Network Time System vs Chrony

Struggling to choose between Network Time System and Chrony? Both products offer unique advantages, making it a tough decision.

Network Time System is a Network & Admin solution with tags like time, clock, synchronization, ntp, network.

It boasts features such as Synchronize computer clocks with a central time source, Support for multiple time sources and redundancy, Customizable time synchronization intervals, Compatibility with a wide range of operating systems and devices, Logging and reporting capabilities and pros including Ensures accurate time keeping across a network, Improves reliability and consistency of time-sensitive applications, Reduces the need for manual time adjustments, Open-source and freely available.

On the other hand, Chrony is a Network & Admin product tagged with ntp, time-sync, clock.

Its standout features include NTP client and server, Accurate clock discipline algorithm, Support for reference clocks, Command line interface and monitoring program, Runs as a daemon process in user space, Small footprint and low resource usage, and it shines with pros like High accuracy and reliability, Good performance in unstable network conditions, Secure authentication using keys, Easy to configure and manage, Open source with active development.

To help you make an informed decision, we've compiled a comprehensive comparison of these two products, delving into their features, pros, cons, pricing, and more. Get ready to explore the nuances that set them apart and determine which one is the perfect fit for your requirements.

Network Time System

Network Time System

The Network Time Protocol (NTP) is a networking protocol for clock synchronization between computer systems over packet-switched, variable-latency data networks. NTP is intended to synchronize all participating computers to within a few milliseconds of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC).

Categories:
Network & Admin Time & Clock
time clock synchronization ntp network

Network Time System Features

  1. Synchronize computer clocks with a central time source
  2. Support for multiple time sources and redundancy
  3. Customizable time synchronization intervals
  4. Compatibility with a wide range of operating systems and devices
  5. Logging and reporting capabilities

Pricing

  • Open Source

Pros

Ensures accurate time keeping across a network

Improves reliability and consistency of time-sensitive applications

Reduces the need for manual time adjustments

Open-source and freely available

Cons

Requires network connectivity to function properly

May introduce additional network traffic and latency

Complexity in configuring and managing the system

Chrony

Chrony

Chrony is a versatile implementation of the Network Time Protocol (NTP). It can synchronize the system clock with NTP servers, reference clocks, and manual input using wristwatch. It is designed to deliver accurate and secure time even in unstable network conditions.

Categories:
Network & Admin Time & Clock
ntp time-sync clock

Chrony Features

  1. NTP client and server
  2. Accurate clock discipline algorithm
  3. Support for reference clocks
  4. Command line interface and monitoring program
  5. Runs as a daemon process in user space
  6. Small footprint and low resource usage

Pricing

  • Open Source

Pros

High accuracy and reliability

Good performance in unstable network conditions

Secure authentication using keys

Easy to configure and manage

Open source with active development

Cons

Limited historic data for diagnostics

Less widely deployed than older NTP implementations

Requires configuration changes from default NTP setup

Not compatible with Windows time sync by default