SolarWinds does not offer a permanently free version of NPM, but there are several ways to access it without upfront cost:
If you can tell me the you need to monitor, I can help you refine the hardware requirements for your specific network size.
SolarWinds NPM 2020.2.6 supports the following Windows Server operating systems:
Full-featured access allows testing for network performance, fault monitoring, and NetPath™ for 30 days. 4. Key Installation Considerations for 2026.1 solarwinds npm 202026 system requirements free
SolarWinds offers a free 30-day trial license download. This evaluation includes the highest tier license capacity (SLX), letting you test network insights, NetPath topology routing, and advanced alerting completely unrestricted.
These specifications apply to the Primary Polling Engine (the main server). Requirements scale based on the number of nodes (devices) and interfaces you are monitoring.
SolarWinds does not offer a permanently "free" version of the full NPM product, they provide a fully functional 30-day free trial SolarWinds does not offer a permanently free version
To start, you can access the SolarWinds NPM Free Trial directly from their official site. 4. Key Factors for Optimal NPM Performance To ensure SolarWinds runs smoothly, consider the following:
While the commercial license for NPM is expensive (typically thousands of dollars), you can legally run version 2020.2.6 for free in three scenarios:
As of May 2026, the SolarWinds Platform (which powers NPM) requires modern infrastructure for optimal performance, ensuring efficiency across self-hosted or hybrid deployments. A. Supported Operating Systems Key Installation Considerations for 2026
NPM relies heavily on a backend Microsoft SQL Server to store historical performance metrics, configuration data, and topology maps. For production environments, the SQL Server reside on a separate physical or virtual machine than the NPM application server. Supported SQL Server Versions Microsoft SQL Server 2019 (Standard or Enterprise) Microsoft SQL Server 2017 (Standard or Enterprise)
Data collected during the free trial period is saved directly within your SQL database. If you purchase a commercial license key later, apply it within the License Manager to convert the environment to production instantly without losing historical metrics.
Mixed Mode (SQL Server and Windows Authentication enabled).