NETSCOUT InfiniStreamNG vs SolarWinds NPM comparison

NETSCOUT and SolarWinds are both solutions in the Network Monitoring Software category. NETSCOUT is ranked #73, while SolarWinds is ranked #2 with an average rating of 8.3. NETSCOUT holds a 0.5% mindshare in NMS, compared to SolarWinds’s 3.7% mindshare. Additionally, 92% of NETSCOUT users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 92% of SolarWinds users who would recommend it.

NETSCOUT InfiniStreamNG

Read 13 NETSCOUT InfiniStreamNG reviews

2,426 Views
2,305 Comparison Views

92% willing to recommend

SolarWinds NPM

Read 161 SolarWinds NPM reviews

23,097 Views
18,016 Comparison Views

92% willing to recommend

NETSCOUT InfiniStreamNG

SolarWinds NPM

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 10, 2024

SolarWinds NPM and NETSCOUT InfiniStreamNG compete in the network performance monitoring domain. SolarWinds NPM has the upper hand in pricing and support, while NETSCOUT InfiniStreamNG excels in feature robustness, attracting users willing to invest more.

Features: SolarWinds NPM offers an intuitive dashboard, scalability, and a comprehensive alerting system. NETSCOUT InfiniStreamNG provides deep packet inspection, real-time analytics, and forensic capabilities.

Room for Improvement: SolarWinds NPM could enhance its feature set for more advanced network analysis, improve data depth processing, and offer more tailored solutions. NETSCOUT InfiniStreamNG could simplify its deployment process, offer more cost-effective options, and improve ease of monitoring variety.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: SolarWinds NPM benefits from a straightforward installation and detailed customer support, allowing for quick onboarding. NETSCOUT InfiniStreamNG has a more complex deployment but offers advanced technical assistance, making it ideal for users seeking expert advice.

Pricing and ROI: SolarWinds NPM provides competitive pricing with high ROI due to its cost-effective structure and scalability. NETSCOUT InfiniStreamNG, while requiring a higher initial investment, offers advanced capabilities advantageous for comprehensive network insights, delivering long-term benefits.

To learn more, read our detailed NETSCOUT InfiniStreamNG vs. SolarWinds NPM Report (Updated: August 2026).

Buyer's Guide

NETSCOUT InfiniStreamNG vs. SolarWinds NPM

August 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

NETSCOUT InfiniStreamNG

Ranking in Network Monitoring Software

73rd

Average Rating

8.4

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

SolarWinds NPM

Ranking in Network Monitoring Software

2nd

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

6.8

Number of Reviews

161

Ranking in other categories

IT Infrastructure Monitoring (6th), Cloud Monitoring Software (7th)

Mindshare comparison

As of August 2026, in the Network Monitoring Software category, the mindshare of NETSCOUT InfiniStreamNG is 0.5%, up from 0.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of SolarWinds NPM is 3.7%, down from 4.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Network Monitoring Software Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
SolarWinds NPM	3.7%
NETSCOUT InfiniStreamNG	0.5%
Other	95.8%

Network Monitoring Software

Featured Reviews

Michael Gideon Genita

Associate System Engineer at SMS Global Technologies, Inc.

Easy to set up with good documentation and helpful support

I'm using it for a customer The packet flow switch is the most valuable aspect of the solution. It's an easy product to set up. We can scale the solution if we need to. It's stable. The documentation is well-written and quite useful. It's compatible with other products. Under the pocket flow…

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Vivek Jaiswal

Manager IT at a manufacturing company with 1,001-5,000 employees

Central monitoring has improved outage alerts and now needs smarter detection and modern dashboards

Regarding the automated network topology and mapping feature in SolarWinds NPM, I am not satisfied with it. For static monitoring, it is acceptable. However, if it is possible, I would need a feature in SolarWinds in the future for some kind of malfunctioning detection, such as malware attacks or that type of environment. We did not have any facility to detect that in SolarWinds. I think it would be better to incorporate those types of features. Regarding customization options in SolarWinds, the ability to customize the dashboard has room for improvement. The dashboard is quite old, and we need some improvement in it. Nowadays, we have multiple tools with AI-based monitoring and web-based dashboards. SolarWinds also has a web-based dashboard, but I think there is scope for improvement in the UI. There may be other areas I would like to improve in SolarWinds NPM.

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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 allows us to get quicker resolutions. We can see exactly what is using up the bandwidth, so we can assist end users."

"The product is stable. I have never had any issue where we have lost an InfiniStream, or visibility from that particular InfiniStream, throughout the bank."

"We use it for monitoring whenever we update a new circuit or site."

"The packet flow switch is the most valuable aspect of the solution."

"Go with NETSCOUT."

"It's an easy product to set up."

"We have seen a lot of return on investment: We have been able to recover radios in the field, we know exactly what is going on, we cut down fines from the service commission, and we have seen a measurable decrease in mean time to know, cutting troubleshooting down by days as we can now see the issues."

