Obkio

Obkio is a network performance monitoring and troubleshooting service for identifying intermittent network issues. Distributed agents run synthetic tests between network locations every 500 milliseconds and measure latency, packet loss, jitter, throughput, and MOS score. SNMP monitoring gathers health data from routers, switches, and firewalls to help relate device conditions to network performance. Application monitoring can test HTTP URLs and help distinguish network issues from application or user issues. Visual traceroutes display the network path and latency at each hop. Notifications or events can connect to Slack, Microsoft Teams, PagerDuty, and HTTP webhooks. Reports can be exported as Excel, PDF, or JSON and scheduled daily, weekly, or monthly. Obkio says it uses synthetic traffic rather than capturing real user traffic. The free plan supports up to two software agents. A 14-day trial provides Premium features for up to 10 agents, then switches to Free with agents above two disabled. The trial costs nothing and requires no credit card.

Obkio combines synthetic network tests with device monitoring, application checks, and traceroutes to help investigate performance problems. The free tier and trial have explicit agent limits.

Obkio may suit small businesses, multisite organizations, MSPs, remote users, nonprofits, and colleges or universities. Its Free plan is for users who can work within a two-agent limit.

Obkio is network performance monitoring software for diagnosing intermittent problems across locations, devices, and applications. It suits teams that need frequent synthetic checks and route-level clues. Its breadth is useful, but the free tier tops out at two agents and larger deployments require a quote.

Overview

Obkio combines tests between network locations with device health monitoring, application checks, and visual traceroutes. Distributed agents run synthetic tests every 500 milliseconds, tracking latency, packet loss, jitter, throughput, and MOS score. That mix can help teams narrow down where a performance problem occurs instead of treating every slowdown as a generic connectivity issue.

Because Obkio uses synthetic traffic rather than capturing real user traffic, it can provide network signals without collecting user sessions. It is not a substitute for observing actual user traffic, however. The hybrid deployment and supported platforms—Android, iOS, Linux, macOS, Windows, web, and API—give organizations multiple ways to fit it into their environment.

For category comparisons, browse Network Performance Monitoring Software, VoIP Monitoring Software, and Network Monitoring.

Key features

• Synthetic performance tests: Agents test between locations at half-second intervals, measuring latency, packet loss, jitter, throughput, and MOS score. This cadence and range of metrics suit teams trying to catch intermittent degradation, though the signals come from synthetic checks rather than real user sessions.
• Device health: SNMP monitoring gathers health data from routers, switches, and firewalls. Correlating that information with network performance can help distinguish a device issue from a broader path problem.
• Application checks and traceroutes: Application monitoring helps separate network trouble from application or user issues, and HTTP URLs can be tested. Visual traceroutes show the network path and hop-level latency, offering a practical lead on where performance degrades.
• Operations and reporting: Notifications and events can connect with Slack, Microsoft Teams, PagerDuty, and HTTP webhooks. Reports export to Excel, PDF, or JSON and can be scheduled daily, weekly, or monthly. MFA, TLS-encrypted communications, stored-data encryption, user roles, and audit logs are also listed among the security features.

Pricing

Obkio uses a freemium model. The Free plan costs nothing and is free forever, but permits only two software agents. That is a constrained way to begin, not a broad monitoring allowance for a multi-location organization.

The 14-Day Free Trial costs nothing, needs no credit card, and includes Premium features for up to 10 agents. When the 14 days end, the account switches to Free and any agents above two are disabled. Teams evaluating several locations should account for that cutoff rather than treating the trial capacity as ongoing coverage.

Paid plans use custom pricing, with monthly pricing available by quote for several offerings. Starter is aimed at SMEs with fewer than three locations; Basic is for multiple network locations; Premium targets mid- to large multisite networks. Custom Enterprise is tailored for MSPs and large businesses. The Non-Profit Organizations plan is for multi-site NPOs, while Education Sponsorship is for colleges and universities; both use quote-based pricing.

The 50 Remote Users plan has custom pricing and includes 50 agents, 10 devices, two users, Public Monitoring Agents, and Windows 11 and macOS workstations. The 100 Remote Users plan has the same listed device, user, public-agent, and workstation allowances, with 100 agents. Those fixed agent counts make the remote-user options easier to assess for scale, but their two-user limit may constrain shared administration.

Online documentation is available 24/7; live chat and email support are listed for weekdays from 9am to 5pm EST. That support schedule is worth considering for teams that need help outside those hours.

Platforms

Obkio supports Android, iOS, Linux, macOS, web, Windows, and API, with hybrid deployment. Its monitoring also covers network devices and HTTP URL checks, making it relevant to teams overseeing a mix of locations and infrastructure rather than only workstation activity.

Who it's for

Obkio is a stronger fit for small businesses, multisite organizations, MSPs, remote users, nonprofits, and educational institutions that need to investigate network performance across locations. The combination of frequent synthetic testing, SNMP device data, application checks, and hop-level traceroutes is most valuable when a team needs several kinds of evidence to isolate a fault. A small team seeking only a couple of agent checks can start free; organizations needing broader coverage should expect to request a quote.

Pros and cons

• Pro: Broad diagnostic signals. Synthetic metrics, SNMP device health, application checks, and traceroutes can help teams narrow down whether a problem lies with a device, network path, or application.
• Pro: Frequent checks with privacy-conscious traffic collection. Agents test every 500 milliseconds, while Obkio says it does not capture real user traffic.
• Con: The free allowance is small. Two agents limit the Free plan's usefulness for organizations monitoring several locations.
• Con: Trial capacity is temporary. After 14 days, agents above two are disabled when the account moves to Free.
• Con: Quote-based paid plans make budgeting less direct. Teams must request pricing to compare the monthly options and specialized plans.

Alternatives

Choose Fing Security if a free option centered on up to three daily scans, internet speed tests, network and ISP reporting, and troubleshooting tools better matches the need than Obkio's agent-based performance monitoring.

GlassWire is worth considering for bandwidth usage and network history: its free plan covers one day of bandwidth usage, 24 hours of history, and current-day alert logs, while its Personal Plan costs $2.99 a month.

ManageEngine OpManager may suit teams looking for a free edition capped at three devices or a perpetual free starting point; its Standard Edition is priced at $95 a year.

NetXMS is an alternative for readers seeking a free open-source monitoring solution, with Windows server binaries limited to 250 nodes.

Paessler PRTG Network Monitor offers a freeware edition up to 100 sensors, about 10 devices, and a PRTG 500 plan at $200 a year.

LibreNMS is a free, self-hosted network monitoring system, with commercial SLA-backed support and consultancy available through partners.

Domotz is another option with a per-device plan priced at $1.50 a month, billed per managed device in bundles of 10.

ITRS Capacity Planner is a paid alternative.

Verdict

Obkio is a good choice for teams that need to trace intermittent network issues using frequent synthetic tests alongside device, application, and route-level signals. Its main limitation is the tight free cap: two agents after the trial make it a poor long-term fit for broad coverage, and paid users need a quote to budget. Choose it when that diagnostic breadth matters; look elsewhere if you need a larger free deployment or a published paid price.