Modern enterprises are leveraging more computer systems than ever before; it’s impossible to keep track unless you have an automated computer inventory management tool.

In this article, we will look at the best computer inventory management software on the market. The list includes a range of tools for Windows, macOS, and Linux. We’ve selected tools with autodiscovery features and configuration management functions that help you to build a virtual monitoring environment.

Here is our list of the best computer inventory management software:

  • SolarWinds Server & Application Monitor EDITOR’S CHOICE Server and application monitoring solution with automatic IT asset discovery, monitoring dashboard, software inventory reports, and more. Start a 30-day free trial.
  • Atera (FREE TRIAL) A SaaS package that is designed for use by managed service providers and includes a system inventory management service. Get a free trial.
  • ManageEngine Endpoint Central (FREE TRIAL) A unified endpoint management system that includes both hardware and software inventory management. Available as a SaaS platform or for installation on Windows Server. Start a 14-day free trial.
  • SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager (FREE TRIAL) Network configuration management tool with device autodiscovery, configuration management, alerts, and more.
  • SolarWinds Hybrid Cloud Observability (FREE TRIAL) A manager for infrastructure and applications that discovers IT assets, creates a hardware inventory, and generates network and application dependency maps. Runs on Windows Server.
  • ManageEngine AssetExplorer Asset inventory management software with automatic asset discovery, a configuration management database, software asset management, and more.
  • JIRA Service Management Asset management software with automated asset discovery, configuration management, dependency mapping, and more.
  • Spiceworks Inventory Free inventory management software with automatic IP range scanning, scheduled scans, reports, and more.
  • Total Network Inventory Computer inventory management software with remote scanning, scheduled scans, configuration monitoring, and more.
  • Open-AudIT Computer inventory management software that can monitor Windows and Linux PCs with automated scans, reports, and more.
  • Lansweeper Network inventory software with IP range scanning, reports, alerts, automated warranty checks, and more.
  • 10-Strike Network Inventory Explorer Network inventory monitoring software with automatic device scanning, hardware and inventory change tracking, health monitoring, and more.
  • EMCO Network Inventory Network inventory management software with remote device discovery, customizable reports, an SQL query builder, and more.

Best computer inventory management software

With these selection criteria in mind, we identified a shortlist of tools to identify, log, and maintain computers on a company network.

Our methodology for selecting a computer inventory management service 

We reviewed the market for IT asset inventory management software and analyzed tools based on the following criteria:

  • Automatic discovery of computers and other IT assets
  • Maintenance functions, such as patch management
  • Onboarding and standardization for settings and drivers
  • Security protection to prevent tampering or unauthorized software
  • Tools to access devices remotely for investigation and maintenance
  • A free trial or a demo package that offers an opportunity for a cost-free assessment
  • Value for money from a good set of tools at a fair price

You can read more about each of these solutions in the following sections.

1. SolarWinds Server & Application Monitor (FREE TRIAL)

SolarWinds Server & Application Monitor is a server and application monitoring solution that provides automated inventory management. With SolarWinds Server & Application Monitor, you can automatically discover IT assets and monitor over 1200 vendors, applications, servers, and databases from a web-based GUI.

Key Features:

  • Automatic IT asset discovery
  • Dashboard
  • Reports
  • Application infrastructure dependency mapping

Through the dashboard, you can monitor recent configuration changes and see newly added or removed hardware. This enables you to monitor changes in your environment. There are also software inventory reports that detail current infrastructure updates, admins who installed the updates, resources used, unused hardware, and more.

The platform also comes with application infrastructure dependency mapping that enables you to see a visual display of application dependencies and issues throughout your environment.

SolarWinds Server & Application Monitor is a great choice for enterprises looking for an automated inventory management tool with a wide range of monitoring capabilities. It is available on Windows. Pricing starts at $2,955 (£2,093). You can download a free 30-day trial.

Pros:

  • Compiles a list of servers on a network
  • Creates a software inventory for each device
  • Watches activity on a server and identifies application dependencies
  • Keeps track of resource usage with capacity limits
  • Raises alerts when problems arise

Cons:

  • Not a SaaS package

2. Atera (FREE TRIAL)

EDITOR’S CHOICE

SolarWinds Server & Application Monitor is our top pick for a computer inventory management software package because it identifies all computers on a network and lists them and then scans each device. The tool identifies all of the software running on each computer and then watches them as they run. Operating software interacts with other applications and services and the Server & Application Monitor records these interactions, creating application dependency maps. The tool also watches over server resource usage, noting which applications need which services and spotting when resources are running short. This system thoroughly documents, tracks, and guards your computer inventory.

