With the best HR software, managing employees, payrolls, holiday leave, and most other things associated with the human resources sector can be simplified. Advanced software is a must for many companies, as it can save countless hours of manual data entry and planning.
BrightHR is a new company, launched in 2015, which launched with the aim to better serve SMBs, it already counts 100,000 businesses among its customers.
In our BrightHR review, we take a close look at this advanced HR software solution. It comes in various formats for businesses of all sizes, and it’s quite affordable as well.
However, there’s no US version. It’s currently only available to customers in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and Ireland.
BrightHR: Plans and pricing
BrightHR used to offer a couple of different tiers, but these days it’s gone down the same route that many other HR and payroll providers have gone down, and we’re not a fan.
You’ll need to get in contact with sales to get a quote, and we’d much rather be able to tell you exactly how much each plan costs to help with comparison.
The company promises to save customers money while providing them with the best value for their investment, with tailored subscriptions based on the number of employees and HR systems required, which suggests further customization could be available beyond basic tiers, hence the requirement for a quote.
Sales teams can also offer potential customers a demo to show them around the suite and point out valuable tools.
The staff management tools are excellent (Image credit: BrightHR)
BrightHR: Features
The BrightHR platform is packed full of advanced HR management features. We’ve touched on a few of the most popular below.
BrightHR offers an excellent selection of staff management tools, including a neat holiday planner. This enables employees to request holidays with the click of a button.
Workers manage this from their end so all admins have to do is approve or decline requests. By keeping all of this within the HR platform, it means managers shouldn’t be bugged by email requests.
On top of this, managers can also record absences and sick leave in just a few seconds.
The platform also allows documentation, like medical certificates, contracts and policies, to be uploaded into the system for safekeeping.
You, of course, get all of the business-oriented HR tools, too, like goal setting (including SMART goals), review and appraisal tools, one-to-one performance meeting templates and follow-ups.
The BrightHR dashboard is tidy and easy to navigate (Image credit: BrightHR)
Although it’s primarily a human capital management (HCM) system, it does have some tools to help ease the burden on finance teams too.
The BrightHR system also tracks various metrics to help you with payroll calculations, reducing the time you need to spend on admin processes. This includes overtime tracking, a complete record of paid and unpaid absences, and information about bonuses or other extra payments that you owe employees.
If you need assistance with your staff rosters, BrightHR’s rota planner will be extremely useful. Modifications can be made with the click of a button, and the system will automatically notify employees of any changes to their usual schedule or work location.
Another noteworthy feature is BrightHR’s unlimited cloud storage. This is designed to help businesses go paperless and features a range of tools to help you store, manage, and share digital files. In addition, files can be accessed from anywhere through the neat mobile app, which is available for both Android and iOS devices.
BrightHR also comes with a Certificate of Assurance from Cyber Essentials, to help protect the service from cyber attacks.
BrightHR: Ease of use
To sign up for a new BrightHR account, you need to simply select the package you want, navigate to the checkout page, and input the required information.
The BrightHR software itself is tidy and easy to navigate, presenting a range of HR management tools in one central hub.
We think its user interface is pretty slick compared with most other legacy HR platforms, so if you’re familiar with working in more digital-first ecosystems like Canva and Monday, you should enjoy the graphics and ease of navigation.
Dashboards and other consolidated views of things like leave, sickness and planned shifts present key information in glanceable formats, and users typically report minimal training requirements to get started.
On the end user side, workers can use the mobile apps which support leave requests, clocking in and out, and scheduling monitoring. In a digital-native economy where PCs are often replaced by smartphones, it’s good to see BrightHR recognising this and building what seems to be a pretty powerful app.
BrightHR offers a selection of self-help resources (Image credit: BrightHR)
BrightHR: Support
When it comes to customer service and support, BrightHR excels. There’s a great range of self-help resources available via the company’s Support Hub, including FAQs, video tutorials, and detailed user guides.
On top of this, you can sign up to weekly webinars, which cover various aspects of getting started with the platform. There’s a handy blog that’s regularly updated, and you can reach out to the customer service team via phone or online contact form if you need extra assistance.
Qualified experts are on hand by phone for employment law advice, and there’s a good document template library to help companies get set up with policies and so on pretty quickly.
Health and safety support, compliance guidance and common HR questions are also covered.
Phone support, online chats and emails make support pretty accessible, but support is generally easier to reach in the UK & Ireland. BrightHR also operates across Australia and New Zealand, plus Canada, but there’s no tailored package for the US.
(Image credit: BrightHR)
BrightHR: Final verdict
All things considered, BrightHR is a great option for those who need an advanced yet competitively priced HR management program. It boasts excellent prices, a great range of advanced tools, and a user-friendly, easy-to-navigate management interface.
While the lack of a US version does narrow its market a little, the markets it does serve are treated to an approachable interface and strong functionality.
The bottom line: if you don’t need a US-specific HR management program, BrightHR could be a perfect choice.
Consider BrightHR if you need HR, compliance, health and safety and employee wellbeing bundled into a neat package, or if you value an intuitive system with good desktop and mobile access.
BrightHR offers excellent service across the board, but there are certainly a few other platforms worth considering.
One of our favorites is Gusto, which covers virtually every aspect of HR management. It includes advanced tools for onboarding, insurance, wages, time-tracking, and more. Ultimately, it’s a great option for businesses looking for advanced all-in-one software.
Another popular choice is BambooHR, a platform that focuses on HR process automation. It also boasts leading security practices, making it a good choice for businesses dealing with sensitive information.
Fast 10ms response UPS with different modes of UPS
Bluetti has done it again releasing another one of their versatile portable power stations, this one aimed at being lighter, smaller and more agile than some of the older, bigger models from the past.
A more powerful inverter means that AC wattage has been pushed up allowing even more electronics to be run from the power station.
It's also available via selected online retailers.
Bluetti Elite 100: Packaging
(Image credit: Bluetti // Future)
The Elite 100 arrived in an outer plain cardboard box, inside was another plain cardboard box but with printing indicating that this was an Elite 100 power station, it even had a handle to help in lifting out one box from another.
Also provided by Bluetti was not only the AC charging cable but the appropriate MC4 to XT60 cable to allow you to hook up a solar panel to the Elite 100 to charge it. The package included a grounding screw as well.
Bluetti Elite 100: The power station
Once out of the box, the Elite 100 measures 320 × 215 × 250mm or 12.6 x 8.5 x 9.8 inches (L x W x H) and weighing in at 11.5kg (or 25.3lbs). Compared to some of the previous models we have test from Bluetti and other brands, pretty small and light.
The Elite 100 has one large handle on the top at the back so was designed to be carried by one person only but it is light enough.
(Image credit: Bluetti // Future)
At the front is the usual affair, all output sockets are at the front, as are the control buttons, screen and DC input socket.
At the front of this UK model are the following sockets/plugs:
2 x UK Type G sockets outputting 230V at 50Hz AC pure sine wave
2 x USB-C sockets, 1 x 140W max and 1 x 100W max
2 x USB-A sockets, each able to output 15W
1 x Car cigarette socket
2 x DC barrel outputs at 12v 8A max
1 x DC/PV input
And of course, the control buttons and screen
On the right-hand side of the Elite 100 (from left to right) is the earth/ground screw hole, AC input and 20A circuit breaker.
Bluetti Elite 100: Charging
Image 1 of 2
(Image credit: Bluetti // Future)
Image 2 of 2
(Image credit: Bluetti // Future)
Switching on the Elite 100 the first time showed us a state of charge of 32%. We explored the charging methods that would be available to us, the simplest of which would be to charge it from the grid mains.
This is easily done by plugging the Elite 100 to the mains using the supplied AC cable which uses a common IEC C13/14 cable. On immediately detecting grid power the Elite 100 powered itself on and began charging at 1200W with a count down timer to inform us when it would be fully charged.
Other methods of charging include using solar panels, Bluetti have been kind enough to package in an MC4 to XT60 cable so that you could hook up a basic solar panel to the Elite 100. This is a nice touch as often power station manufactures sell this cable as an optional extra.
The XT60 is the only port, other than the AC input socket, to allow charging of the Elite 100. Through the XT60 you can charge the Elite 100 using the aforementioned solar panels or from a separately available alternator charger for charging from vehicles.
The XT60 can accept anywhere between 12 to 60V, up to 20A and 1000W of input.
Some would have preferred the DC input could have been placed on the side of the product for additional USB ports.
Bluetti Elite 100: Screen
(Image credit: Bluetti // Future)
Status screen is your typical affair that shows all the useful information that you will need at glance such as state of charge, input and output wattage. Output voltage and AC Hz, USB as well as Wi-Fi or Bluetooth connections.
It the out and inputs only tell you a total of wattage, they are unable to break down what is PV or AC input or USB or AC outputs.
Bluetti Elite 100: AC and USB/DC
(Image credit: Bluetti // Future)
Putting the Elite 100 through its paces, using it to power a variety of high draw household devices such as a rice cooker, hair dryer, air fryer. The Elite 100 was able to power all of them separately and remained relatively quiet throughout. It couldn’t power a mini-induction cook top as that drew a sustained 2000W. The Elite 100 can do up to a 2700W but only for a short period.
I noted that the Elite 100 only has two AC Sockets which may be a limiting factor for some, whilst it is only two sockets, there is nothing that says you can’t use multiplug sockets with them. But you must keep in mind the power draw in wattage.
Using the USB is about as regular as it gets, it was able to charge a variety of phones, power banks, a Lenovo ThinkPad, MacBook Air laptops all at the same time with ease. However with the advent that nearly everything is moving to USB-C, why the need for USB-A?
Also on the front are the DC outports, these are the car cigarette socket and two DC barrel sockets. Useful for small electronic devices assuming you have the right cables.
The Elite 100 has a combined output power of 1800W continuous power.
Bluetti Elite 100: UPS
Image 1 of 3
(Image credit: Bluetti // Future)
Image 2 of 3
(Image credit: Bluetti // Future)
Image 3 of 3
(Image credit: Bluetti // Future)
We recently reviewed a larger, more powerful power station the DJI Power 2000 where we tested its UPS capabilities and under 10ms response time. The response time is the time the power station detects grid outage and switches over to battery. Most other power stations have a response time of 20 to 30ms.
So, we were intrigued that the Elite 100 boasted a fast 10ms response time as well and decided to put this to the test. UPS mode is automatically activated when the Elite 100 is plugged into mains, AC is on and power drawn.
We again tested this by plugging in a typical home office setup, into the Elite 100 via multiplugs. The setup drew around 200W, we let the set up drain the Elite 100 for about two hours.
