Auvik vs Skydive
Side-by-side comparison of features, pricing, ratings, and alternatives.
Auvik is a cloud-based network management platform used by over 80,000 IT professionals and MSPs to get real-time visibility into their infrastructure. It automatically discovers devices and generates live network topology maps that update as the network changes, removing the need for manual diagram creation, and backs up device configurations with version history for easy comparison and recovery. The platform includes NetFlow-based traffic analysis to reveal user activity and traffic destinations, over 64 pre-configured alerts that display directly on network maps, and an integrated AI agent that analyzes network data to suggest probable root causes during troubleshooting. It supports 700+ device vendors out of the box and integrates with tools like Slack, Microsoft Teams, ConnectWise, and ServiceNow, serving MSPs and internal IT teams across manufacturing, healthcare, education, and financial services with clients reported including American Airlines, Westin Hotels, and DirecTV.
Skydive is a network topology and protocol analyzer that provides a real-time, global view of your entire network infrastructure. It actively probes devices and captures traffic to build a dynamic, interactive map of all your network elements, including hosts, switches, routers, and virtual machines. This makes it an invaluable tool for network engineers and DevOps teams who need to troubleshoot issues, monitor performance, and understand complex network dependencies. The platform excels at automating network discovery, eliminating the need for manual inventory tracking. It uses a combination of active probing and passive traffic capture to continuously update its topology map, ensuring that you always have an accurate picture of your network's current state. With Skydive, you can drill down into specific nodes to view real-time metrics, inspect flows, and even replay captured packets for deep analysis. Skydive is particularly well-suited for dynamic environments like Kubernetes clusters and cloud-based infrastructures, where network topologies change frequently. Whether you're a network administrator looking to pinpoint a connectivity problem, a security analyst investigating suspicious traffic, or a developer trying to understand how your microservices communicate, Skydive offers the visibility you need. It is an open-source project that can be self-hosted, providing flexibility and control over your network monitoring data.
- Automatic, always-current network topology mapping
- Broad out-of-the-box support for 700+ device vendors
- AI-assisted troubleshooting reduces manual root-cause analysis
- Strong integrations with common MSP and ITSM tools
- Real-time network discovery and topology mapping
- Automated capture and analysis of network flows and traffic
- Supports a wide range of network technologies and protocols
- Open-source and self-hostable for data control
- Exact pricing isn't published; it scales with sites and device count
- Feature depth is geared toward MSPs and larger IT teams rather than home networks
- NetFlow-level analysis requires compatible network hardware
- Requires technical expertise to set up and configure
- Can be resource-intensive when monitoring large networks
- The interface may be overwhelming for beginners
More alternatives & similar tools
Alternatives to Auvik
View all →Agent-based network monitoring and remote management platform built for MSPs and IT teams.
Real-time network visibility and performance monitoring for IT pros.
Alternatives to Skydive
View all →The Verdict
AI-generated from listing dataAuvik offers a managed, AI‑assisted SaaS solution ideal for MSPs with broad vendor support, while Skydive provides a self‑hosted, open‑source tool with deep packet visibility for technically skilled teams.
Key differences
- •Deployment model: Auvik is cloud SaaS, Skydive is self‑hosted open source.
- •AI‑assisted troubleshooting vs. deep packet inspection and replay.
- •Vendor support: Auvik auto‑covers 700+ devices; Skydive relies on manual configuration.
- •Target audience: Auvik built for MSPs/IT teams; Skydive for network engineers/devops.
- •Pricing transparency: Auvik subscription with site/device scaling; Skydive price not specified.
Pricing & value
Skydive is open‑source and self‑hosted, implying no license fee; Auvik requires a paid subscription.
Ease of use / learning curve
Auvik provides automatic discovery, AI alerts and SaaS UI; Skydive needs technical setup and can overwhelm beginners.
Features & depth
Auvik offers AI troubleshooting and NetFlow; Skydive offers deep packet inspection and Kubernetes support—different strengths.
Integrations & ecosystem
Auvik integrates with Slack, Teams, ConnectWise, ServiceNow; Skydive lists generic virtualization/cloud integrations only.
Collaboration
Auvik’s SaaS platform shares live maps and alerts across teams; Skydive lacks built‑in collaboration features.
Scalability
Auvik scales by sites/devices in a managed cloud; Skydive’s self‑hosted model can be limited by own resources.
Support
Auvik is a commercial product with implied vendor support; Skydive being community‑driven has no specified support.
Choose Auvik if…
MSPs or IT teams needing managed, low‑maintenance monitoring across many sites.
Choose Skydive if…
Network engineers or DevOps groups comfortable self‑hosting and needing packet‑level analysis.
Common questions
What are the upfront costs?
Auvik requires a paid subscription with pricing based on sites/devices; Skydive is open‑source with no license fee.
Can I get AI‑driven root cause suggestions?
Yes, Auvik includes an AI agent for troubleshooting; Skydive does not offer AI assistance.
Do I need to manage the infrastructure myself?
Auvik is cloud‑hosted, so no; Skydive must be installed and maintained on your own servers.
