Quick Answer
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ThousandEyes pricing varies by team size and features, ranging from $50 to $150 per agent/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: No free tier available
  • Billing: Monthly and annual (save 15-20%)
  • Hidden costs: Add ~35% for implementation, support, and training

ThousandEyes offers 3 pricing tiers: Cloud Agents, Enterprise Agents, Endpoint Agents. Standard paid plans include Endpoint Agents at $72/user/year. The Enterprise Agents plan is enterprises monitoring internal applications and private networks with existing infrastructure.

Compared to other network traffic analysis software, ThousandEyes is positioned at the mid-market price point.

Last verified: January 2026 | Sources: 6 pricing pages and reviews

ThousandEyes is a network intelligence and Internet monitoring platform used by enterprises like Walmart, AT&T, and Dropbox to monitor application performance, network health, and end-user experience. Founded in 2010 and acquired by Cisco in 2020 for $1 billion, ThousandEyes specializes in synthetic monitoring with 200+ global agent locations and endpoint monitoring for digital experience management. The platform provides network path visualization, application performance monitoring, and Internet insights across Cloud Agents, Enterprise Agents, and Endpoint Agents.

ThousandEyes pricing uses a unit-based consumption model where costs depend on test types, test frequency, agent types, and usage patterns. Enterprise deployments typically start at $50,000+ annually with custom pricing based on expected unit consumption. Enterprise Agents use 50% fewer units than Cloud Agents. Endpoint Agents cost $72-$175 per user annually as an add-on. Pricing is not publicly listed and requires sales engagement for custom quotes based on monitoring requirements.

In this guide, we break down ThousandEyes' unit-based pricing model across Cloud Agents, Enterprise Agents, and Endpoint Agents, explain how test frequency and agent type affect unit consumption and costs, compare ThousandEyes to Kentik and Catchpoint on pricing and features, and reveal hidden costs like minimum annual commitments, professional services fees, training expenses, and unit overage charges that can significantly impact your total spend.

All ThousandEyes Plans & Pricing

Plan Monthly Annual Best For
Cloud Agents Agents: Maintained by ThousandEyes onlyUnit Consumption: Higher unit cost than Enterprise Agents Contact Contact Teams needing wide geographic coverage without managing agent infrastructure
Enterprise Agents Deployment: Customer must deploy and maintain agentsInfrastructure: Requires dedicated hardware or VMs Contact Contact Enterprises monitoring internal applications and private networks with existing infrastructure
Endpoint Agents License: 1 license per registered endpoint deviceDeployment: Requires agent installation on each device $72 /user/year $72 /user/year IT teams monitoring employee productivity and digital experience across distributed workforce
View all features by plan

Cloud Agents

  • Cloud-based monitoring agents maintained by ThousandEyes
  • Global coverage with 200+ agent locations
  • Network path visualization
  • HTTP server monitoring
  • DNS monitoring
  • BGP monitoring
  • Web application testing
  • API testing
  • Standard alerting
  • Data retention based on contract

Enterprise Agents

  • Self-hosted agents deployed on customer infrastructure
  • Uses 50% fewer units than Cloud Agents
  • Internal application monitoring
  • Private network visibility
  • Custom test configurations
  • VPN and private link monitoring
  • Integration with existing infrastructure
  • Advanced security for regulated environments
  • Same test capabilities as Cloud Agents
  • Customer-managed maintenance

Endpoint Agents

  • Software installed on end-user devices
  • Real user monitoring (RUM)
  • Employee digital experience monitoring
  • Network path analysis from endpoints
  • Application performance tracking
  • VPN and Wi-Fi performance monitoring
  • Works on Windows, macOS, Linux
  • Automated scheduled tests
  • User experience metrics
  • Integration with Cloud/Enterprise Agents
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Hidden Costs to Budget For

Watch for 10 hidden costs
  • Unit-based consumption model complexity: costs vary widely based on test type, frequency, and agent count - difficult to predict monthly spend without detailed usage modeling
  • Enterprise deployments typically start at $50,000+ annually: minimum commitment makes ThousandEyes prohibitively expensive for small teams
  • Cloud Agents use 2x more units than Enterprise Agents: using Cloud Agents instead of self-hosted Enterprise Agents doubles unit consumption and costs
  • High-frequency tests consume significantly more units: testing every 5 minutes vs every 60 minutes can increase costs 10-12x for the same coverage
  • Endpoint Agent licensing: $72-$175 per user annually in addition to base platform cost, can add $7,200-$17,500/year for 100-user deployment
  • Professional services for implementation: complex deployments require $10,000-$50,000+ in Cisco consulting fees for proper setup and optimization
  • Data retention beyond standard period: extended retention for compliance costs extra, estimated $1,000-$5,000+/month depending on data volume
  • Training costs: effective use of ThousandEyes requires 2-5 days of training at $1,500-$3,000 per attendee, totaling $3,000-$15,000 for teams
  • Integration development: custom integrations with ITSM, SIEM, or observability platforms cost $5,000-$25,000 depending on complexity
  • Annual contracts required: no monthly billing flexibility, must commit to 12-month contracts upfront at $50,000-$500,000+/year
Tip

Ask your ThousandEyes 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 ThousandEyes cost?