We then switched the mains on to charge the Elite 100 back to 100% which activated the UPS mode automatically
Once at 100%, we flicked the mains switch again whilst keeping an eye on the setup which showed no signs of power loss. The set up carried on as if there were no power outage, the Elite 100 drew power from the batteries and the UPS mode switched off.
It is here we add that in the app we noted that unlike the DJI model, the Elite 100 had several UPS modes where the UPS can be timed to only work certain times of day, prioritize PV power, state of charge or just as a standard UPS on standby or offline mode where the UPS only kicks in when power is noted to have gone down.
Bluetti Elite 100: The app
Bluetti have been in the power station market for a long time and so have had time to improve and refine their app. Searching and downloading it from the Google Play Store, loading it up and logging on for the first time was easy enough.
The app is more than just a battery management app in that it allowed us to see the local weather and a few other useful features not battery related as well as manage your account with Bluetti.
The “add device” allowed to locate and add the Elite 100 quickly and it was then added to our list of power stations.
On clicking on the battery your entered to a screen showing battery percentage, also showing incoming energy from either AC or DC/PV and outgoings for AC and DC.
The settings area is where Bluetti excel when compared to other brands in that it allows you to tweak certain settings, even if only the once such as the aforementioned UPS modes.
Bluetti Elite 100: Final verdict
Image 1 of 4
(Image credit: Bluetti // Future)
Image 2 of 4
(Image credit: Bluetti // Future)
Image 3 of 4
(Image credit: Bluetti // Future)
Image 4 of 4
(Image credit: Bluetti // Future)
Bluetti has been in the power station market for a long time bringing out newer models each year, refining and improving each time.
This small form factor battery is no different, it is ideal for those who want to get about and want a small, light-weight, portable yet powerful power station.
Some may find the capacity of the Elite 100 to be limiting, at only 1024Wh it can seem to drain quickly when high draw devices are used.
Also, some may find the lack of AC sockets cumbersome and as mentioned, it could have been better with solely USB-C sockets instead of the older USB-A.
Fast 10ms response UPS with different modes of UPS
Bluetti has done it again releasing another one of their versatile portable power stations, this one aimed at being lighter, smaller and more agile than some of the older, bigger models from the past.
A more powerful inverter means that AC wattage has been pushed up allowing even more electronics to be run from the power station.
It's also available via selected online retailers.
Bluetti Elite 100: Packaging
(Image credit: Bluetti // Future)
The Elite 100 arrived in an outer plain cardboard box, inside was another plain cardboard box but with printing indicating that this was an Elite 100 power station, it even had a handle to help in lifting out one box from another.
Also provided by Bluetti was not only the AC charging cable but the appropriate MC4 to XT60 cable to allow you to hook up a solar panel to the Elite 100 to charge it. The package included a grounding screw as well.
Bluetti Elite 100: The power station
Once out of the box, the Elite 100 measures 320 × 215 × 250mm or 12.6 x 8.5 x 9.8 inches (L x W x H) and weighing in at 11.5kg (or 25.3lbs). Compared to some of the previous models we have test from Bluetti and other brands, pretty small and light.
The Elite 100 has one large handle on the top at the back so was designed to be carried by one person only but it is light enough.
(Image credit: Bluetti // Future)
At the front is the usual affair, all output sockets are at the front, as are the control buttons, screen and DC input socket.
At the front of this UK model are the following sockets/plugs:
2 x UK Type G sockets outputting 230V at 50Hz AC pure sine wave
2 x USB-C sockets, 1 x 140W max and 1 x 100W max
2 x USB-A sockets, each able to output 15W
1 x Car cigarette socket
2 x DC barrel outputs at 12v 8A max
1 x DC/PV input
And of course, the control buttons and screen
On the right-hand side of the Elite 100 (from left to right) is the earth/ground screw hole, AC input and 20A circuit breaker.
Bluetti Elite 100: Charging
Image 1 of 2
(Image credit: Bluetti // Future)
Image 2 of 2
(Image credit: Bluetti // Future)
Switching on the Elite 100 the first time showed us a state of charge of 32%. We explored the charging methods that would be available to us, the simplest of which would be to charge it from the grid mains.
This is easily done by plugging the Elite 100 to the mains using the supplied AC cable which uses a common IEC C13/14 cable. On immediately detecting grid power the Elite 100 powered itself on and began charging at 1200W with a count down timer to inform us when it would be fully charged.
Other methods of charging include using solar panels, Bluetti have been kind enough to package in an MC4 to XT60 cable so that you could hook up a basic solar panel to the Elite 100. This is a nice touch as often power station manufactures sell this cable as an optional extra.
The XT60 is the only port, other than the AC input socket, to allow charging of the Elite 100. Through the XT60 you can charge the Elite 100 using the aforementioned solar panels or from a separately available alternator charger for charging from vehicles.
The XT60 can accept anywhere between 12 to 60V, up to 20A and 1000W of input.
Some would have preferred the DC input could have been placed on the side of the product for additional USB ports.
Bluetti Elite 100: Screen
(Image credit: Bluetti // Future)
Status screen is your typical affair that shows all the useful information that you will need at glance such as state of charge, input and output wattage. Output voltage and AC Hz, USB as well as Wi-Fi or Bluetooth connections.
It the out and inputs only tell you a total of wattage, they are unable to break down what is PV or AC input or USB or AC outputs.
Bluetti Elite 100: AC and USB/DC
(Image credit: Bluetti // Future)
Putting the Elite 100 through its paces, using it to power a variety of high draw household devices such as a rice cooker, hair dryer, air fryer. The Elite 100 was able to power all of them separately and remained relatively quiet throughout. It couldn’t power a mini-induction cook top as that drew a sustained 2000W. The Elite 100 can do up to a 2700W but only for a short period.
I noted that the Elite 100 only has two AC Sockets which may be a limiting factor for some, whilst it is only two sockets, there is nothing that says you can’t use multiplug sockets with them. But you must keep in mind the power draw in wattage.
Using the USB is about as regular as it gets, it was able to charge a variety of phones, power banks, a Lenovo ThinkPad, MacBook Air laptops all at the same time with ease. However with the advent that nearly everything is moving to USB-C, why the need for USB-A?
Also on the front are the DC outports, these are the car cigarette socket and two DC barrel sockets. Useful for small electronic devices assuming you have the right cables.
The Elite 100 has a combined output power of 1800W continuous power.
Bluetti Elite 100: UPS
Image 1 of 3
(Image credit: Bluetti // Future)
Image 2 of 3
(Image credit: Bluetti // Future)
Image 3 of 3
(Image credit: Bluetti // Future)
We recently reviewed a larger, more powerful power station the DJI Power 2000 where we tested its UPS capabilities and under 10ms response time. The response time is the time the power station detects grid outage and switches over to battery. Most other power stations have a response time of 20 to 30ms.
So, we were intrigued that the Elite 100 boasted a fast 10ms response time as well and decided to put this to the test. UPS mode is automatically activated when the Elite 100 is plugged into mains, AC is on and power drawn.
We again tested this by plugging in a typical home office setup, into the Elite 100 via multiplugs. The setup drew around 200W, we let the set up drain the Elite 100 for about two hours.
We then switched the mains on to charge the Elite 100 back to 100% which activated the UPS mode automatically
Once at 100%, we flicked the mains switch again whilst keeping an eye on the setup which showed no signs of power loss. The set up carried on as if there were no power outage, the Elite 100 drew power from the batteries and the UPS mode switched off.
It is here we add that in the app we noted that unlike the DJI model, the Elite 100 had several UPS modes where the UPS can be timed to only work certain times of day, prioritize PV power, state of charge or just as a standard UPS on standby or offline mode where the UPS only kicks in when power is noted to have gone down.
Bluetti Elite 100: The app
Bluetti have been in the power station market for a long time and so have had time to improve and refine their app. Searching and downloading it from the Google Play Store, loading it up and logging on for the first time was easy enough.
The app is more than just a battery management app in that it allowed us to see the local weather and a few other useful features not battery related as well as manage your account with Bluetti.
The “add device” allowed to locate and add the Elite 100 quickly and it was then added to our list of power stations.
On clicking on the battery your entered to a screen showing battery percentage, also showing incoming energy from either AC or DC/PV and outgoings for AC and DC.
The settings area is where Bluetti excel when compared to other brands in that it allows you to tweak certain settings, even if only the once such as the aforementioned UPS modes.
Bluetti Elite 100: Final verdict
Image 1 of 4
(Image credit: Bluetti // Future)
Image 2 of 4
(Image credit: Bluetti // Future)
Image 3 of 4
(Image credit: Bluetti // Future)
Image 4 of 4
(Image credit: Bluetti // Future)
Bluetti has been in the power station market for a long time bringing out newer models each year, refining and improving each time.
This small form factor battery is no different, it is ideal for those who want to get about and want a small, light-weight, portable yet powerful power station.
Some may find the capacity of the Elite 100 to be limiting, at only 1024Wh it can seem to drain quickly when high draw devices are used.
Also, some may find the lack of AC sockets cumbersome and as mentioned, it could have been better with solely USB-C sockets instead of the older USB-A.
Site24x7 is a cloud-based platform that delivers end-to-end network monitoring capabilities across websites, servers, networks, applications, and cloud infrastructure. As part of ManageEngine's IT management suite and backed by Zoho's development resources, Site24x7 has evolved into a mature platform that competes directly with industry leaders in ourbest network monitoring tools roundup.
TechRadar reviewers spend several weeks researching each major IT platform in the market, testing features, evaluating pricing structures, and assessing real-world performance across different use cases. While LogicMonitor remains our pick for the best network monitoring tool of 2025, Site24x7 presents a compelling alternative for organizations seeking comprehensive monitoring at more accessible price points.
Site24x7: Features
Site24x7 has an impressive feature set that positions it as a true all-in-one monitoring platform, well-suited for small to medium-sized businesses and managed service providers who need broad visibility without the complexity of enterprise-grade solutions. It provides out-of-the-box monitoring capabilities across diverse IT components, with users consistently praising its quick deployment and immediate value delivery.
While the feature execution is generally solid, some advanced reporting capabilities lag behind specialized competitors like New Relic or LogicMonitor. Pricing justification varies depending on which features you actually use up, though the flexible add-on structure does help optimize much of the costs.
Website and synthetic monitoring
Site24x7's website monitoring capabilities include uptime tracking from over 130 global locations, synthetic transaction monitoring, and comprehensive performance metrics including web vitals and page load times. It offers both basic uptime checks and advanced synthetic transactions that can simulate complex user journeys, making it suitable for businesses that need to ensure consistent user experiences across different geographic regions.
