# PRTG, Auvik or NDR for a small business network?

> Performance monitoring and threat detection answer different questions. PRTG, Auvik and NDR compared from public sources, for a small IT team.

Source page: https://netsenx.com/en/blog/2026-11-07_network-monitoring-software-small-business · NetSenX Team · 2026-11-07

"Network monitoring software" covers two kinds of tool that answer different questions. Performance and management tools, such as Paessler PRTG and Auvik, tell you whether the network is up and healthy: is the switch reachable, is the link saturated, did someone change the firewall configuration. Network detection and response (NDR), such as NetSenX, tells you whether the network is being used by an attacker: is a workstation checking in with an outside server, is one host scanning the others, is a server uploading far more than usual. Which one a small business needs first depends on which problem it has more often; some end up with both.

## What PRTG and Auvik do

**Paessler PRTG Network Monitor** monitors availability and performance through *sensors*, each of which watches one value, such as a ping, a port, bandwidth on an interface or the free space on a disk. Licences are sized by the number of sensors and sold as annual subscriptions; Paessler publishes its prices, and a freeware edition covers up to 100 sensors. PRTG runs on your own server, and Paessler also offers a hosted version.

**Auvik** is a cloud (SaaS) network management and monitoring service. It discovers and maps the network automatically, backs up the configuration of network devices and alerts on problems. It is priced per billable device, with different rates for different device categories; Auvik says a custom quote is the way to an accurate price, and it offers a free trial.

Neither vendor positions its product as network detection and response in the sources reviewed. Both are good at the question they were built for.

## What NDR adds

An NDR tool watches the traffic between devices, learns what normal behaviour looks like and raises an alert when a host starts to behave like an attacker. The signals are different from performance metrics: regular small connections to a new outside destination, one machine connecting to many others on administration ports, new administrator sessions at night, an unusual upload. A performance tool may show the upload as a busy link; it will not tell you that the pattern matches data being stolen. See [what is NDR](/en/what-is-ndr) for the full definition.

## Side by side

| | Paessler PRTG | Auvik | NetSenX (NDR) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main question | Is it up and performing? | Is it up, mapped and configured as expected? | Is someone using the network who should not? |
| How it is priced | By number of sensors, annual subscription; prices published | Per billable device, by category; custom quote | Per plan and number of devices; prices published, Free plan |
| Where it runs | Your own server, or hosted by Paessler | SaaS | SaaS dashboard hosted in the EU, agent on a SPAN/TAP port or on hosts |
| Free option | Freeware edition, up to 100 sensors | Free trial | Free plan, up to 3 devices, no time limit |

## Which to start with

If the network goes down more often than it gets attacked, start with performance monitoring. If you already know when a link is down but would not know when an account is being misused, or NIS2 or a customer contract asks you to detect and report incidents, add NDR. The two do not replace each other; they read the same network for different reasons.

NetSenX flags command-and-control beaconing, scanning, lateral movement and unusual outbound data volume on every plan, Free included, and explains every alert in plain language. It does not monitor device health, bandwidth or configuration changes the way PRTG and Auvik do. See [NDR for small and mid-sized businesses](/en/ndr-for-small-business) and [pricing](/en/pricing).

## FAQ

### Is PRTG or Auvik a security tool?

Both monitor availability, performance and, in Auvik's case, configuration. Neither vendor positions its product as network detection and response in the sources reviewed. They can show symptoms of an attack, such as a saturated link, but neither vendor presents its product as a tool for recognising attacker behaviour.

### Do I need both performance monitoring and NDR?

Some small businesses end up with both, because they answer different questions: whether the network works, and whether someone is misusing it. If you have to choose one first, choose the one that matches the problem you have more often.

### Which of them publishes prices?

Paessler publishes PRTG's prices by sensor count, and NetSenX publishes its prices by plan. Auvik prices per billable device by category and says a custom quote is the way to an accurate price.

### Is there a free option?

PRTG has a freeware edition limited to 100 sensors, Auvik offers a free trial, and NetSenX has a Free plan with no time limit.

## Sources

As described on the vendors' pages on 7 November 2026.

- [Paessler — PRTG pricing](https://www.paessler.com/pricing)
- [Paessler — free network monitoring with PRTG](https://www.paessler.com/monitoring/network/free-network-monitoring)
- [Paessler — PRTG Network Monitor](https://www.paessler.com/prtg/prtg-network-monitor)
- [Auvik support — How much does Auvik cost?](https://support.auvik.com/hc/en-us/articles/201515670-How-much-does-Auvik-cost)
- [Auvik — network automation software](https://www.auvik.com/network-management-software/network-automation-software/)

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*Written by the NetSenX Team at TriStiX S.L. PRTG and Auvik are trademarks of their respective owners; NetSenX is not affiliated with either. Products change; check each vendor's current pages. Questions: [info@netsenx.com](mailto:info@netsenx.com).*