"I love the single pane of glass view. It makes it easier to not have to navigate everywhere. It allows more simplistic visibility, without having to go from tool to tool to tool, or from window to window to window."

More NETSCOUT InfiniStreamNG pros

"One of the best features is the reports feature."

"The product is scalable."

"Without NPM monitoring, we would be in a world of hurt and constantly responding to outages and unexpected downtime."

"The solution is extremely stable. We haven't had any issues in that regard. We haven't had issues with bugs, glitches, or crashes."

"If you are almost in the dark, SolarWinds can give you a quick view of what you have and you can start basic monitoring."

"Performance history is the most valuable feature, especially when tracking down a problem."

"If your infrastructure is big, and requires a good kind of reporting tool, then SolarWinds fulfills all these requirements."

"In my experience with SolarWinds NPM Quality of Experience dashboard, it fulfilled all of our requirements."

More SolarWinds NPM pros

Cons

"The stability depends on who is using the tool, because you only can get as much out of the tool as you put into it. There are a lot of patches for this particular environment, so you have to keep on them. If you lose track of them, then the product is not useful anymore."

"The monitoring and reporting tool needs improvement."

"Being able to manage the packet flow switches in nGeniusONE would be great."

"There is a timeout feature that we have been asking for awhile."

"The technology goes end-of-life on us every year, which is why I am looking forward to vSTREAM."

"I'd like them to make the product more user-friendly."

"It can be scalable. It just costs too much."

"It's not able to communicate with our probes."

More NETSCOUT InfiniStreamNG cons

"Yes, plenty of those that our systems team has spent hours on the phone with Solarwinds support with trying to rectify."

"The reporting is good, but I want it to be a little easier when creating custom reports. The reports are all on the website now, but it takes some know how to get some to display the way you would like."

"Customer Service: 0/10 as there were no knowledge base articles when I used it, and every new patch required customer login to apply."

"Customer service: I rate technical support everywhere from poor to great."

"I would like to see integration with antivirus or other security endpoint solutions."

"It has covered everything, so no improvement is required at their end. The only thing is the price."

"The only thing I don’t like is that NTA license size is tied to NPM’s license size, since my organization's need for NTA is lower than our need for NPM."

"The evaluation time for the product is too short especially for large corporations."

More SolarWinds NPM cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It can be scalable. It just costs too much. With a company as big as ours, it gets too expensive to accommodate every single site."

"This product could be cheaper."

"I would like it to be more scalable with less spend."

"The price is a little high."

"To capture more with the solution that we bought, you have to buy another InfiniStreamNG, and there are only four ports in the back."

"The scalability is good, but it comes at a cost. E.g., if you need 100 InfiniStream because you are sending gigs or terabytes of data to one InfiniStream, then you will have to purchase another InfiniStream, which are not cheap."

"When I compare the cost of CA Spectrum to that of SolarWinds NPM, the cost of CA Spectrum is way too high, and the cost of SolarWinds NPM is pretty low."

"I’d suggest that people be aware that licensing has tiers."

"The price is more expensive than some other products, such as ManageEngine."

"The licensing model is such that you can purchase only what you need; and then grow into the next level by paying only the difference in price and the associated maintenance costs."

"It is not an expensive product."

"We have a multi-year license for the use of this solution. There are additional costs for recourses in the environment."

"The pricing is in the middle. It's not particularly cost-effective, but it's not overly expensive either."

"The licensing is based on the number of nodes, interfaces, and volumes."

More SolarWinds NPM pricing and cost advice

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Comparison Review

it_user174738

IT Developer at a tech services company with 51-200 employees

May 31, 2015

Nagios vs. Zabbix vs. PRTG vs. Spiceworks vs. Solarwinds Network Performance Monitor

I have researched a quite a few network monitoring tools which can be used for various monitoring purposes of not only the servers, but the intermediate routers as well. There are majorly three types of these softwares. Ones which are completely open-source, you can do almost anything you want…

Read full review

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Manufacturing Company

14%

Construction Company

13%

Financial Services Firm

11%

Outsourcing Company

Financial Services Firm

10%

Manufacturing Company

Construction Company

Outsourcing Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Midsize Enterprise	1
Large Enterprise	8

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	59
Midsize Enterprise	33
Large Enterprise	87

Questions from the Community

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What is the best network monitoring software for large enterprises?

It actually depends on the exact purpose or kind of devices (network devices, servers, something else). Some tools are better for only network devices while others are better for a cloud monitoring...

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What is the best network monitoring software for large enterprises?

From my point of view, SolarWind is the best tool.

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What is the best network monitoring software for large enterprises?

We are partners with SolarWinds and we sell a lot of Network management to large enterprises also because of scalability, products like Network Performance Monitor & Netflow Traffic Analyzer ar...

