Netdata is an open-source, real-time infrastructure monitoring platform designed for instant visibility and proactive troubleshooting across entire IT environments. It captures per-second metrics for systems, containers, applications, and logs with minimal resource impact. Netdata is ideal for organizations seeking simplified operations, reduced overhead, and cost-effective observability, offering advantages over traditional tools like Prometheus and Datadog.

How It Works

Netdata operates on a distributed, edge-based architecture. Each Netdata Agent collects, processes, and stores metrics locally, utilizing a high-performance C-based engine with custom libraries for efficient data handling. It features automated discovery of infrastructure components and applications, ML-driven anomaly detection trained at the edge, and advanced visualization without requiring a query language. Data is streamed to optional Netdata Parents for aggregation, increased retention, and offloading processing from production systems.

Quick Start & Requirements

• Install: Netdata can be installed via binary packages (Linux, macOS, Windows, FreeBSD), Docker, or from source.
• Access: The local dashboard is available at http://NODE:19999.
• Prerequisites: Generally runs on most OSs; specific collectors may have additional requirements.
• Docs: Netdata Learn

Highlighted Details

• Performance: Claims to use 1/3rd less CPU and 1/8th RAM compared to Prometheus, while storing 40x more data.
• Energy Efficiency: Cited in a University of Amsterdam study as the most energy-efficient monitoring tool for Docker-based systems.
• ML Capabilities: Trains multiple ML models per metric at the edge for anomaly detection and correlation.
• Data Collection: Supports 800+ integrations, including OpenMetrics, StatsD, and upcoming OpenTelemetry.

Maintenance & Community

Netdata is an active CNCF project with a large community. Resources include Discord, GitHub Discussions, and community forums. Regular online meetups are held.

Licensing & Compatibility

• Netdata Agent: GPLv3+
• Netdata UI: Netdata Cloud UI License 1 (NCUL1) - closed-source, but free to use.
• Netdata Cloud: Commercial, closed-source (SaaS or on-premises), with a free community tier.
• Compatibility: The Agent is open-source and can be integrated with other systems. Commercial use of the Agent is permitted.

Limitations & Caveats

The Netdata UI and Netdata Cloud are closed-source components, requiring separate consideration for commercial or sensitive deployments. While the Agent is GPLv3+, the overall ecosystem is a hybrid model.