Kentik
Kentik is a network observability platform that provides real-time visibility and analytics for complex hybrid, multi-cloud, and internet networks to help you optimize performance and resolve connectivity issues.
SaltStack
SaltStack provides high-speed, intelligent IT automation software designed to help you manage, secure, and optimize complex infrastructure and cloud environments through event-driven configuration management and automated remediation.
Quick Comparison
| Feature | Kentik | SaltStack |
|---|---|---|
| Website | kentik.com | saltstack.com |
| Pricing Model | Custom | Custom |
| Starting Price | Custom Pricing | Custom Pricing |
| FREE Trial | ✓ 30 days free trial | ✓ 0 days free trial |
| Free Plan | ✘ No free plan | ✓ Has free plan |
| Product Demo | ✓ Request demo here | ✓ Request demo here |
| Deployment | ||
| Integrations | ||
| Target Users | ||
| Target Industries | ||
| Customer Count | 0 | 0 |
| Founded Year | 2014 | 2011 |
| Headquarters | San Francisco, USA | Lehi, USA |
Overview
Kentik
Kentik gives you a unified view of your entire network infrastructure, whether it lives in the data center, the public cloud, or across the internet. You can stop guessing about performance issues and start using real-time traffic data to understand exactly how your applications and users are connecting. It helps you map your entire network topology automatically, so you always have an up-to-date picture of your digital footprint.
You can proactively identify traffic spikes, investigate DDoS attacks, and optimize your routing costs using granular telemetry data. The platform is designed for network engineers and SREs at mid-to-large organizations who manage high-traffic environments. By consolidating flow logs, SNMP, and streaming telemetry into one interface, you can reduce your mean time to resolution and ensure your digital services remain fast and reliable for every customer.
SaltStack
SaltStack, now part of VMware by Broadcom, gives you a powerful platform to automate your entire IT infrastructure. You can manage thousands of servers, cloud instances, and network devices simultaneously with its unique high-speed communication bus. Whether you need to deploy software, manage configurations, or ensure compliance, the platform handles complex tasks across diverse environments with ease.
You can move beyond basic scripting by using event-driven automation that reacts to system changes in real-time. This means your infrastructure can automatically fix itself when issues arise, reducing manual intervention and downtime. It is built for scale, making it a go-to choice for large enterprises and service providers who need to maintain consistency across massive, distributed systems.
Overview
Kentik Features
- Hybrid Map Visualize your entire network topology across on-premises, VPCs, and internet paths to instantly spot where connectivity breaks down.
- Synthetics Monitoring Test your application performance from the perspective of your users with automated probes that identify latency before it impacts customers.
- Cloud Observability Monitor traffic within and between AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud environments to optimize your multi-cloud spend and performance.
- DDoS Defense Detect and mitigate volumetric attacks in seconds with automated alerting and integration with leading scrubbing center solutions.
- Traffic Engineering Analyze your peering relationships and transit costs to find more efficient routes and reduce your monthly bandwidth expenses.
- Query Engine Run complex queries on billions of network records to get answers about specific traffic patterns in just a few seconds.
SaltStack Features
- Remote Execution. Run commands across thousands of systems instantly to perform updates, gather data, or troubleshoot issues in real-time.
- Configuration Management. Define your infrastructure as code to ensure every server stays in its desired state without manual configuration drift.
- Event-Driven Automation. Set up automated triggers that detect system failures or security threats and fix them immediately without your intervention.
- Cloud Orchestration. Provision and manage resources across AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud using a unified interface and consistent automation logic.
- Compliance Monitoring. Scan your systems against security benchmarks like CIS and automatically remediate vulnerabilities to keep your data secure.
- Agentless Support. Manage your network devices and legacy systems using SSH or API connections when installing an agent isn't possible.
Pricing Comparison
Kentik Pricing
SaltStack Pricing
Pros & Cons
Kentik
Pros
- Exceptional speed when querying massive datasets
- Deep visibility into public cloud traffic flows
- Intuitive map interface simplifies complex troubleshooting
- Excellent support from highly technical engineers
- Automated insights reduce manual data analysis
Cons
- Pricing can be high for smaller organizations
- Initial setup requires significant configuration time
- Learning curve for advanced custom query language
SaltStack
Pros
- Extremely fast execution speed across large-scale distributed environments
- Highly flexible Python-based architecture allows for deep customization
- Powerful event-driven system enables proactive self-healing infrastructure
- Large and active open-source community provides extensive documentation
Cons
- Steep learning curve for users unfamiliar with Python
- Initial setup and master-minion configuration can be complex
- Documentation can sometimes lag behind the rapid release cycle