Quick Answer
Last verified:

Kentik pricing varies by team size and features, ranging from $2K to $24K per month in 2026. Your actual cost depends on the tier you choose, contract length, and negotiated discounts.

Use the interactive pricing calculator to estimate your exact cost based on team size and requirements.

  • Free tier: Yes
  • Billing: Monthly and annual (save 15-20%)
  • Hidden costs: Add ~35% for implementation, support, and training

Kentik offers 3 pricing tiers: Free Trial, Kentik Pro, Kentik Premier. Standard paid plans include Free Trial at $0/free trial. The Kentik Pro plan is mid-size organizations needing network visibility with standard observability features.

Compared to other network traffic analysis software, Kentik is positioned at the premium price point.

Last verified: February 2026 | Sources: 2 pricing pages and reviews

Kentik is a network observability platform used by enterprises like IBM, Box, and Yelp to monitor network traffic, detect DDoS attacks, and optimize network performance. Founded in 2014, Kentik pioneered AI-powered network intelligence and now provides comprehensive flow analysis, synthetic monitoring, and real-time cost intelligence through their Traffic Costs feature. The platform supports NetFlow, sFlow, IPFIX, and other flow protocols from major network equipment vendors including Cisco, Juniper, and Arista.

Kentik pricing is based on a custom model with two main tiers. Kentik Pro provides core network observability with flow analysis and DDoS detection, typically starting at $500-$1,000/month for smaller deployments. Kentik Premier adds advanced features including synthetic monitoring, Traffic Costs analysis, extended data retention, and 24/7 support, typically costing $2,000-$10,000+/month for enterprises. Pricing varies based on network size, device count, data volume, and contract terms. A free 30-day trial is available.

In this guide, we break down Kentik's pricing tiers from Pro through Premier, explain how device count and data volume affect costs, compare Kentik to ThousandEyes and Catchpoint on price and features, and reveal hidden costs like annual contract commitments, data retention fees, and professional services that can significantly impact your total spend.

All Kentik Plans & Pricing

Plan Monthly Annual Best For
Free Trial Duration: 30 days onlySupport: Trial support only Free Free 0 Teams evaluating network observability platforms before committing to annual contracts
Kentik Pro Deployment: SaaS onlyData Retention: Based on contract tier Contact Contact Mid-size organizations needing network visibility with standard observability features
Kentik Premier Pricing: Custom quotes only, typically requires 50+ devicesContract: Annual contracts required Contact Contact Large enterprises needing comprehensive network intelligence with advanced cost analysis and 24/7 support
View all features by plan

Free Trial

  • 30-day free trial
  • Full platform access during trial
  • Network observability
  • Flow data analysis
  • Basic DDoS detection
  • Standard support during trial

Kentik Pro

  • Network observability and monitoring
  • Flow data analysis (NetFlow, sFlow, IPFIX)
  • DDoS detection and mitigation
  • Network performance monitoring
  • Traffic visualization and analytics
  • API access
  • Standard security features
  • Business hours support
  • Customizable dashboards
  • Alerting and notifications

Kentik Premier

  • Everything in Kentik Pro
  • Advanced network intelligence
  • Synthetic monitoring
  • Traffic Costs (real-time network cost intelligence)
  • Connectivity Costs analysis
  • Extended data retention
  • Advanced security features
  • Priority 24/7 support
  • Dedicated customer success manager
  • Custom integrations
  • Multi-cloud deployment options
  • Advanced API capabilities
  • Custom SLA options
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Hidden Costs to Budget For

Watch for 8 hidden costs
  • Data ingestion volume pricing: higher flow rates and more devices increase monthly costs significantly, can add $1,000-$5,000+/month for high-traffic networks
  • Annual contract commitment required: no month-to-month flexibility, must commit to 12-month contracts upfront at $6,000-$120,000+/year depending on network size
  • Additional costs per device/exporter: pricing calculated per device sending flow data, typically $50-$500/device/month depending on traffic volume
  • Data retention beyond standard tier: extended retention (90+ days) costs extra, estimated $500-$2,000+/month for compliance or analysis needs
  • Professional services for implementation: onboarding and setup typically requires $5,000-$25,000 in consulting fees for complex networks
  • Training costs: team training on platform features costs $1,000-$5,000 per session, required for effective usage
  • Integration development: custom integrations with existing tools (SIEM, ITSM) can cost $10,000-$50,000 depending on complexity
  • Cloud marketplace fees: purchasing through AWS/Azure Marketplace adds 3-7% to base price but allows usage of existing cloud credits
Tip

Ask your Kentik sales rep about these costs upfront. Getting them in writing before signing can save you from surprise charges later.