Download: Get a 30-day free trial

Official Site: https://www.solarwinds.com/server-application-monitor/registration

OS: Windows Server

Atera is a cloud-based platform that includes a package of tools for the remote monitoring and management of client systems. An inventory of equipment on Each client site lies at the heart of this monitoring service and so it helps your technicians to keep track of the computer inventory on each site.

Key Features: 

  • Optional network discovery and mapping service
  • Automated patch management
  • A multi-tenanted architecture to manage several client systems
  • Alerts for performance problems
  • The service is organized so that each MSP

The computer inventory services of Atera can be enhanced by an add-on service that performs automated network mapping, keeping track of the connections between all computers and network devices.

As Atera is a cloud-based service, its console can be accessed through any standard browser and it is even possible to group together technicians located at several sites or from their homes. The system is offered in three plans that all also include team and business management tools. There are integrations available for Atera that enable the system to interact with third-party tools, expanding your system monitoring toolset. You can assess Atera with a free trial.

  • Remote management of multiple sites simultaneously

  • Multi-tenanted for use by MSPs

  • Automatic detection and recording of all IT assets on a site

  • Patch management and software inventory maintenance

  • Automated performance monitoring

  • Network topology mapping costs extra

Atera Start a FREE Trial

3. ManageEngine Endpoint Central (FREE TRIAL)

ManageEngine Endpoint Central is an asset management system that tracks both hardware and software. The system can manage desktops, laptops, mobile devices, and removable storage devices.

  • Hardware management
  • Software management
  • Remote access
  • Automated onboarding

The task automation services in the tool provide OS and configuration standardization and a library of software profile templates. With these two services, you can create an automated onboarding process that applies an OS image and then installs all of the software that has been allocated to a specific user group. The software management system extends to patch management that automatically polls for updates. You define maintenance windows in the management console and the service will queue patches for automatic installation at the next available window.

All of the editions of Endpoint Central include mobile device management as well as computer management. The top plan, UEM, applies consistent monitoring to all types of devices, whereas lower versions treat mobile devices with separate processes.

ManageEngine Endpoint Central is offered for free to manage up to 25 devices. There are three paid plans and the upper two of these cover multiple sites. The service is offered as a SaaS platform but you can opt to download the software onto Windows Server. You can examine the Endpoint Central system with a 14-day free trial.

  • Security monitoring available as an add-on

  • Unified endpoint management that extends to iOS and Android devices

  • Hardware warranty tracking

  • Patch management and software license management

  • Doesn’t provide a network topology map

ManageEngine Endpoint Central Start 14-day FREE Trial

4. SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager (FREE TRIAL)

SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager is a configuration management tool that can automatically discover and import network devices for your monitoring environment. You can view serial numbers, IP addresses, manufacturer, model, end-of-life dates, end-of-support dates, and more from one location.

  • Automatically discovers network devices
  • Network topology map
  • Configuration management
  • Backup scheduling

Users can schedule regular scans to detect devices to ensure they always have the most up-to-date device information. A network topology map allows the user to view a topological perspective of devices throughout the network, providing complete visibility over crucial systems.

You can also manage the configurations of connected devices and schedule backups, and execute scripts. The software alerts you whenever formats change on a device, or there is a problem. This helps you to keep an eye on changes to configurations so you can keep your environment secure.

SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager is ideal for enterprises that want a complete solution for managing their network inventory and network configurations. Available on Windows, macOS, and Linux. Prices start at $1,687 (£1,195). You can start a free 30-day trial.

  • Rapid computer onboarding by applying a configuration image

  • The ability to take a snapshot of a computer’s settings

  • A backup store of approved configurations

  • Detection of tampering by reapplying approved settings

  • No cloud version

SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager Download 30-day FREE Trial

5. SolarWinds Hybrid Cloud Observability (FREE TRIAL)

SolarWinds Hybrid Cloud Observability is an asset tracker for hardware and software. This tool will identify and record all IT assets, both on-site and in the cloud, and then watch their performance. The package also includes tools to assess infrastructure and identify the root cause of any problems that might arise during operations.

  • Asset discovery and inventory creation
  • Dependency mapping
  • Live activity monitoring
  • Performance analysis

The SolarWinds tool is particularly important for businesses that regularly use both on-site and cloud resources. There are many monitoring and management system available for on-premises infrastructure and separate cloud monitoring platforms are currently going through a boom. However, cross-platform systems are in short supply, so the Hybrid Cloud Observability package fill a need.

The package is great for those businesses that might consider themselves to be “in transition” to the Cloud or enterprises that find SaaS packages supplement end-user devices nicely. Even cloud-first businesses have user devices to deal with, so this hybrid approach to system monitoring makes sense.