Infrastructure and server monitoring
The platform provides robust server monitoring for Linux, Windows, macOS, and various Unix variants, with both agent-based and agentless monitoring options available. Infrastructure monitoring extends to containers, Kubernetes environments, databases, and virtualization platforms like VMware and Hyper-V, offering visibility into entire server ecosystems with customizable alerting thresholds.
Network monitoring and management
Site24x7's network monitoring capabilities include SNMP-based device monitoring with support for over 11,000 device templates, network topology mapping, and traffic analysis through NetFlow, sFlow, and other flow protocols. The platform also offers network configuration management features to ensure compliance and security, making it particularly valuable for organizations with complex network infrastructures.
Application performance monitoring
The APM module supports multiple programming languages including Java, .NET, PHP, Node.js, Python, and Ruby, providing code-level insights, transaction tracing, and performance bottleneck identification. Integration with Real User Monitoring (RUM) allows teams to correlate synthetic monitoring data with actual user experiences, providing a complete picture of application performance.
Cloud and multi-platform monitoring
Site24x7 offers native monitoring integrations for AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud Platform, with specialized dashboards for cloud-specific metrics and services. It includes cloud cost management features through its ManageEngine CloudSpend integration, helping organizations optimize cloud costs based on actual usage patterns and performance data.
(Image credit: Site24x7)
Site24x7: Ease of use
Site24x7 delivers a relatively straightforward onboarding experience that gets most users up and running within minutes, with agent installation and basic monitoring configuration requiring minimal technical expertise. The dashboard provides a unified view of all monitored components, though the interface design feels somewhat dated compared to newer monitoring solutions and can appear cluttered when managing large numbers of monitors.
Many users praise the quick alert setup and the platform's ability to provide immediate value without extensive configuration, though some note that the learning curve becomes steeper when attempting to customize advanced features or create complex monitoring scenarios. Its design prioritizes functional completeness over modern design aesthetics, which can be both a strength and weakness depending on your preferences.
While power users appreciate the comprehensive feature access from the main interface, newer team members may find the abundance of options overwhelming initially. Site24x7's strength lies in its practical approach to monitoring. Most essential features are accessible without deep technical knowledge, though users frequently need to contact support for advanced customizations.
Site24x7: Pricing
Plan
Starting price (paid annually)
What's included
Professional
$42/month
All-in-one monitoring support for 1 application, 5 servers, 20 websites, 4GB log ingestion, and 100K pageviews.
Enterprise
$625/month
Adds anomaly detection, event correlation, compliance features, and premium support.
Site24x7's pricing structure is transparent and flexible, offering clear value propositions at each tier without hidden fees or per-user charges that plague many competitors. The entry-level pricing at $42/month makes it accessible to small businesses, while the scaling structure provides reasonable upgrade paths as monitoring needs grow.
However, organizations that need extensive synthetic monitoring or high-volume log management may find costs escalating quickly through add-on purchases. Plus the feature restrictions between tiers can feel limiting for teams with specific monitoring requirements that span multiple plan levels.
Site24x7: Customer support
Site24x7 provides tiered support based on subscription levels, with standard email support available for all paid plans and enhanced chat and phone support starting from the Pro tier. Most users generally report positive experiences with the support team's technical knowledge and responsiveness, praising their ability to help with complex configuration scenarios and integration challenges.
The platform also maintains comprehensive documentation and video tutorials, though some users note that advanced configuration guidance could be more detailed. Support experience also varies significantly between plan tiers, with enterprise customers receiving dedicated support channels and faster response times. While basic queries are resolved promptly, users on lower-tier plans may experience longer response times for complex technical issues.
Site24x7: Alternatives
Site24x7 occupies a unique position in the monitoring market as an affordably-priced solution that competes effectively against both specialized tools and enterprise platforms. The platform is well-suited for small to medium-sized businesses, managed service providers, and organizations looking to consolidate multiple monitoring tools.
Its main competitors include New Relic for application monitoring, PRTG for network monitoring, and Datadog for comprehensive observability, though Site24x7's pricing advantage becomes significant when comparing feature-equivalent configurations.
Site24x7 is a value-oriented alternative to premium solutions like LogicMonitor, New Relic, and Datadog, while offering more comprehensive features than budget alternatives like Nagios or Zabbix. Organizations choosing Site24x7 typically prioritize cost-effectiveness and breadth of monitoring capabilities over cutting-edge features or advanced analytics.
Site24x7: Final verdict
Site24x7 is an all-in-one monitoring solution that balances functionality with accessible pricing, making it attractive for organizations looking to simplify their monitoring stack. The platform's strengths lie in its broad monitoring coverage, quick deployment, and cost-effective scaling, while its weaknesses center around interface design and customization options.
But for most small to medium-sized businesses and MSPs, these trade-offs are acceptable compromises for the significant cost savings and operational simplification. The platform earns a strong recommendation for organizations prioritizing practical monitoring coverage over cutting-edge features.
While enterprises with complex requirements or teams demanding the latest in AI-powered monitoring may find better fits elsewhere, Site24x7's combination of functionality, reliability, and value makes it a compelling choice for the majority of IT teams seeking comprehensive monitoring capabilities without premium pricing.
FAQs
What types of infrastructure can Site24x7 monitor?
Site24x7 provides comprehensive monitoring across websites, servers (Linux, Windows, macOS, Unix variants), network devices, cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP), applications, databases, containers, and virtualization environments. The platform supports both agent-based and agentless monitoring approaches, with over 11,000 device templates for network equipment and extensive integration capabilities for modern IT infrastructure components.
How does Site24x7's pricing compare to competitors?
Site24x7 offers significantly more affordable pricing than premium competitors like New Relic, Datadog, or LogicMonitor, with plans starting at $9/month and no per-user fees. Its value proposition becomes particularly strong for organizations needing comprehensive monitoring across multiple infrastructure types, as competitors often require separate products or modules that increase total costs substantially.
What support options are available with Site24x7?
Support quality varies by plan tier, with email support for all paid customers and enhanced chat/phone support from the Pro plan onwards. Enterprise customers receive dedicated support channels and priority response times. But the platform provides documentation and video tutorials, though users frequently need direct support for advanced configurations.
Can Site24x7 replace multiple monitoring tools?
Yes, Site24x7's comprehensive feature set is specifically designed to consolidate multiple monitoring tools into a single platform, covering website uptime, server performance, network monitoring, application performance, and cloud infrastructure. Many users successfully replace combinations of specialized tools with Site24x7, achieving both cost savings and operational simplification.
Is Site24x7 suitable for enterprise environments?
While Site24x7 can handle enterprise monitoring requirements, it's best suited for small to medium-sized businesses and organizations prioritizing cost-effectiveness. Enterprises requiring sophisticated AI-driven analytics, extensive customization capabilities, or complex integration scenarios may find better fits with premium alternatives. Still, Site24x7's Enterprise plan does provide enhanced capabilities for larger deployments
I've tested out a number of xTool laser cutters before, and I've always walked away impressed.
Whether it's the feature-rich, easy-to-use xTool P2 or the precise xTool S1, I've always found the units to be innovative and accurate, ranking them among the best laser engravers and cutters around.
So, I was excited to get my hands on the xTool F2 Ultra. And after some comprehensive testing, let me tell you, this one is in a league of its own.
(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)
The xTool F2 Ultra follows on from the impressive F1 but boosts speed, power and design to offer one of the most powerful yet easy-to-use desktop laser engravers on the market. While the working area might be relatively small, the fact that it features a 60W MOPA fibre laser enabling you to engrave, emboss and cut various metals is a feature that's rather unique. Then there's the fact that this is coupled with a more standard 20W diode laser for non-metallic materials, such as wood, meaning that if you own a small business, it offers a powerful tool that will enable you to create and customise a wide range of products.
While machines like this have been available in the past, they've often been ultra-complex and required additional software to handle the speed and power of the fibre laser. However, with integrated software and streamlined workflow, it is pretty much unmatched by any other system I've used. I'm pretty confident that even a complete beginner would be able to get up and running with the F2 Ultra.
From the outset, I was impressed not just by the user setup but also by how quick and easy it was to use the xTool software. You just need to select your design, place it over the material in the software, select the material type from the library, then select engrave, cut or emboss before hitting go and watching the design appear within seconds.
The price point of this machine really reflects the quality and speed of what is possible, with the Galvo system enabling speeds of up to 15,000 mm/s and the smart dual-camera setup helping you accurately position items in the machine. It's impressive what you can do and create in very little time.
Many of the more complex manual setup procedures are removed, with the machine essentially taking over everything, such as focusing automatically. There's just a small alignment procedure at the beginning of the setup process, but once that's done, aside from dialling in material and positioning your designs, the machine takes care of everything else.
I've used quite a few dual-fibre and diode laser machines in the last year, and while I'm always impressed with what is achievable, there's usually a bit of tuning and fiddling with calibration and configuring software like LightBurn to accurately mark or engrave. However, here the software aligns everything; you just push the green bar on the control panel, and the machine takes care of the rest.
With the F1, I was impressed by the speed, utility and flexibility of the machine, but the F2 Ultra is in another league, obviously reflected in the price point. Compared with any other system on the market, the F2 Ultra, especially when coupled with the conveyor belt, offers a huge amount of options and possibilities. For any small business dealing with laser engraving and embossing, there's now only one machine, the F2 Ultra.
I'm also seeing the unit retailing for $5499 on Amazon.com. However, it doesn't appear to be available on Amazon.co.uk at the time of review.
xTool F2 Ultra: Design
Specs
Laser Technology: Dual-laser: 60W MOPA fibre + 20W blue diode Work Area: 220 × 220 mm (expandable to 220 × 500 mm with conveyor) Spot Size: 0.03 × 0.03 mm (fibre); 0.08 × 0.06 mm (diode) Engraving Speed: Up to 15,000 mm/s Positioning Accuracy: Up to 0.0001 mm Camera System: Dual 48 MP with AI recognition Dimensions: 730 × 320 × 265 mm Weight: 20 kg Supported Materials: Metals, wood, acrylic, leather, glass, ceramics, plastic Safety: Fully enclosed with auto-shutdown and fire detection Software: xTool Creative Space + LightBurn compatible
One of the standout features of the xTool products is just how well-designed they are. This is from a company that, a few years ago, was producing simple open-frame laser cutting machines with a distinct DIY feel. Those machines are far removed from the F2, which is highly refined and of exceptionally high quality, aimed at small to medium-sized businesses rather than the casual consumer or prosumer.
While the machine itself is relatively compact with a footprint that will sit perfectly on a desktop, it has a high-quality build that reflects not only its price point but also its suitability for years of use.
The machine is relatively simple, with a slide-up enclosure that encloses the working area. If you need to have it open for larger materials, that's possible. There's also the ability to add an air filter to extract fumes, and as you'd expect with a professional-level machine, there's a kill switch and a decent touchscreen display to monitor the process and access many settings.