See all answers

Comparisons

Riverbed NPM+ vs NETSCOUT InfiniStreamNG

Compared 11% of the time

Cisco Secure Network Analytics vs NETSCOUT InfiniStreamNG

Compared 11% of the time

NETSCOUT vSTREAM vs NETSCOUT InfiniStreamNG

Compared 9% of the time

Flowmon vs NETSCOUT InfiniStreamNG

Compared 8% of the time

OmniPeek vs NETSCOUT InfiniStreamNG

Compared 2% of the time

More NETSCOUT InfiniStreamNG Competitors

ManageEngine OpManager vs SolarWinds NPM

Compared 3% of the time

Nagios XI vs SolarWinds NPM

Compared 3% of the time

DX Spectrum vs SolarWinds NPM

Compared 3% of the time

Zabbix vs SolarWinds NPM

Compared 3% of the time

PRTG Network Monitor vs SolarWinds NPM

Compared 2% of the time

More SolarWinds NPM Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

NETSCOUT InfiniStreamNG

July 2026

Download NETSCOUT InfiniStreamNG product report

Buyer's Guide

SolarWinds NPM

July 2026

Download SolarWinds NPM product report

Also Known As

InfiniStreamNG, NETSCOUT ISNG, Infinistream

Solarwinds Network Performance Monitor, SolarWinds Network Bandwidth Analyzer

Overview

NETSCOUT InfiniStreamNG delivers fast, cost-efficient network visibility with a single pane of glass view, featuring real-time traffic analysis, dependency mapping, and performance metrics for comprehensive management.

InfiniStreamNG stands out for its real-time insights into network activity, providing a unified platform for managing network components. Its deep packet inspection, scalability, and compatibility make it an essential tool for IT professionals looking to optimize network performance and resolve issues quickly. User-friendly interface enhancements are anticipated for improved usability, alongside early product lifecycle notifications due to extensive certification periods.

What are the key features of NETSCOUT InfiniStreamNG?

Speed: Enhances real-time traffic analysis and performance monitoring.
Network Visibility: Provides a comprehensive view with single pane device management.
Packet Inspection: Supports deep packet inspections for detailed data analytics.
Stability and Scalability: Ensures reliable performance and adapts to varying network sizes.
Compatibility: Seamlessly integrates with other technologies for smooth operations.

What are the benefits and ROI of using NETSCOUT InfiniStreamNG?

Quick Issue Resolution: Identifies and addresses network issues swiftly.
Efficient Utilization: Offers insights for optimizing resource use and network management.
Proactive Monitoring: Facilitates early detection of potential issues to maintain performance.
Application Performance Tracking: Monitors app connectivity and performance effectively.
KPI Evaluation: Provides comprehensive data for informed decision-making.

NETSCOUT InfiniStreamNG is implemented across industries for packet collection and analysis, serving network monitoring and troubleshooting needs. Companies in telecommunications monitor LTE roaming traffic, while financial institutions rely on it for analyzing banking data. It supports application connectivity checks and proactive remote site monitoring, becoming integral in evaluating KPIs and reporting network issues.

NETSCOUT

SolarWinds NPM is a network performance monitoring tool offering a user-friendly interface with customizable dashboards. It provides real-time tracking of device health, latency, and bandwidth utilization, supporting diverse integration and scalability needs.

SolarWinds NPM's robust features include real-time monitoring of network performance and efficient tracking of device health, latency, and bandwidth utilization. The tool is appreciated for its ease of deployment, scalability, and support for integration with other tools. Features like SNMP monitoring, NetPath, and comprehensive reporting enhance its diagnostic capabilities and network visibility. However, users identify areas for improvement such as real-time analytics, advanced customization options, and enhanced scalability for larger enterprises. Better customer support, improved integrations, and security measures are also desired.

What are the key features of SolarWinds NPM?

User-Friendly Interface: Simplifies navigation and operation.
Customizable Dashboards: Allows personalized data views.
Real-Time Monitoring: Provides instant updates on network performance.
Strong Alerting Capabilities: Offers immediate notifications for issues.
Scalability: Supports growth with ease.
Integration: Works smoothly with other tools for comprehensive monitoring.
SNMP Monitoring: Tracks device stats effectively.
NetPath: Helps visualize network paths and performance.

What benefits and ROI can users expect?

Improved Network Visibility: Enables proactive issue resolution.
Enhanced Diagnostics: Facilitates quicker troubleshooting.
Real-Time Performance Data: Supports informed decision-making.
Ease of Deployment: Reduces setup time and complexity.
Infrastructure Monitoring: Ensures network stability and reliability.
Custom Integration: Adapts to existing IT environments.

In enterprise environments, SolarWinds NPM is deployed to monitor network health and device status, sending alerts for any issues. It provides visibility into network performance, tracking bandwidth utilization and server metrics efficiently. Its applications span from monitoring routers, switches, and firewalls to supporting infrastructure monitoring across industries.

SolarWinds

Sample Customers

U.S. Department of Defense

Microsoft, Federal Express, Hewlett-Packard, and MasterCard

Buyer's Guide

NETSCOUT InfiniStreamNG vs. SolarWinds NPM

August 2026

Free Report: NETSCOUT InfiniStreamNG vs. SolarWinds NPM

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