Plan, identify, assess, and monitor hardware and software with this tool that runs on Windows Server. There are two editions for the Hybrid Cloud Observability system: Essentials and Advanced. Both plans are charged for by subscription, with a rate per node per month. The concept of a node is a device identifier, not a monitoring tool, so you get all of the functions of your chosen plan applied to each device or platform service you enroll.

The upper plan adds on virtualization performance monitoring, although the identification and tracking of hypervisors is included in the lower plan. The Advanced edition also includes bandwidth monitoring, network capacity planning, and device configuration management.

You can examine SolarWinds Cloud Observability with a 30-day free trial of the Advanced edition.

  • Identifies computers on-site and cloud platforms

  • Maps connections between assets

  • Path analysis

  • Doesn’t run on the cloud

SolarWinds Hybrid Cloud Observability Register for a 30-day FREE Trial

6. JIRA Service Management

JIRA Service Management is an asset management solution that can discover devices throughout your network and add them to a central repository. Discovered systems automatically have their status updated. You can view them through the dashboard, highlighting information such as the Serial Number, Owner, Status, Model, Location, and Warranty expiration date of assets.

  • Automated asset discovery
  • Configuration mapping
  • Dependency mapping
  • Reports
  • Analytics

The platform also includes a range of configuration management features. For instance, it can automatically add items to a configuration management database and detect configuration changes. It can also display dependencies between configuration items or assets and services.

JIRA Service Management provides users with alerts that notify them about the device regarding incident response capabilities. Users can configure escalation policies to ensure that urgent alerts are handled in a timely fashion. Reporting and analytics features allow you to monitor incident response activities and ensure there are no gaps.

JIRA Service Management is ideal for enterprises that want to create asset inventories within a solution that includes incident management capabilities. Free plan available with up to 3 agents and 2GB of storage. The Data Center version starts at $17,200 (£12,185) per year for 50 agents. You can begin the 7-day free trial from this link here.

  • Discovers and records IT assets

  • Identifies relationships between assets

  • Prioritized alerts

  • Doesn’t perform management functions, such as patching

7. Spiceworks Inventory

Spiceworks Inventory is a free inventory management tool that can automatically discover devices connected to your network. With Spiceworks Inventory, you can add an IP range to scan and start finding all assets within that range. You can also schedule scans by group and scan devices every five minutes.

  • Automatically discover network devices
  • Schedule scans by groups
  • Reports

After discovering devices, you can automatically update the installed software, view info on the device manufacturer, MAC address, installed software, open ports, and more. This provides you with a basic overview of your environment to take inventory of your environment and identify vulnerabilities.

Reports provide you with critical information on connected devices. For instance, you can create a report that shows devices that don’t have an antivirus installed. These reports can be scheduled to be regularly sent to your email, giving you periodic updates about the status of connected systems.

Spiceworks Inventory is an excellent choice for enterprises that need a low-cost solution for creating an IT asset inventory. It is available on Windows. The software is entirely free and supports unlimited devices, agents, and users. You can download the tool from this link here.

  • Free to use

  • Asset discovery

  • Software inventory

  • Funds itself by displaying ads in the dashboard

8. Total Network Inventory

Total Network Inventory is a computer inventory management tool that allows you to monitor devices in real-time. With Network Inventory Advisor, you can remote scan Windows, Unix, VMware, and SNMP-based systems to build your monitoring environment. Once devices are connected, you can collect information from them, such as the type of software they have installed.

  • Monitor devices in real-time
  • Schedule scans
  • Reports
  • Notifications

You can monitor the hardware and software changes of all connected devices. The software does this by creating configuration snapshots of devices with each scan, comparing the results against past scans, and listing everything that was added, changed, or removed.

Scheduling scans enable you to determine how regularly the system will discover new devices. You can also create a topology map of your network by drag-and-drop. Simply add assets to a canvas view and create a map that highlights your entire network. There is also a notification system that notifies you about asset and software issues.

Total Network Inventory is a reliable solution for SMEs looking for a low-cost and straightforward inventory management platform. It is available on Windows. Prices start at $90 (£63.77) for 25 nodes. You can start the 60-day free trial from this link here.

  • Hardware discovery and logging

  • Software inventory

  • Change detection

  • Not suitable for large businesses

9. Open-AudIT (Community edition)

Open-AudIT is an inventory management software that enables users to query Windows and Linux PCs from a web-based user interface. Information you can view includes hardware, software, OS settings, security settings, users, groups, IP address, MAC address, open ports, and more. This information is available in PDF, CSV, web page format, or via export by Dia and Inkscape.