As with many other laser engravers and CNC machines, most interaction is done through complementary software. xTool provides its own ecosystem, which is one of the best on the market, streamlined and easy to use. Unlike some other fibre lasers, there's no need to purchase expensive extra software or plug-ins. Once you've paid (admittedly a lot) for the F2 Ultra, it should work out of the box and be set up within about 10 to 15 minutes.
The design is also clever in that you can use it as a fully enclosed system with smart safety features like emergency stop, flame detection, and automatic shutdown when open, or bypass some of those for conveyor belt use with larger objects.
In terms of size and weight, it comes in at roughly 20 kg and measures 730 × 320 × 265 mm. This smallish footprint will sit comfortably on your desktop, though you do need to allow for the machine's height and a small side control panel.
If you're using the conveyor belt, you'll need even more space. It's an optional extra, but if you're planning to use it, it's well worth having a full workbench left free to easily operate the machine.
On initial setup, I used the USB connection to sync with my laptop. After initial calibration, I switched to the Wi-Fi connection, which I found strong and reliable, even on my underpowered workshop network.
The overall build is premium and extremely sturdy. The two internal cameras and full autofocus add to the ease of use and high-end feel. However, compared with something like the ComMarker B6, this is a far larger and heavier machine.
(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)
xTool F2 Ultra: Features
The F2 Ultra is an interesting machine as it combines two laser types in one enclosed engraver. The first is a powerful 60W MOPA fibre laser used for engraving, embossing and cutting thinner metals, the second laser is a 20W diode laser used for cutting and engraving organic materials such as leather and wood.
Not long ago, it was unusual to find both lasers in one machine, but as we saw with the ACMER P3, combining the two is becoming more common. The big difference between the Atomstack P3 and the xTool F2 Ultra, aside from the price, is the build area. The ACMER P3 is designed for far larger objects, while the F2 Ultra features a far more powerful fibre laser and is designed for more intricate work. In terms of product design and finish, the F2 Ultra is in another league.
One of the biggest advantages of having a dual-laser system is that it enables automatic switching between laser types depending on the material. In the past, other machines with dual lasers required you to manually swap out the tool heads, fibre or diode. We've seen this before with older xTool and Creality machines.
The fibre laser not only cuts through thin metals but also enables colourful anodisation of aluminium and steel. The diode laser can cut through relatively thick organic materials, ideal for a 3mm base ply, and in some cases up to 20mm in thickness.
In terms of laser power, the MOPA fibre laser for metals comes in at 60W, which is extremely powerful for this type of machine. The 20W blue diode laser is mid-range but perfectly suited to the small platform and build area the F2 Ultra offers.
When it comes to engraving speed, the fibre laser uses Galvo scanning technology, enabling speeds up to 15,000 mm/s. This sounds fast, and when you see it in action, it is. You can engrave a MacBook Pro in a matter of seconds, although, while the temptation was there to do so in this review, I held off, at least for the moment.
The more I used the machine, the more impressed I became with its features. The dual 48MP cameras enable AI-powered alignment, making a real difference to positioning. The cameras feed into the xTool software, allowing for precise placement on the material. With a positioning accuracy of up to 0.0001 mm, even the finest materials are handled with extreme precision.
While the working area of the F2 Ultra is smaller than many large-scale engravers, it's designed for small businesses looking to engrave and cut smaller items. The base size is 220 × 220 mm, which suits a wide variety of objects. If more space is needed, a conveyor accessory expands this to 220 × 500 mm.
One of the areas that excited me most was the precision; the fibre laser offers a spot size of 0.03 × 0.03 mm and the diode laser 0.08 × 0.06 mm, allowing for extremely fine detail.
Thanks to the dual-laser setup, there's decent material compatibility, most notably stainless steel, aluminium, titanium, gold, and even silver. With very thin materials, it's possible to cut as well as engrave metal, which is rare even among fibre laser engravers, but that additional power boosts that potential.
The machine also handles all the usual materials, acrylic, leather, rubber, ceramics, and glass (though some surfaces may require preparation). It's designed for precision, not bulk processing, and while cheaper machines exist for large-scale cutting, the F2 Ultra excels in high-quality, fine-detail work.
Supporting that precision are smart features like smart focus, autofocus, and automatic Z-axis adjustment. Unlike other engravers, where you manually enter material thickness or use gauges, this machine does it all for you.
The fully enclosed enclosure offers Class 1 safety so that you can be sure to be protected from those high-power lasers, which, if you're using this in a small workshop or shop, is well worth considering. Built-in sensors include flame detection, which triggered several times during testing when pushing the machine's limits of power, and an emergency stop is also available.
(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)
xTool also supplied a smoke filtration unit, which connects to the machine and keeps fumes to a minimum. This is an optional extra, but if you're spending on the F2 Ultra, it's well worth the investment.
Although the F2 Ultra is well above many machines I've tested in terms of quality, it still supports popular laser engraver accessories, including the rotary tool, conveyor feeder, and air-assist smoke purifier, all of which enhance cut quality and streamline workflow.
As for software, I really like xTool Creative Space. It's fully featured, with helpful tools and instructions, and is very easy to use for laying out designs. If you're a more advanced user, the machine is fully compatible with LightBurn, although you'll need the Galvo plug-in. Once installed, all the cameras and configurations work through that as well.
xTool F2 Ultra: Performance
Starting out with the xTool F2 Ultra, this is one of the easiest machines I've come across to set up and use of its type. While the machine is relatively large, its actual footprint is quite compact, meaning it sits comfortably on your work surface without taking up too much space. It's more vertical than wide or deep.
Once positioned, with the dongle and control panel plugged in, you can switch on the machine, and it runs through its initial checks, ready for calibration. I connected it to my MacBook Air via USB and used the Creative Space software to complete the alignment and calibration process. This involved placing a piece of material inside, clicking 'next', and allowing the software to mark two points, which were used to align everything automatically. Once complete, the machine was ready to go.
In the box with the review sample were a few test materials. Over a three-hour period, I cut, engraved, and embossed various items, from metals to wood and leather, and was impressed by how quick and easy the machine was to use. I liked that the fully enclosed nature meant I could just pull down the lid, hit start in the software, then press the green bar on the control panel and watch the engraving, cut, or emboss process begin.
In almost all cases, the output quality was excellent. Only the first few materials required some adjustment as I got a feel for the machine's power. For example, my first attempt at engraving a 3mm base ply used too much power and burned the material to ash. On the second run, the result was far better. The standard 20W diode laser was very capable, and with the air assist and smoke filter extracting fumes, the quality and precision of the cut were impressive.
One thing I really liked, whether working with metal, wood, or leather, was the camera-assisted positioning. Through xTool Creative Space, you can capture a live image of the material on the work area and place your design directly on top. This allows for near-100% accurate placement.
If you're unsure about positioning, you can also click the 'frame' button, which projects your design outline onto the material inside the machine. This projection is sharp and precise, allowing for fine adjustments before committing to a cut or engraving.
As with any laser engraver, I ran a series of test passes on different materials, especially metals and woods, to get a feel for the required power and speed settings for both diode and fibre lasers. Although the 20W diode laser is mid-range by today's standards, its power and accuracy deliver clean, high-quality cuts through 3mm base ply.
Switching to the fibre laser highlighted just how capable this machine is. The 60W power output provided more engraving depth than I've seen in other fibre lasers I've tested, and the speed and accuracy are unmatched so far.
For the first few engravings, I used sample files included with the software, most of which completed in a few seconds. Even though I know these machines are fast, the speed of the xTool F2 Ultra still surprised me.
One of my early projects was engraving a set of dog tags for my dog and a few friends. Usually, this might take a few attempts to get right, but here, the accuracy and speed were such that each tag was engraved in under five seconds.
What's more, by laying out a batch of tags on the surface and applying different text to each through the software, I was able to engrave up to 20 tags in one go and faster than anything I've used before.
The more I used the fibre laser, the more intuitive the software became. Unlike other fibre lasers that take time to learn and have complex configuration steps, with the F2 Ultra, I felt confident within an hour, engraving coins included in the material pack with intricate designs.
The small work area is ideal for this kind of precision engraving. But of course, this is a dual-laser machine, and I wanted to test the diode laser on more materials. I engraved the cover of a book, lowering the laser power to about 5% and increasing the speed. After a few test dots to fine-tune power levels, I ran the full design, which was completed in under a minute with excellent quality.
As I continued engraving tools, creating more coasters and keyrings, the one thing that stood out was the precision of the engravings. When using my own materials, I learned that careful attention to power and speed settings was essential. My first batch of coasters burned quickly, but a test pass and adjustment solved that.
The quality of the lines, especially with air assist and the filter removing fumes, was excellent. That said, the limited work area is noticeable. This machine is built for precision tasks, not large-scale projects. For that, something like the xTool P2 would be more appropriate.
All this use was good and standard, but the point of the F2 Ultra is that it's far more, especially with the ability to emboss metal. How you do this isn't exactly straightforward initially, as there's a little delving into the menu; the same is the case when using the Rotary attachment. Essentially, in the XCS software, you click the Select Processing Mode, then scroll down past the "Roller - Use Rotory attachment", "Use Converyor Large" to the "Emboss" option. Once selected, you can then start to lay out your chosen design.
The next step is to select the material, in this case, a brass coin blank supplied by xTool. This is selected from the material menu; here, you need to select "More Materials", type in Brass and 1.57" (40mm) Blank Commemorative Coins Brass" will appear. From here, you can select the material, select the F2 Ultra, then click "Add to XCS". Then click back onto the material and select the "1.57" (40mm) Blank Commemorative Coins Brass.
Now the coin can be placed into the F2 Ultra, and by clicking "Refresh Background" then "Auto Measure", the coin will appear on the screen, ready for you to position the design.
The design is the next stage of processing, as a straight image won't get you the emboss effect, and a depth map needs to be created.
To do this, you click the "Ai" icon, select "Image Processing", and select "Embossment". You're then given the option to upload your image, select the Emboss type, and then click "Generate" Once the processing is finished, you can drag and drop the coin design onto the workspace and over the preview of the coin. Once you're happy, you can click process, and the embossing will start. For most projects, this process is considerably slower than general engraving and can take well over an hour; however, the end results are incredible, especially once polished and finished off.
(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)
It's worth noting that the depth map creation isn't an exact science, and there's no way to adjust the map, but after a while and with the 3D preview, you start to get an idea of what works and what doesn't.
By the end of the test, I was genuinely impressed by the fibre laser, which is clearly the core of the F2 Ultra. The inclusion of a powerful diode laser fine-tuned for detailed work adds even more versatility, ideal for small businesses.