Full hidden costs breakdown →

Frequently Asked Questions

01 How much does Kentik cost?

Kentik pricing is custom and not publicly listed. Based on user reports, costs typically range from $500-$10,000+/month depending on network size, number of devices, data volume, and features selected. Kentik Pro starts around $500-$1,000/month for smaller deployments, while Kentik Premier for enterprises typically costs $2,000-$10,000+/month. A free 30-day trial is available to test the platform before committing to annual contracts.

02 Is Kentik free?

Kentik offers a 30-day free trial with full platform access, but there is no permanently free tier. After the trial ends, you must subscribe to Kentik Pro or Kentik Premier with custom pricing based on your network requirements. The trial is sufficient to evaluate network observability features and determine if Kentik fits your needs.

03 What's the difference between Kentik Pro and Kentik Premier?

Kentik Pro provides core network observability with flow analysis, DDoS detection, and business hours support on SaaS deployment. Kentik Premier adds advanced features including synthetic monitoring, Traffic Costs analysis for real-time cost intelligence, extended data retention, 24/7 priority support, dedicated customer success manager, and multi-cloud deployment options. Choose Premier if you need advanced cost analysis, extended retention, or 24/7 support.

04 How does Kentik compare to ThousandEyes on price?

Kentik pricing is typically custom but starts around $500-$1,000/month for smaller deployments, while ThousandEyes uses unit-based pricing that can start at $50,000+ annually for enterprise deployments. Kentik focuses on network flow analysis and traffic intelligence, while ThousandEyes specializes in synthetic monitoring and end-user experience. For pure network traffic analysis, Kentik is often more cost-effective, but ThousandEyes excels at application performance monitoring.

05 Does Kentik require annual contracts?

Yes, Kentik typically requires annual contracts for both Pro and Premier plans. This means committing upfront for 12 months, with pricing based on your network size, device count, and data volume. Some users report the ability to add burstable licenses that can be spun up/down as needed, but the base contract is annual. The 30-day free trial allows evaluation before contract commitment.

06 What factors affect Kentik pricing?

Kentik pricing is based on multiple factors: number of devices/exporters sending flow data, data ingestion volume (flows per second), data retention period, deployment model (SaaS vs cloud marketplace), feature tier (Pro vs Premier), and contract length. High-traffic networks with many devices sending NetFlow/sFlow/IPFIX data will cost significantly more than smaller deployments. Volume discounts are available for large enterprises.

07 Can I self-host Kentik?

Kentik is primarily a SaaS platform and does not offer traditional on-premises deployment. However, you can deploy Kentik through cloud marketplaces like AWS and Azure, which allows you to run it within your cloud environment while leveraging existing cloud credits. This provides some deployment flexibility but isn't fully self-hosted like on-premises solutions.

08 Does Kentik offer startup discounts?

Kentik's startup discount programs are not publicly documented, but as a B2B network observability platform, they likely offer custom pricing for qualified startups. Contact Kentik sales directly with information about your startup stage, funding, and network size to inquire about potential discounts or credits. Best time to negotiate is during the free trial period.

09 What network protocols does Kentik support?

Kentik supports all major flow protocols including NetFlow (v5, v9), sFlow, IPFIX, jFlow, and proprietary flow formats from major vendors. It integrates with routers, switches, and firewalls from Cisco, Juniper, Arista, Palo Alto Networks, and other network equipment vendors. Kentik also supports SNMP for device monitoring and synthetic monitoring for application performance tracking.

10 How is Kentik different from open-source solutions?

Kentik offers enterprise-grade scalability, advanced analytics, and managed infrastructure that open-source tools like ntopng lack. Unlike open-source solutions requiring manual setup and maintenance, Kentik is fully managed SaaS with 24/7 support (Premier), dedicated customer success, and continuous feature updates. However, open-source alternatives are significantly cheaper ($0-$1,500/year) while Kentik costs $6,000-$120,000+/year for comparable network sizes.

11 Can I negotiate Kentik pricing?

Yes, Kentik pricing is highly negotiable since all pricing is custom. Volume discounts are common for enterprises with large networks (50+ devices). Multi-year contracts typically offer 10-20% savings over annual. Best time to negotiate is end of quarter (March, June, September, December) when sales teams have quotas. Leverage competing quotes from ThousandEyes or Catchpoint for better pricing.

12 What happens if I exceed my contracted data volume?

If you exceed your contracted data volume or device count, Kentik typically allows burstable usage at your contracted per-unit rate, though this may be billed at the end of the contract period. Some contracts include overage protections where you're charged the same rate without penalties. However, sustained overages may trigger mid-contract renegotiations. Review contract terms carefully to understand overage policies before signing.