ThousandEyes uses a unit-based consumption pricing model where costs depend on test type, frequency, agent count, and usage patterns. Enterprise deployments typically start at $50,000+ annually. Endpoint Agents cost $72-$175 per user per year in addition to base platform costs. Pricing is custom and not publicly listed - you must contact Cisco ThousandEyes sales for specific quotes based on your monitoring requirements and expected unit consumption.

02 Is ThousandEyes free?

ThousandEyes does not offer a free tier or indefinite free trial. However, they provide trial access for qualified organizations to evaluate the platform before committing to annual contracts. Given that enterprise deployments typically start at $50,000+ annually, ThousandEyes is positioned as an enterprise-grade solution rather than a free or low-cost monitoring tool.

03 What are ThousandEyes units and how do they work?

ThousandEyes uses a unit-based consumption model where different tests consume different numbers of milli-units based on test type, agent type, and frequency. Cloud Agents use twice as many units as Enterprise Agents because ThousandEyes maintains Cloud Agents. The number of units you consume monthly depends on test types (HTTP, DNS, BGP, etc.), test frequency (every 5 vs 60 minutes), and agent types. This makes predicting costs complex without detailed usage modeling.

04 What's the difference between Cloud Agents and Enterprise Agents?

Cloud Agents are maintained by ThousandEyes and deployed globally in 200+ locations, but use twice as many units as Enterprise Agents. Enterprise Agents are deployed on your own infrastructure, use 50% fewer units, and allow monitoring of internal applications and private networks. Choose Cloud Agents for wide geographic coverage without infrastructure management, or Enterprise Agents to reduce unit consumption and monitor internal applications.

05 How much do Endpoint Agents cost?

Endpoint Agents cost $72-$175 per user annually depending on contract volume and terms, with each device requiring one license. This is in addition to base ThousandEyes platform costs for Cloud or Enterprise Agents. For a 100-user deployment, Endpoint Agents alone would cost $7,200-$17,500/year, plus the base platform cost of $50,000+ annually for test agents and monitoring infrastructure.

06 How does ThousandEyes compare to Kentik on price?

ThousandEyes typically costs $50,000+ annually for enterprise deployments with complex unit-based pricing, while Kentik costs $500-$10,000/month ($6,000-$120,000/year) with simpler per-device pricing. ThousandEyes excels at synthetic monitoring and end-user experience, while Kentik focuses on network flow analysis and traffic intelligence. For pure network traffic analysis, Kentik is often clearer on pricing, but ThousandEyes is better for application performance and user experience monitoring.

07 Does ThousandEyes require annual contracts?

Yes, ThousandEyes requires annual subscription contracts with pricing based on expected unit consumption. Given the typical $50,000+ annual starting cost, this represents significant upfront commitment. There is no month-to-month billing option. The contract specifies your unit allowance for the year, with potential overage charges if you exceed contracted units through increased test frequency or agent count.

08 What factors affect ThousandEyes unit consumption?

Unit consumption is affected by: test type (HTTP, DNS, BGP tests consume different units), test frequency (testing every 5 minutes uses 12x more units than every 60 minutes), agent type (Cloud Agents use 2x units vs Enterprise Agents), and number of tests running simultaneously. High-frequency testing of multiple applications across many agents can rapidly increase unit consumption and costs. Careful test optimization is essential to control costs.

09 Can I negotiate ThousandEyes pricing?

Yes, ThousandEyes pricing is negotiable as part of Cisco's enterprise sales process. Volume discounts are available for large deployments or multi-year commitments. Best time to negotiate is end of Cisco's fiscal quarter (January, April, July, October) when sales teams have quotas. Leverage competing quotes from Kentik, Catchpoint, or other monitoring platforms. Multi-year contracts typically offer 10-20% savings over single-year deals.

10 What happens if I exceed my unit allocation?

If you exceed your contracted unit allocation during the contract period, ThousandEyes will notify you of overage consumption. Depending on contract terms, you may face overage charges at your contracted per-unit rate, or be required to increase your unit allocation for the remainder of the contract. To avoid surprises, carefully model expected unit consumption before signing and implement test optimization practices to stay within allocation.

11 Is ThousandEyes pricing simpler after Cisco acquisition?

No, ThousandEyes maintains its complex unit-based consumption pricing model post-Cisco acquisition in 2020. While Cisco integration provides enterprise credibility and support infrastructure, the pricing structure remains difficult to predict without detailed usage analysis. Users report that understanding and forecasting costs requires significant effort and engagement with sales teams to model expected unit consumption scenarios.

12 Can I use ThousandEyes with existing Cisco contracts?

Yes, ThousandEyes can be purchased through existing Cisco Enterprise Agreements (EAs) or included in Cisco infrastructure purchases. This may provide procurement efficiencies and potential volume discounts if you're already a large Cisco customer. However, ThousandEyes pricing remains separate from traditional Cisco networking hardware and requires specific unit-based licensing even when purchased through EAs.