It's clear this machine is designed for small to medium-sized businesses that rely on laser engraving, whether to create and customise products or for crafts requiring precision, such as jewellery work. It offers a level of detail and reliability that many other fibre and diode systems cannot match.
xTool F2 Ultra: Final verdict
The xTool F2 Ultra is one of the best fibre laser engravers on the market, with a premium build and a product-designed enclosure that makes it an ideal option for many small to medium-sized businesses. It's perfect for small-scale production, customisation, and any business that needs to laser engrave a wide range of surfaces. What it is not is a large-scale laser engraver for oversized projects. This is focused on absolute precision.
The inclusion of two lasers and the dual cameras for AI alignment onto smaller objects helps ensure ultimate precision. If you need to do batch engraving, it speeds up the entire process, essentially handling much of the setup and configuration for you.
After using it for a month, this is by far the best fibre laser engraver I've tested. The major downside is the cost. The base machine is expensive, and once you add in the conveyor, rotary tool, and smoke filtration units, though combo packs are available from xTool, it still adds up to several thousand pounds, which is a considerable investment for a small business.
(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)
However, this is a professional machine. It's not just a starting point; it's a system you can build your business around. Its precision and quality are high-end, and if you're looking for a solid, reliable machine to support or expand your business, the F2 Ultra is an obvious choice.
What I also appreciate is how well xTool Creative Space is designed. It's robust, intuitive, and simple to use. While you can use third-party options like LightBurn, which offers more advanced control, you will need the Galvo plug-in and some setup time to get everything calibrated properly.
For experienced users, this opens up even more potential; however, if you're a small business looking for a fast and versatile laser engraver, the F2 Ultra stands out as the best option on the market. Paired with one of xTool's straight diode machines, it gives you a powerful ecosystem capable of handling a huge variety of projects with ease and speed, making it a sound investment.
Should you buy the xTools F2 Ultra
Value:
Premium machine for pro users with deep pockets
4
Design:
Durable, enclosed, and workbench-friendly layout
4.5
Features
Dual-laser + AI + Galvo = professional flexibility
5
Performance
Flawless output across materials and batch work
5
Total
Among the best all-in-one engravers available today
5
Buy it if...
You want to engrave both metals and wood.
This dual-laser system saves time, money, and space versus owning two machines.
You want a fast engraving machine.
With 15,000 mm/s Galvo scanning and conveyor support, it's built for bulk production.View Deal
Don't buy it if...
You're just starting out or working on a budget.
There are cheaper diode-only options if you only need basic cutting and engraving.
You need portability for on-site work.
At 20kg and a desktop-only format, this isn't made for mobile use or field jobs.View Deal
For more crafting tech, I've tested and reviewed all the best 3D printers.
Site123 ranks on our list of the best free website builders and for good reason. The platform is as easy as - well, 123 - making it ideal for those that want to get online quickly such as small businesses or affiliate marketers that want to start driving traffic right away.
However, those looking for more advanced tools may find the platform a little limiting. In this review, we get hands on with Site123, helping you gather all the insight and information you need to decide whether it is the best website builder for you.
As you start exploring, you’re asked to define the main function of your site… (Image credit: Site123)
Click on the service’s welcome page’s ‘Start here’ to grab yourself 250MB of storage, 250MB of bandwidth a month and your first design decision: what type of website do you want to create? You have to choose from one of sixteen options, from Business, to Online Store, Blog, Music, and Creativity, amongst others.
Many options are available to customise the various sections (Image credit: Site123)
Interface
Once your site is created, you’ll be graced with a large preview of the template Site123 has designed for you. As you’d expect, it’s fully customisable, and you can even delete those pages and start afresh.
Click on some placeholder text to change it. The selection box has a couple of white squares which are used to resize your text, Some basic formatting tools appear above, while more detailed options are presented to the left of the screen. You could for instance select to animate your selection, browse through a list of various styles, or choose from one of hundreds of available fonts.
That part is easy. Others can be frustrating. Click on the ‘gear’ icon for instance. This reveals the various Background Settings of your selected page. You’ll be graced with 25 tiny preview thumbnails of the same image altered in some minor way. It’s impossible to see clearly what each of them offers, and it’s really best to click on them in turn, to see what they look like as they’re implemented in the main preview section of the interface.
Add as many pages as you like.... (Image credit: Site123)
Building pages
Expanding your site is a simple matter of clicking on the Pages menu and choosing to add additional ones. You’ll find a long list of categories, with various templates within each. These include Music, Testimonials, Articles, Events and Blog. Click on the style you’re interested in, and it’ll be automatically added at the bottom of your site.
One thing to bear in mind though: pages aren’t technically pages; they’re more like sections, each added under the other. This means your site is actually one giant scrolling page, and the more sections you add to it, the longer it becomes.
You’re also not limited to a single type of the above pages: you could have multiple blogs, galleries and e-commerce pages within the same website should you so choose. As long as you give them different names, it won’t get too confusing in the navigation menu.
And reorder them with ease (Image credit: Site123)
That menu, locked at the top of the page, just takes you straight to these various sections, but you can also scroll up or down to get to where you want to go. Reordering sections is a simple matter of dragging their handle from the sidebar and repositioning them elsewhere.
However the more you populate your site, the more confusing it can get, especially as you add more posts to your blogs or additional photos in your galleries. Although the customisation invites complexity and numerous sections, we wouldn’t recommend you go too crazy, and limit your design to just a handful of them.
Site123 features
Looking at the blog options, the design will feel familiar to anyone who’s used a word processor. Click on the blog section’s ‘Edit’ button to see all posts already created. You’ll see that a few are already there - examples to show you how the blog looks like and works. Click on them to edit them, or just get rid and start anew. You can add images and videos, include tags and a featured image. It’s all pretty easy and straightforward, enabling you to get started in no time at all.
The ecommerce features are easy to use, customize and make your own (Image credit: Site123)
What stands out the most about Site123 is its ecommerce abilities. While there’s plenty of web builders out there with the ability to create your own store (like Jimdo, Fasthosts, and SimpleSite), not many web hosts have ecommerce options that are so flexible and easy to customise.
You can add new items, create new categories, highlight the fact some products are new or for sale, etc. The free version of the service only allows your customers to pay by bank transfer, cash on delivery, check, money order, in person, or by phone. The more vital features for an online business, like PayPal, AmazonPay, or Stripe, amongst others, can only be accessed if you upgrade to the ‘Premium’ plan.
Site 123 gives you a free ‘temporary subdomain’ to publish your site to, but it’s as far from memorable as you can get - just a series of random letter and numbers, followed by ‘.site123.me'. If you want a more catchy URL, or if you already have one and would like to link your site to it, you have to pay for the privilege.
Plans and pricing
Site123 pricing and plans
Plan
Price
Free
$0/month
Premium
$12.80/month
Site123 has two main web hosting plans on their website. They also offer a 14 day money-back guarantee, so you can easily test Site123 to see if it’s right for you. Here’s a quick overview of both of them:
As its name implies, ’Free' comes with no charge. This option grants you 250MB of storage, 250MB of bandwidth, and one subdomain. Best if all, there’s no credit card required to sign up for it. This plan works best for those just starting on their online journey.
‘Premium’ is $12.80 per month. It includes your own domain name (for the first year), 10GB of storage space, 5GB of bandwidth, grants you more advanced ecommerce capabilities, and removes ‘Site123’ branding. This plan is great for small business, entrepreneurs, and freelancers who want more storage space and enjoy having their own domain.
Site123 review: Final verdict
Overall, Site123 is easy to use. Although somewhat limited, your customisation options are clear and easy to implement. The main preview of your website as you create it and experiment works great, but the layout options don’t favour a complex site with too many sections. If your needs are simple, and want something that looks good with little effort, Site123 is worth checking out.
Fortect may not be one of the biggest names when it comes to the best antivirus and security, but this German business demands attention thanks to an ethos that prizes transparency, trust and user empowerment.
They’re all good qualities when trying to identify your next piece of security software, and it means that we’re eager to evaluate the company’s specific antivirus credentials in this review.
If you need a free antivirus product, then Fortect does have one option available – but it’s very limited. You can view and fix issues one-by-one using a manual repair system, but automatic repairs are only supported in the paid versions of the product.
Fortect’s paid antivirus module is found within a wider product called PC Suite, which also includes a slate of PC tweaking, optimization and repair tools alongside security features.
Fortect’s most affordable paid product, Essential, protects one system for one year and includes all of the app’s core features for $38.
Upgrade to the multi-device plan for $47 and you get unlimited annual usage for three devices. The Ultimate product, which costs $65, includes licenses for five devices.
Those single-device and three-device plans are priced reasonably, but the Ultimate product feels a tad expensive: Norton 360 Deluxe supports five devices for $49, for instance, and you can get Sophos Home Premium protection for ten devices for $44.99.
(Image credit: Fortect)
Fortect: Interface
Installation is easy and, once it’s complete, Fortect runs through a comprehensive system scan. Because this is a PC suite rather than just an antivirus scanner, its results outlined a host of issues, but Fortect was comprehensive when tackling security: it detected a vast array of potential privacy issues, for instance.
Get beyond that initial scan and Fortect has one of the best interfaces we’ve seen on a PC security and tweaking app.
It’s modern and mature, with navy blue shades throughout, and the dashboard has a huge “On” button that starts a full system scan.
The front page has indicators so you can see if malware and real-time protection are both activated, and on the left-hand side there are links to the app’s performance, security, privacy and VPN modules.
(Image credit: Fortect)
Delve into the Security section and you can deploy quick and custom scans and toggle malware and real-time protection, and drag and drop folders and files for custom scans.
In the Security settings menu you can enable real-time protection, cloud-based analysis and the browsing shield, which blocks harmful sites. You can also customize the frequency of security reports and tweak file quarantine settings.
The app’s Privacy module includes browser cache cleanup, and a unique tool that enables users to remove traces of Office apps from their system. You’re also invited to install an effective, free Chrome browser extension that monitors your browsing activity and highlights any issues.
(Image credit: Fortect)
Fortect: Antivirus and Protection
Fortect’s Antivirus module delivers real-time malware and web browser protection, comprehensive scanning for malware and unwanted apps, and cloud-based technology that provides the app with updates of new and emerging threats.
The app automatically fixes and removes threats, repairs your system if it becomes unstable, and can be used to create system restore points. Malicious files, folders and apps can also be quarantined.
Fortect’s macOS version also includes real-time protection, cloud-based security, full system scanning, quarantine management and detailed security reports, and its Android and iOS apps include all of those abilities alongside network scanning, website blocking, data breaches alerts and a system advisor.
