

Comms Service Provider

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	23
Midsize Enterprise	13
Large Enterprise	26

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	2
Midsize Enterprise	2
Large Enterprise	7

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Meraki Dashboard?

We greatly utilize the network because we can plug it into the DNS, VPN, or equipment. It's very good. Meraki Dashboard enhances wireless network management. We appreciate its flexibility, as it al...

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

I would rate the pricing for Meraki Dashboard as one.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Meraki Dashboard?

Regarding the functionality part, I would appreciate clarification on what core functionality means. I appreciate the security that has been provided by Meraki, but they specifically require port 8...

See all answers

What do you like most about LogRhythm NetMon?

It has a very strong artificial intelligence engine.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for LogRhythm NetMon?

I don't have visibility into the pricing of LogRhythm NetMon as it's handled through our commercial partnerships.

See all answers

What needs improvement with LogRhythm NetMon?

See all answers

Comparisons

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Compared 9% of the time

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Compared 7% of the time

Zabbix vs Meraki Dashboard

Compared 5% of the time

SolarWinds NPM vs Meraki Dashboard

Compared 4% of the time

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SCOM vs NetMon

Compared 11% of the time

Niagara Visibility Controller vs NetMon

Compared 10% of the time

SolarWinds NPM vs NetMon

Compared 9% of the time

PRTG Network Monitor vs NetMon

Compared 9% of the time

ObserverLIVE vs NetMon

Compared 8% of the time

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Meraki Dashboard

January 2026

Download Meraki Dashboard product report

Buyer's Guide

NetMon

January 2026

Download NetMon product report

Also Known As

No data available

LogRhythm Network Monitor

Overview

Meraki Dashboard is a comprehensive cloud-based platform that offers centralized management and control for all Meraki networking and security products. It provides a user-friendly interface, allowing administrators to easily monitor and configure their network infrastructure from anywhere. With real-time visibility, troubleshooting becomes effortless, ensuring optimal performance and minimizing downtime.

The intuitive dashboard offers a holistic view of the network, enabling quick identification of potential issues and proactive measures. It simplifies network deployment and scaling, with zero-touch provisioning and automatic firmware updates. The robust security features include advanced threat protection, content filtering, and VPN connectivity.

Meraki Dashboard also offers powerful analytics and reporting capabilities, providing valuable insights into network usage, application performance, and user behavior. With its seamless integration and scalability,

Meraki Dashboard is the ideal solution for organizations of all sizes, ensuring efficient network management and enhanced productivity.

Cisco

NetMon offers significant capabilities in log aggregation, traffic analysis, and real-time network insights. Its ease of use accommodates both entry-level and advanced functionalities, enhancing network visibility and threat detection.

NetMon provides seamless analytics with its real-time dashboards and advanced AI integration. The platform is designed for comprehensive monitoring and detailed analysis, making it indispensable for identifying network traffic, origins, destinations, and facilitating threat detection through lateral traffic visibility. Despite its powerful analytics and customization features, improvements in product integration, customer support, and pricing could increase its competitive edge. Connectivity, topology visualization, and server performance are areas noted for enhancement. Integration with protocols like Gflow and Netflow might alleviate agent-based restriction challenges. NetMon sends correlated data to LogRhythm SIEM for enhanced threat analysis and is used for tasks like traffic analysis and DPA.

What are NetMon's key features?

Log Aggregation: Seamless collection of diverse network logs for analysis.
Traffic Analysis: Detailed inspection of network traffic for identifying irregular patterns.
AI Integration: Advanced analytics powered by robust AI capabilities.
Customizable Dashboards: Real-time insights tailored to user requirements.
Correlation Engine: In-depth correlation of network activity for comprehensive reports.
Deep Packet Analytics: Thorough examination of data packets for granular insights.

What benefits and ROI can users expect?

Enhanced Threat Detection: Significant improvements in identifying lateral threats.
Comprehensive Insights: Complete visibility into network and user activities.
Efficient Monitoring: Real-time analytics streamline network monitoring processes.
Compliance Support: Strong integration supports adherence to compliance standards.

NetMon is widely adopted in industries requiring detailed traffic monitoring and security, such as finance and healthcare. Its capabilities in traffic type identification and correlated analysis make it essential for environments where detecting irregular patterns is critical. It's utilized for network security through comprehensive analysis and integration with SIEM systems.

Exabeam

Sample Customers

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

Sera-Brynn

Buyer's Guide

Meraki Dashboard vs. NetMon

February 2026

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