  • Automatic network scanning
  • Export with Dia and Inkscape
  • Reports

The platform enables you to schedule daily automatic scans to keep your environment updated and ensure that the software identifies newly added devices. Choose from over 50 out-of-the-box reports to generate summaries on operating system type, device type, manufacturers, MS office, installs, disk usage, and more.

While the community edition offers plenty of features, paid versions Open-AudIT, such as the Professional, Enterprise, and Cloud versions, provide additional features like network analysis dashboards, geographical maps, and enhanced visual reporting that the community version lacks.

Open-AudIT is a useful tool for smaller enterprises that want a tool to gather information on Windows and Linux systems. It is available for Windows and Linux. Please note this platform isn’t compatible with Windows 10. Professional edition starts at $1,449 (£1,026) for 500 nodes. You can download the Community edition for free from this link here.

  • Scans a network for computers

  • Compiles a software inventory for each device

  • Details features of each computer

  • Doesn’t run continuously

10. Lansweeper

Lansweeper is a network inventory software that can IP range scan your network to discover connected devices and sort them into categories based on device type. Users can search through discovered devices by IP and filtered searches so they can quicklydetailedCritical gather information on the infrastructure they’re looking for.

  • IP range scanning
  • Automated warranty checks
  • Over 400 out-of-the-box reports

The platform comes with over 400 out-of-the-box reports that you can use to collect specific information from your environment. For example, you can create reports that detail all devices that are out of warranty or highlight unauthorized administrators. You can also create custom reports if you’re looking for other information.

Automated warranty checks are another helpful feature that comes with Lansweeper. These checks automatically scan devices and retrieve warranty details from the vendor’s websites and then issue you email alerts to notify you when a warranty is about to expire.

Lansweeper is an excellent solution for enterprises that require a free computer inventory management tool. It is available for Windows. Free and paid versions available. The free version supports up to 100 assets. The Enterprise version costs $1,815 (£1,286) per year. You can download the free trial from this link here.

  • Operates as an IP scanner

  • Lists detailed of the device using each discovered IP address

  • Report templates

  • More of a scanner than an inventory management system

11. 10-Strike Network Inventory Explorer

10-Strike Network Inventory Explorer is a network inventory monitor that automatically scans for devices throughout your network so you can monitor them. 10-Strike Network Inventory Explorer allows you to collect installed hardware, hardware changes, software changes, and more.

  • Automatic device scanning
  • Hardware and inventory change tracking
  • Health monitoring
  • Reports

The tool comes with a range of health monitoring capabilities that allow you to remotely read S.M.A.R.T parameters of connected computers, monitor disk health and temperature. You can use these parameters to find performance issues and then create reports to gather further information about the problem.

10-Strike Network Inventory Explorer is a good starting point for enterprises looking to monitor a smaller network environment. It is available on Windows. Pricing for the standard version starts at $79.95 (£56.65) and supports up to 25 computers. You can start the 30-day free trial from this link here.

  • Discovers and lists computers

  • Scans each device to create a software inventory

  • Spots changes to inventories

  • Suitable for small networks only

12. EMCO Network Inventory

EMCO Network Inventory is a network inventory management tool that can remotely detect devices throughout your environment and provide you with an inventory summary. This summary includes OS name, OS type, service pack, build number, product ID, digital product ID, and install date of devices.

  • Remotely detect network devices
  • SQL query builder
  • Reports
  • Export views

An SQL query builder gives you the ability to run custom queries to find particular device data. Key systems data can be exported in Excel, PDF, XML, and other formats so that you can share information easily with the rest of your team/

Generate custom reports to highlight particular data points on devices. For instance, you can create a license report that allows you to compare the number of licenses you own against unused licenses. You can also create a report that lists the applications installed on a particular device.

EMCO Network Inventory is suitable for enterprises that require an affordable and effective computer inventory management solution. It is available on Windows. Prices start at $149 (£105.57) for the professional Edition, which supports up to 25 nodes. You can start the 30-day free trial via this link here.

  • Discovers computers

  • Creates an inventory as a searchable database

  • Scans devices for software

  • Only suitable for small businesses

Choosing Computer Inventory management software 

Tools like SolarWinds Server & Application Monitor, and Atera provide a hassle-free inventory management experience you can use to monitor configurations easily.

However, suppose you want a lower-cost tool with more limited features. In that case, an alternative like Spiceworks Network Inventory with network autodiscovery is a good choice because it’s reliable and free. That being said, we recommend trying out multiple tools before you decide to buy to make sure that you discover the solution that’s right for your environment.