To access these features across multiple devices, you’ll have to pay for one of the pricier tiers that supports multi-device usage.
(Image credit: Fortect)
Most of the antivirus products we cover have been independently tested by AV-Comparatives and AV Test – or a reputable alternative like SE Labs.
Sadly, none of those organizations have evaluated Fortect, so we’re turning to Virus Bulletin and AppEsteem.
VirusBulletin is a global authority on the antivirus industry and has been testing consumer and enterprise security software for over two decades. VirusBulletin’s publications include reports by leading researchers and details about new threats, with archives going back to 1989.
VirusBulletin’s VB100 certification is awarded to apps that “meet the basic standards required to be recognized as legitimate and properly functioning anti-malware solutions.” Fortect has earned that certification with a Grade A result, with 99.19% of malware detected and only 0.007% false positives.
AppEsteem certifies apps using the Anti-Malware Testing Standards Organization’s protocols to provide consumers can see which apps offer effective antivirus performance without false positives and over-aggressive monetization tactics.
AppEsteem’s testing saw Fortect rated as a Contender, with an 88% rating for Deceptors and a 94% pass mark for certification. That’s not the best score and it means you’ll likely see some upselling attempts in this app – and we can vouch for that, given that upon installation we were presented with an offer to upgrade to a multi-device app.
Apps from Avast, AVG, Sophos and others provided a cleaner experience than Fortect, but tools from Malwarebytes, Bitdefender and Norton received poorer ratings – so Fortect is not the worst offender here, and you shouldn’t let the occasional special offer put you off.
(Image credit: Fortect)
Fortect: Other features
As Fortect Antivirus is included in a wider PC Suite, that means you get a solid range of additional features in the app.
Fortect’s Performance Scan identifies junk files and crashed apps that can slow your PC down, and the app also has a Driver Updater that will make sure your system is always up to date.
Those PC performance features are not particularly extensive, though, and there are plenty of features missing elsewhere if you compare Fortect to apps like Norton 360 and Sophos Home Premium.
(Image credit: Fortect)
Norton, for instance, included an unlimited VPN, dark web monitoring, parental controls, a password manager and a private browser. Sophos had more in-depth web filtering. None of that is available with Fortect.
Support options are underwhelming, too. If you need help with Fortect, you can complete a web form and get a response within 48 hours – below the industry standard in 2025. Norton has live chat and phone support options and paid options for more extensive help, and Sophos has chat options.
It’s worth mentioning that Fortect is a slightly different product to those two rivals: it concentrates on PC optimization and security. But given the pricing parity between all of these tools, it makes Fortect’s value proposition look a little underwhelming.
Fortect: Final verdict
The antivirus testing that we’ve found indicates that Fortect does an excellent job of protecting devices from the latest threats.
That said, its lack of testing from our favored testing sites means that we’re reluctant to give a wholehearted recommendation when compared to tools that have scored well across a wider array of testing services.
There’s no doubt that this app is a slick, easy to use tool: it’s got an excellent interface with straightforward design and sensible organization. But that does mean that Fortect lacks the in-depth tweaking and customization options that are commonplace on tools that will appeal for a more technical audience.
Go beyond its core antivirus and PC performance functionality, though, and there’s not much on offer here compared to other tools – rivals routinely include VPNs, password managers, parental controls and more, alongside better support.
Fortect may do a good job with antivirus abilities, but rivals offer more functionality and customization. Fortect is not bad, but there are better options available.
OpenNMS has carved out a solid position in ourbest network monitoring tools roundup as a compelling open-source alternative to commercial solutions. The platform offers two distributions — Horizon for rapid innovation and Meridian for enterprise stability, both completely open source. You'll find comprehensive fault, performance, and traffic monitoring capabilities that rival expensive proprietary tools.
Techradar reviewers spend several weeks researching each major IT platform in the market. We found that OpenNMS excels at handling large-scale networks, with Fortune 500 companies using it to monitor tens of thousands of devices. While LogicMonitor remains our pick for the best network monitoring tool of 2025, OpenNMS delivers exceptional value for teams with strong technical skills.
OpenNMS: Features
OpenNMS packs an impressive array of monitoring capabilities that rival commercial platforms costing thousands more. You get comprehensive network discovery, fault detection, performance monitoring, and traffic analysis in a single platform.
The feature set is well-suited for large enterprises and technical teams who need deep customization options. While some competitors offer more polished interfaces, OpenNMS compensates with raw power and flexibility. At $44,100 annually for enterprise support, the pricing reflects the platform's enterprise-grade capabilities.
Network discovery and auto-discovery
OpenNMS automatically discovers devices across your network using industry-standard protocols like SNMP, HTTP, and JDBC. You can configure discovery ranges and let the platform map your entire infrastructure without manual intervention. The system integrates with over 2,000 networking vendors, ensuring compatibility with your existing hardware.
Fault management and alerting
The platform excels at fault detection with intelligent path outage analysis. Instead of flooding you with alerts when a core device fails, OpenNMS sends a single notification for the root cause. You may also appreciate features like escalation policies and contact groups that ensure the right people get notified at the right time.
Performance monitoring and graphing
Real-time performance data collection covers everything from CPU utilization to custom metrics. OpenNMS generates comprehensive graphs that integrate beautifully with Grafana for advanced visualization. The system handles up to 300,000 data points per second, making it suitable for the largest enterprise networks.
Flow analysis and traffic monitoring
Built-in support for NetFlow v5/9, IPFIX, and sFlow provides deep traffic analysis capabilities. You can track bandwidth utilization, identify top talkers, and analyze traffic patterns across your entire network. This feature alone justifies the platform for many organizations.
Business service monitoring
OpenNMS maps network performance to business services, helping you understand how technical issues impact operations. You can create custom service definitions and track their health across multiple network components. This business-focused approach sets OpenNMS apart from basic monitoring tools.
(Image credit: OpenNMS)
OpenNMS: Ease of use
OpenNMS demands significant technical expertise, and you'll need to invest time learning its configuration approaches. The web interface handles basic tasks, but advanced features require editing XML files and command-line work. We found the learning curve particularly steep for teams coming from simpler monitoring tools. However, once you master the basics, the platform's flexibility becomes a major advantage.
The interface itself feels dated compared to modern alternatives like LogicMonitor or Datadog. You'll spend time navigating between different sections to accomplish tasks that other platforms handle in single dashboards. OpenNMS has acknowledged this limitation and continues improving the web UI, but significant configuration work still happens outside the browser. The rigorous community documentation helps, but expect weeks of learning before you're fully productive.
OpenNMS: Pricing
Plan
Starting price (paid annually)
What's included
Horizon (Community)
Free
Open source version, community support, all core features
Meridian Core
Contact for pricing
Basic enterprise features, email support
Meridian Essential
Contact for pricing
Installation consulting, guaranteed SLAs, regular support
Meridian Premier
Contact for pricing
Enhanced SLAs (2hr critical response), priority support
Meridian Premier+
Contact for pricing
1hr critical response, 24/7 support options
OpenNMS offers an attractive pricing structure with a completely free open-source option that includes all core monitoring features. But the jump to enterprise support is significant at about $44,100 annually, which gives you installation consulting and guaranteed response times.
This pricing model works well for organizations that either have strong internal expertise (free version) or can afford to pay for the enterprise-grade support guarantees. Compared to competitors like LogicMonitor starting at $375 monthly, OpenNMS provides better value for large deployments where per-device pricing becomes expensive.
OpenNMS: Customer support
OpenNMS provides tiered support options ranging from community forums to enterprise-grade SLAs. The free community version relies on extensive documentation and active user forums. You'll find helpful resources, but response times depend on community availability. They also maintain a detailed knowledge base and video tutorial tfor common issues.
Enterprise customers get dedicated support portals with guaranteed response times. Critical issues receive 1-4 hour responses depending on your plan, with business-hours coverage standard across paid tiers. Support tickets integrate with internal development processes, ensuring bug fixes and enhancements get proper attention. However, enhancement requests don't carry SLA guarantees, which may frustrate teams expecting rapid feature development.
OpenNMS: Alternatives
OpenNMS occupies a unique position as the most capable open-source network monitoring platform, competing directly with commercial giants like SolarWinds and PRTG. You'll find it particularly valuable if you need enterprise-scale monitoring without per-device licensing costs. The platform works best for large organizations with dedicated network teams who can invest time in proper configuration and customization.
Key competitors include LogicMonitor for cloud-native environments, Datadog for application-focused monitoring, and Nagios for simpler network oversight. OpenNMS differentiates itself through comprehensive flow analysis, business service mapping, and the ability to handle massive device counts without licensing restrictions. However, teams wanting plug-and-play simplicity should consider commercial alternatives that prioritize ease of use over raw functionality.
OpenNMS: Final verdict
OpenNMS delivers exceptional value for organizations willing to invest in proper implementation and training. You get enterprise-grade monitoring capabilities that rival solutions costing significantly more, plus the flexibility that comes with open-source software. The platform works best for sprawling networks where customization and scalability matter more than interface polish.
However, you shouldn't underestimate the learning curve and ongoing maintenance requirements. Small teams or organizations lacking dedicated network expertise may find commercial alternatives more cost-effective when factoring in implementation time. For the right use case, technical teams monitoring large, diverse networks — OpenNMS represents one of the best values in enterprise monitoring.
FAQs
What's the difference between OpenNMS Horizon and Meridian?
Horizon is the community version where new features are developed and tested rapidly, making it ideal for organizations wanting the latest capabilities. Meridian focuses on long-term stability with enterprise support options, receiving thoroughly tested features after they've proven stable in Horizon deployments.
Can OpenNMS monitor cloud infrastructure and hybrid environments?
Yes, OpenNMS supports distributed monitoring through Minion collectors that can be deployed in remote locations or cloud environments. You can monitor AWS, Azure, and other cloud services alongside traditional on-premises infrastructure from a single platform.
How does OpenNMS licensing work for commercial use?
The core OpenNMS software is completely open source and free for commercial use. You only pay for enterprise support, consulting services, and additional commercial components if needed. There are no per-device licensing fees, making it cost-effective for large deployments.
What level of technical expertise is required to implement OpenNMS?
You'll need solid networking knowledge and Linux administration skills for successful deployment. While basic monitoring can be configured through the web interface, advanced features require XML editing and command-line configuration. Plan for several weeks of learning and configuration time.
Does OpenNMS integrate with other IT management tools?
OpenNMS offers extensive integration capabilities through its REST API, supporting connections with ticketing systems like Jira, messaging platforms, and visualization tools like Grafana. The platform can also integrate with configuration management systems and other network tools through various protocols and APIs.
SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor is a solid choice amongnetwork monitoring solutions, delivering comprehensive SNMP-based monitoring for multi-vendor environments. This platform focuses heavily on traditional network infrastructure monitoring, making it particularly valuable for organizations with complex on-premises setups.
TechRadar reviewers dedicate several weeks to researching each major IT platform, ensuring our assessments reflect real-world usage scenarios. We've spent considerable time evaluating NPM alongside other major platforms in this space. While LogicMonitor remains our top pick for 2025, SolarWinds NPM carved out its niche through deep SNMP integration and robust device support.
SolarWinds NPM: Features
SolarWinds NPM offers a feature-rich monitoring platform that's particularly well-suited for traditional network environments and medium to large IT teams. The platform is perfect for SNMP-based monitoring with strong multi-vendor support, though it lacks some of the cloud-native capabilities and AI-powered insights that competitors like LogicMonitor provide.
While the feature set justifies the investment for organizations with complex network infrastructures, smaller teams might find the complexity overwhelming relative to their needs. The modular pricing approach means you pay for what you use, but costs can escalate quickly.
Network auto-discovery
NPM's auto-discovery feature automatically identifies and catalogs network devices using SNMP protocols. You don't need to manually configure every device - the system scans your network and builds a comprehensive inventory. This saves significant setup time and ensures new devices get monitored without manual intervention.
NetPath analysis
NetPath provides hop-by-hop analysis of critical network paths, offering advanced troubleshooting capabilities. The feature traces network paths from source to destination, working even when traditional tools like traceroute fail. This gives network engineers unprecedented visibility into performance bottlenecks and connectivity issues.
PerfStack dashboards
PerfStack enables cross-stack data correlation on a common timeline, helping you analyze performance metrics from different network sources simultaneously. The drag-and-drop interface lets you create custom views combining live and historical data. This makes it easier to share insights with stakeholders through generated URLs.
Network insight features
Network Insight provides deeper visibility into complex network devices including F5 BIG-IP load balancers, firewalls, and switches. The feature offers comprehensive performance analysis across distributed services and helps with capacity planning. This is particularly valuable for organizations running critical applications across multiple network segments.
(Image credit: SolarWinds)
SolarWinds NPM: Ease of use
SolarWinds NPM features a redesigned interface that prioritizes usability without sacrificing functionality. The new dashboard provides intuitive navigation with color-coded status indicators and graphical elements that make network health assessment straightforward. However, the initial learning curve remains steep, particularly for teams new to SNMP-based monitoring. The platform requires understanding of network protocols and device configurations to maximize its potential.
The setup process demands significant technical expertise and time investment. While the auto-discovery feature helps identify devices, configuring alerts, thresholds, and custom dashboards requires careful planning and network knowledge. The platform's strength in customization becomes a double-edged sword - you can tailor everything to your needs, but this flexibility means more configuration work upfront.
SolarWinds NPM: Pricing
Plan
Starting price (paid annually)
What's included
Network Performance Monitor
$6/node/month
Full-stack visibility for on-premise, hybrid, and cloud-based ecosystems.
Application Observability
$27.50/service/month
Real-time application metrics, tracing, and profiling.
Network and Infrastructure Observability
$12/device/month
Observability for network devices, cloud services, and containers.
SolarWinds uses a modular pricing structure based on the number of network elements you're monitoring. This works well for organizations that want to start small and scale up, but costs can mount quickly as your network grows.
The pricing is competitive for traditional network monitoring, though cloud-focused alternatives often provide better value for hybrid environments. The lack of transparent pricing on their website means you'll need to contact sales for detailed quotes.
SolarWinds NPM: Customer support
SolarWinds offers 24/7 technical support through email and online ticketing, with typical response times of 1-2 business days. The company emphasizes email and ticket-based support over phone calls, allowing for better documentation and file sharing. Live chat is available during business hours (8pm Sunday to 8pm Friday EST), though wait times can be lengthy during peak periods.
The SolarWinds community, known as Thwack, provides additional support through user forums and knowledge sharing. While this community resource is valuable for troubleshooting and learning, it doesn't replace direct technical support for critical issues. The lack of phone support may frustrate some users who prefer immediate voice communication, though the email-first approach often proves more effective for complex technical problems.
SolarWinds NPM: Alternatives
SolarWinds NPM occupies a strong position in the traditional network monitoring market, particularly for organizations with significant on-premises infrastructure. It's best suited for medium to large IT teams who need comprehensive SNMP monitoring and have the technical expertise to manage complex configurations. The platform competes directly with solutions like LogicMonitor, Datadog, and PRTG, though each has distinct strengths.
LogicMonitor leads in cloud-native monitoring with superior AI capabilities and faster deployment times. Datadog excels in application performance monitoring and offers more modern APIs, while PRTG provides a simpler setup for smaller networks. SolarWinds differentiates itself through deep SNMP integration, extensive device support, and powerful analysis tools like NetPath, making it particularly valuable for traditional enterprise networks.
SolarWinds NPM: Final verdict
SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor delivers solid value for organizations that need comprehensive network monitoring with strong SNMP capabilities. The platform's strength lies in its mature feature set, multi-vendor support, and advanced troubleshooting tools that can significantly reduce network downtime.
While the setup complexity and resource requirements present challenges, the investment pays off for teams managing complex network infrastructures. However, the platform shows its age in areas like cloud integration and user experience compared to newer solutions.
Organizations planning significant cloud migrations or seeking AI-powered automation might find better value elsewhere. For traditional network environments where deep device monitoring and path analysis are priorities, SolarWinds NPM remains a compelling choice despite its limitations.
FAQs
How many devices can SolarWinds NPM monitor?
SolarWinds NPM can scale from small networks to enterprise environments with thousands of devices. The actual limit depends on your server specifications and licensing tier. Most organizations find the platform handles their current needs well, though very large deployments may require additional polling engines for optimal performance.
Does SolarWinds NPM work with cloud services?
NPM includes some cloud monitoring capabilities, particularly for hybrid environments, but it's primarily designed for on-premises infrastructure. While NetPath can trace paths into cloud services, the platform lacks the native cloud integration found in solutions like LogicMonitor or Datadog. Consider SolarWinds' SaaS offering if cloud monitoring is a priority.
What's the difference between NPM and SolarWinds' other monitoring tools?
NPM focuses specifically on network performance monitoring using SNMP and flow data. Other SolarWinds tools cover server monitoring, application performance, log analysis, and IP address management. Many organizations start with NPM and add other modules as their monitoring needs expand across different infrastructure layers.
How difficult is SolarWinds NPM to set up?
Initial setup requires significant networking knowledge and time investment, typically taking several days to weeks depending on network complexity. The auto-discovery feature helps identify devices, but configuring meaningful alerts, dashboards, and reports demands careful planning. Most organizations benefit from dedicating experienced network administrators to the implementation process.
Can SolarWinds NPM replace multiple monitoring tools?
NPM can consolidate many network monitoring functions into a single platform, particularly for SNMP-based device monitoring and performance analysis. However, you may still need specialized tools for application monitoring, log management, or security monitoring depending on your requirements. The modular approach lets you add SolarWinds components gradually rather than replacing everything at once.
Having seen a few rugged phones, they typically fall into one of two categories: either being excessively bulky to achieve extended battery life, or lightweight with less longevity and features.
Curiously, the Oukitel WP210 strikes a sweet spot between these two positions, making it appealing to a few distinct user groups who might be drawn to its blend of ruggedness, performance, and sleek design.
At a weight of 311g and with a relatively slim 13.7mm profile, sized like a standard phone, this is a design that manages to hide its rugged credentials effectively. Yet it still manages to deliver its IP68 / IP69K / MIL-STD-810H ratings, enabling it to handle harsh environments and even submersion.
From an aesthetics angle, this is a rugged phone that isn’t trying to be a Sci-Fi prop or project a military resilience; its carbon-fibre accents, matte polycarbonate shell, and metal frame give it a modern industrial look.
Available in red, black and grey, for a rugged phone, this design is classy while being understated, which is something many business customers will like. It’s styled to appeal to both outdoor adventurers and business professionals - rugged, but not overbuilt.
It features a high-end MediaTek SoC, making apps and the interface slick and responsive. It comes with 12GB of RAM and 512GB of storage, but alas, no Micro SD card expansion beyond that capacity. The 6.7-inch OLED display delivers intense colours and brightness, while the rear camera cluster features the 108MP Samsung S5KHM6, capturing high-quality images and videos.
Having high-end features such as these comes at a cost, but in this design, the asking price from Oukitel is only $399.99 for US customers, which seems like a bargain.
While it might not be the best rugged phone I've tested, it's certainly one of the best value devices in its category.
(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)
Oukitel WP210: price and availability
How much does it cost? $400/£311
When is it out? Available globally
Where can you get it? Direct from the maker or via an online retailer
Oukitel sells the WP210 directly, though not in all regions. Currently, US customers can get it directly for $399.99.
However, it isn’t shown on the UK, French or German sites. I'm also seeing it on Amazon.com for $499.99 and Amazon.co.uk for £351.49. Worldwide, it's available via Aliexpress, too.
The obvious competitors for the WP210 are the Ulefone Armour 30 Pro and its bigger brother, the WP300.
The Oukitel WP300 has a higher battery capacity, but less RAM, a less powerful SoC, and a lower-quality camera. And, it costs almost the same price. The selling point of the WP300 is its detachable second screen, which doubles as a watch.
The Ulefone Armor 30 Pro features a heavier design at 509g, offering more battery capacity and 16GB RAM, but it comes with a less powerful SoC and a lower-quality camera. If you need longer running, it's an alternative, but it doesn’t offer the same performance levels as the WP210.
8800 mAh battery (Max 45W charge wired, 10W reverse)
Colours:
Red, Black, Grey
Oukitel WP210: design
Solid construction
No headphone jack
Lacks TF card expansion
What’s great about this phone design is how relatively normal it feels to use. It’s a classic modern Android phone-sized device, slightly thicker than a standard smartphone.
The metal banding about the outside feels solid and secure, and Oukitel provide it out of the box with a solid plastic bumper already mounted.
From a button perspective, there is nothing to see here. It’s the standard layout, featuring a power and audio rocker on one side and a user-customizable button on the other. In this respect, it’s a design that most people could simply pick up and use, rather than needing to adapt.
One nice feature on a phone this affordable is that the fingerprint reader is embedded under the screen, rather than being located on the power button. This makes the phone much easier to use for left-handed users.
(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)
There are a few oddities which aren’t normal, and one of these is that there is no headphone jack, sadly.
However, there is an IR blaster on the top edge, the usefulness of which is undermined by the fact that no corresponding app is provided for its use. I suspect this should have been in the Oukitel Toolbox, but it might work with third-party tools.
