Infrastructure monitoring
What it costs to self-host Zabbix
Real-time monitoring of IT components and services, such as networks, servers, VMs, applications and the cloud. Below is the server it needs at each fleet size, what that costs, and how long the 2 commercial products it replaces would take to cost more.
| Servers monitored | Memory | Disk | Cheapest plan that fits | Server | With backups and your time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 servers | 7.5 GB | 22.5 GB | Starter 8 GB · VPSServer | $39.00 | $159 |
| 10 servers | 8.0 GB | 25 GB | Starter 8 GB · VPSServer | $39.00 | $159 |
| 25 servers | 9.3 GB | 32.5 GB | Starter 16 GB · VPSServer | $84.00 | $213 |
| 50 servers | 11.6 GB | 45 GB | Starter 16 GB · VPSServer | $84.00 | $213 |
| 100 servers | 16.0 GB | 70 GB | Starter 32 GB · VPSServer | $132 | $271 |
| 250 servers | 29.4 GB | 145 GB | Starter 32 GB · VPSServer | $132 | $271 |
| 500 servers | 51.7 GB | 270 GB | Starter 64 GB · VPSServer | $276 | $444 |
The sizing model for Zabbix
Zabbix server, a database and the web frontend. Memory is fitted to Zabbix's own hardware table, which asks for 8 GB at 1,000 monitored metrics and 16 GB at 10,000, assuming about 100 metrics per server; beyond 100 servers this runs above Zabbix's own figures. Disk uses Zabbix's database formula at 90 bytes per value, 100 items per server refreshed every minute, 31 days of history and a year of trends: about 0.5 GB per server.
- 5.7 GB of memory for the whole stack at rest, every container the project ships included.
- 73 MB more per monitored server, then 25% on top so the box is not running at its ceiling.
- 20 GB of disk to begin with, growing 0.5 GB per server.
- 2 vCPU. Carried through from the project's baseline and not scaled with fleet size, because for this workload memory is what runs out first.
These base figures come from the project's own documented requirements. The per-server increments are ours in every case. They are deliberately generous rather than optimistic: a comparison that undersizes the server flatters self-hosting.
Time, not just money
Zabbix is rated medium to operate, which in this model means about 6 hours to get it running properly the first time and 1.5 hours a month after that. At $75 an hour that is $450 once and $112 a month, which is usually the largest line in the whole calculation.
What it replaces
| Commercial product | Its cost at 25 servers | Zabbix at 25 servers | Break-even | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Datadog Infrastructure Pro | $375 | $213 | 3 months | full breakdown |
| PRTG Network Monitor Subscription | $174 | $213 | never | full breakdown |
Where to put Zabbix
9.3 GB of memory and 32.5 GB of disk is what this needs at 25 servers. The cheapest plan that fits, among the providers whose prices we have read ourselves, is the Starter 16 GB at VPSServer for $84.00 a month.
We are not claiming this is the cheapest server on the internet. It is the cheapest one we can honestly quote. Hetzner Cloud, Vultr and PikaPods publish prices we could not read programmatically, and Hetzner in particular is usually cheaper per gigabyte of memory than anything quoted above. Price them yourself before you commit.
The VPSServer link above is an affiliate link, run through the same programme as our Kamatera link; VPSServer and Kamatera belong to the same group. If you sign up through it we may earn a commission, but the programme does not state an amount for VPSServer. That never changes the computed costs, which server is chosen, or the conclusion of this page. The sizing model and every price source are published in full.
Project facts
| Licence | GNU Affero General Public License v3.0 |
|---|---|
| Licence caveat | Zabbix is AGPL-3.0. That only matters if you modify Zabbix itself and offer it to others over a network. |
| Written in | Go Template |
| GitHub stars | 6,394 |
| Open issues | 109 |
| Last commit | 2026-09-18 |
| Repository checked | 2026-09-21 |
| Project | www.zabbix.com · zabbix/zabbix |
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