inping vs Checkmk: the comparison
Checkmk from Munich monitors whole IT environments with SNMP and 2,000 integrations, inping websites and their servers. When each pays off, with sources.
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Checkmk is the better choice for administrators who monitor networks, switches and many devices, including in their own data centre; inping is meant for teams that run web applications and want uptime, agent, vulnerabilities and page changes without monitoring infrastructure of their own.
Two tools for different jobs
Checkmk names over 2,000 integrations, queries switches and routers over SNMP and can be self-hosted. inping offers neither SNMP nor running the platform on your side: it monitors websites and the servers behind them from outside and through a read-only agent.
So the two are only partly interchangeable. If you monitor a data centre or a corporate network, inping is not the right tool.
How does the effort differ?
You run Checkmk’s free Community edition yourself; Checkmk recommends it for around 100 hosts. In return you have full control over data and location. With inping, one command per host is enough, and the platform is run for you.
Checkmk bills its paid editions per service, meaning per individual monitored value. Pro starts at €190 a month when paying annually, for around 3,000 services.
What about data and contracts?
Both vendors are based in Germany. Checkmk Cloud runs at AWS, with a choice of Frankfurt or Northern Virginia, and offers a DPA. When self-hosted, the data stays with you. inping runs on servers in the EU, with its own DPA.
inping and Checkmk at a glance
| Feature | inping | Checkmk |
|---|---|---|
| Uptime | HTTP(S) only, from several locations, from 60 s (Free) or 30 s (Pro) Features | HTTP check as an active check; Synthetic Monitoring as an add-on Source: Checkmk manual, HTTP check,checkmk.com/pricing As of November 2026 |
| Server agent | Linux, macOS, FreeBSD, Windows, Docker; read-only Integration | Yes, plus SNMP; over 2,000 integrations Source: Checkmk Community,Checkmk, network As of November 2026 |
| Vulnerabilities | Packages and runtimes from lock files and the host, checked daily against OSV and endoflife.date Advisories | not stated As of November 2026 |
| Page changes | Text diff per page, new pages from the sitemap Features | not stated As of November 2026 |
| Logs | Logs, errors and traces through the Sentry SDKs Features | Yes, with the agent plug-in mk_logwatch Source: Checkmk manual, logs As of November 2026 |
| Status pages | Yes, with your own logo and your own domain Features | not stated As of November 2026 |
| Alert channels | Email and signed webhook Features | Rule-based notifications, including through an SMS script Source: Checkmk manual, alerts As of November 2026 |
| Entry price | Pro €10 a month plus VAT, one price for the whole team Pricing | Pro from €190 a month when paying annually, around 3,000 services Source: checkmk.com/pricing As of November 2026 |
| Free to use | Free for good: 1 project, 10 URLs and 25 pages per project, 2 agents, 1 own runner Pricing | Community: free for good, GPLv2, recommended for around 100 hosts Source: checkmk.com/pricing,Checkmk, editions,Checkmk Community As of November 2026 |
| Hosting | SaaS; agent and runner also run on your own hardware Integration | Self-hosted or as Checkmk Cloud (SaaS) Source: checkmk.com/pricing As of November 2026 |
| Company seat | medienakzent, Konstanz, Germany Imprint | Checkmk GmbH, Munich Source: checkmk.com/imprint As of November 2026 |
| Data location | Platform on servers in the EU; payment through the reseller Paddle (UK) Privacy | Self-hosted: with you. Cloud: AWS Frankfurt or N. Virginia, your choice Source: checkmk.com/pricing As of November 2026 |
| DPA | Yes, DPA under Art. 28 GDPR DPA | Yes, for Checkmk Cloud Source: Checkmk, DPA (PDF) As of November 2026 |
When is Checkmk the better choice?
- You monitor network devices over SNMP, many hosts or whole data centres.
- The monitoring has to run on-premises on your side.
- You need over 2,000 ready-made integrations and your own agent extensions.
- Several sites and tenants should run under one operating concept.
When does inping fit better?
- You run web applications and do not want to maintain a monitoring instance of your own.
- Vulnerabilities in Composer, npm or host packages should stand out automatically.
- Changed pages and new sitemap entries should be reported.
- You need ready-made public status pages on client domains.
Frequently asked questions
Is Checkmk free?
According to Checkmk, the Community edition is free and open source (GPLv2) and recommended for around 100 hosts. You bear the server and the maintenance yourself. Pro, Ultimate and Cloud are paid.
Can inping monitor switches and routers?
Not over SNMP. inping checks HTTP(S) from outside and evaluates the agent on hosts. For the network values themselves, a tool such as Checkmk or Zabbix is better suited.