Unusually, the SIM tray is next to the USB-C port on the bottom edge, and not the left side. It can accept two Nano SIMs, but it does not have a MicroSD card slot in the tray.
That’s the single biggest disappointment for those who use extra storage, even if Oukitel did give the phone 512GB of space to cushion that blow.
Overall, the WP210 appears designed not to push anything too radical on the customers, and except for the missing MicroSD functionality, it hits all the key areas that most people are looking for in a rugged phone.
(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)
Design score: 4/5
Oukitel WP210: hardware
MediaTek Dimensity 7050
16000 mAh battery
The MediaTek Dimensity 8200 is a powerful mid-range system-on-chip (SoC) designed to deliver impressive performance and efficiency for smartphones. It features an octa-core CPU, combining high-performance Cortex-A78 cores with energy-efficient Cortex-A55 cores, along with a Mali-G610 MP6 GPU for enhanced graphics capabilities.
When compared to other mid-range SoCs, such as the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 4, the Dimensity 8200 holds its ground with competitive benchmark scores and efficient power consumption. While the Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 may have a slight edge in memory bandwidth and higher clock speeds, the Dimensity 8200 offers a balanced performance that caters to both everyday tasks and demanding applications .
Overall, the MediaTek Dimensity 8200 is a solid choice for those seeking a capable and efficient SoC in the mid-range smartphone market, and I’ve seen it previously in the Oukitel WP200 Pro, which, on specification, bears an uncanny resemblance to the WP210.
The WP210 appears to be an externally redesigned WP200 Pro, which, from an economic perspective, makes perfect sense. But the WP200 Pro cost $200 more when it was launched.
Another common feature of the WP200 Pro is the 6.7-inch Super AMOLED display, which is rated at 500 nits and features a 120Hz refresh rate.
This display technology offers vibrant colours, deep blacks, and excellent contrast, enhancing the visual experience for users. Additionally, the screen is protected by Gorilla Glass 5, ensuring durability against scratches and impacts. The high refresh rate provides smooth scrolling and fluid animations, making it ideal for both everyday use and gaming. Overall, the OLED display on the WP210 combines durability with impressive visual quality, making it an excellent choice for those seeking a rugged yet visually appealing smartphone.
(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)
The last feature I wish to talk about is the battery, which, by rugged phone standards, is on the modest end of the spectrum. 8800mAh is still about twice what a typical phone has, and as we’ll see later in the benchmarks, it provides decent longevity.
The charging capability is 45W using the included charger of that exact specification, and charging takes about 2.5 hours. It can reverse charge at up to 10W, although in the Oukitel marketing material, it's shown doing this using an addon that then wirelessly charges a tablet. Given that the tablet would undoubtedly have a USB-C port, that would be an idiotic thing to do, as it would further reduce the efficiency of the power transfer.
There isn’t any wireless charging in the phone, even if it looks like the designer made the underside of the phone intentionally flat for that purpose.
To summarise, the SoC is punchy, the screen is lovely, the battery is big enough for the job, and it charges reasonably quickly.
Hardware score: 4/5
Oukitel WP210: cameras
108MP, 2MP and 0.3MP sensors on the rear
32MP on the front
Four cameras in total
(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)
The Oukitel WP210 has four cameras:
Rear camera: 108MP Samsung S5KHM6SX , 2MP GalaxyCore GC02M1 macro, 0.3MP Galaxy Core GC032A Front camera: 32MP Sony IMX615
This is the identical camera configuration as the WP200 Pro, with the main sensor being the 108MP Samsung S5KHM6SX. This 1/1.67-inch format, 108 MP stacked imager boasts a 0.64 µm pixel pitch, ISOCELL 2.0 technology, and Nonacell Bayer RGB colour filters, according to Samsung.
With a whopping 108 megapixels, this sensor is capable of producing incredibly detailed images or can effectively pixel bin to achieve vibrant colours and HDR contrast. The results, especially in outdoor lighting, can be impressive; however, there are times when the focus system appears to target the wrong object in the shot.
One downside is the absence of optical zoom; instead, the digital zoom transitions can feel quite jarring. The rear camera also lacks wide or telephoto sensors, relying on a somewhat lacklustre 2 MP macro sensor and a 0.3 MP sensor for depth effects. Therefore, the main sensor shoulders the majority of the photographic responsibilities. On a positive note, Oukitel has included a comprehensive camera application that features a full PRO mode for manual controls, alongside options for timelapse, slow-motion, night views, and panoramas.
What I would avoid is a feature that the user-defined button offers, which is to switch into underwater mode. While this phone is rated for full submersion for a limited time period, it's only to a depth of 1.5M, and that could be difficult to control in the ocean or even a pool.
Under the right conditions, images taken are decent, though they might not stand out as extraordinary. But given the price point of this device, the main sensor is a practical choice that is better than some phones that use 50MP sensors.
On the front, the choice of a 32 MP Sony sensor for selfies might seem excessive, especially since it only records at 1080p. It raises questions about the need for such high resolution for 1080p video, but this sensor does manage to capture good-quality images for those who enjoy digital self-portraits.
It's worth noting that this phone lacks Widevine L1 video encryption, offering only L3. This limitation means that when streaming from primary services like Netflix or Disney+, you'll only have access to 480p resolution, even with a fast 5G connection.
In short, the cameras are probably better than one might have anticipated, but they lack the optical focus and stabilisations that premium phones offer these days.
(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)
Oukitel WP210 Camera samples
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Camera score: 4/5
Oukitel WP210: performance
Decent SoC
GPU is game-friendly
Big battery
Phone
Oukitel WP210
Ulefone Armor 30 Pro
SoC
Dimensity 8200
Dimensity 7300X
GPU
Mali-G610 MC6
Mali-G615 MC2
Mem
MediaTek NPU 580
MediaTek NPU 655
NPU
12GB/512GB
16GB/512GB
Weight
311g
509g
Battery
8800
12800
Geekbench
Single
1246
1030
Multi
3968
3269
OpenCL
4310
2509
Vulkan
4736
2502
GFX
Aztec Open Normal
73
36
Aztec Vulkan Norm.
57
42
Car Chase
60
36
Manhattan 3.1
114
61
PCMark
3.0 Score
13970
11282
Battery
22h 44m
26h 38m
Charge in 30 mins
%
26
42
Passmark
Score
16455
14377
CPU
8490
7142
3DMark
Slingshot OGL
Maxed Out
7238
Slingshot Ex. OGL
Maxed Out
5446
Slingshot Ex. Vulkan
Maxed Out
3814
Wildlife
6023
3284
Nomad Lite
625
360
I chose the Ulefone Armor 30 Pro as the phone to compare with the WP210, because it's roughly the same price, has a similar profile and also has plenty of RAM and storage.
However, what the 30 Pro lacks is the Dimensity 8200. It uses the Dimensity 7300X instead, and the difference is striking in terms of performance. In many graphical tests, the WP210 is twice the speed of the Armor 30 Pro, and even in pure computing benchmarks, it has about a 20% edge.
Where the Armor 30 Pro is advantaged is with its battery capacity, which is 45% bigger.
However, the flip side of that win, and its increased longevity, is that it takes twice as long to charge the battery, and the battery life wasn’t 45% longer. When you also consider the weight difference, the WP210 is a much better option unless total running time is your only criterion.
Overall, the WP210 delivers the same excellent user experience as its WP200 Pro brother, with the exception that it has more storage and RAM. But the price difference between them makes the WP210 a better value, as it does in comparison to the Ulefone Armor 30 Pro.
Performance score: 4/5
(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)
Oukitel WP210: Final verdict
There is plenty to like in the WP210, as it manages to magically provide a decent battery life and a punch processor without being the size and weight of a house brick.
Those aspects, along with the OLED screen and 108MP camera, should bring the WP210 plenty of attention, and the mid-range pricing should seal the deal.
I don’t understand why Oukitel left the SD card option from the card slot, or why this is a dramatically more powerful phone than the WP300, but these are mysteries that only the designers at Oukitel could answer.
Overall, for those who want a well-built mid-range rugged phone, you could do substantially worse than the WP210, which surprised this reviewer at numerous points.
It’s also an excellent choice for anyone who fancied the WP200 Pro but didn’t like the price, as it is roughly the same phone with less storage and RAM for a significant cost reduction.
If there is a question mark over this device, it’s the level of support that Oukitel is likely to provide throughout the product's life. My review phone came with Android 15 installed and a June security update, but it’s worth flagging the trade-off between upfront cost and lifecycle reliability. Only time will tell, but Oukitel is not known for timely Android version upgrades or regular security patches, and its customer service is also not a strong point.
These points are equally applicable to the majority of Chinese rugged phone makers; however, it's worth noting that two to three years is the typical life cycle of these products, and beyond that point, they are often no longer supported.
Should I buy a Oukitel WP210?
Oukitel WP210 Score Card
Attributes
Notes
Rating
Value
Affordable for a phone with these specs
4/5
Design
Not much heavier than an ordinary phone, but rugged and well-featured
4/5
Hardware
Gorgeous OLED screen, 512GB of storage, but no TF expansion
4/5
Camera
Excellent main sensor, slightly undermined by a lack of anti-shake on video capture
4/5
Performance
GGreat performance and decent battery life
4/5
Overall
A practical and effective design that many will love
4/5
Buy it if...
You need an outdoor phone The WP210 is a robust design that can withstand being dropped 1.5M and exposure to water. This makes it ideal for outdoor occupations, adventure vacations and those who are inherently clumsy.
You carry lots of data or apps With 512GB of storage and 12GB of RAM, this phone is ideal for those who like to carry data and install numerous apps. However, there is no TF card expansion beyond that capacity.
Don't buy it if...
You want more than 512GB storage Without a TF card (Micro SD card) expansion, you can’t expand the internal capacity of this phone beyond its default 512GB. You could connect an external SSD, if it takes less than the 10W of power output of the USB-C port, but that’s less than an ideal option.
You want WiFi 7 The MediaTek Dimensity 8200 used in the WP210 supports 5G comms and WiFi 6, but it doesn’t connect using multiple bands over WiFi 7. That would require the Dimensity 9200, a chip that isn’t in this phone.
Also Consider
Ulefone Armor Mini 20 Pro Another practical, rugged design with an inbuilt camping light, night vision camera and about 25% more battery capacity than the A56. It’s also dramatically cheaper, but conversely, the cameras aren’t as good, and the SoC isn’t as powerful. For those needing a cheap, tough phone, the Ulefone Armor Mini 20 Pro might be a good choice.
Oukitel WP300 Another dial display phone, but with this one, the small second screen is detachable and becomes a smartwatch. It costs more than the WP210, but it has a bigger battery that gives it extended running time.
