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Foglight for Databases vs SolarWinds Database Performance Analyzer comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Mar 1, 2026

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

ROI

Sentiment score
6.6
Foglight for Databases enhances monitoring efficiency, reducing downtime and personnel needs, while providing insight into database health and usage.
Sentiment score
7.6
SolarWinds Database Performance Analyzer boosts efficiency, reducing management complexity, increasing customer satisfaction, and improving overall database performance significantly.
For root cause analysis, it definitely provides us additional capabilities of getting down to where the core issue is.
Global Head of Engineering for Cloud Operations at SAI Global Compliance
I have seen a return on investment with SolarWinds Database Performance Analyzer as I mentioned that when we start using SolarWinds Database Performance Analyzer, my MTTA and MTTR reduced and my customer satisfaction goes up.
Manager - Production Database Administration at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
7.5
Foglight for Databases offers effective support with quick responses, knowledgeable help, and integrates well with ServiceNow for efficiency.
Sentiment score
6.9
SolarWinds Database Performance Analyzer's customer service is generally satisfactory, praised for responsiveness despite occasional slow response times.
They are very responsive, and they come back with direct and concise directions and answers.
Global Head of Engineering for Cloud Operations at SAI Global Compliance
We use support when we come across issues, and they are very responsive.
Senior IT Manager at a wholesaler/distributor with 1,001-5,000 employees
Sometimes I need to chase them for the updates.
Manager - Production Database Administration at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
7.0
Foglight for Databases excels in scalability and usability, but stability issues may arise in very large infrastructures.
Sentiment score
7.6
SolarWinds Database Performance Analyzer offers excellent scalability for varied database environments, supporting up to 250 instances per installation.
Foglight for Databases receives a rating of nine in terms of scalability.
Mssql Database Administrator at HCLSoftware
If you have more than 250 instances, you need to create two setups for SolarWinds Database Performance Analyzer.
Manager - Production Database Administration at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
8.1
Foglight for Databases is praised for stability and support, despite occasional issues in high-load scenarios impacting performance.
Sentiment score
8.6
SolarWinds Database Performance Analyzer is highly praised for stability, with few outages and users appreciating its reliable performance over Orion.
 

Room For Improvement

Foglight for Databases needs UI enhancements, better performance, expanded monitoring, improved insights, and accessible customization features.
SolarWinds Database Performance Analyzer improvements focus on customization, flexibility, enhanced PostgreSQL monitoring, and expanded database and cloud capabilities.
It would be amazing if they could enable the 'Performance Investigator' functionality across all database platforms.
Senior IT Manager at a wholesaler/distributor with 1,001-5,000 employees
The monitoring capabilities for Postgres should be at par with SQL Server.
Global Head of Engineering for Cloud Operations at SAI Global Compliance
The tool could be somewhat more user-friendly, as proper knowledge is required to set up servers and use it effectively.
Mssql Database Administrator at HCLSoftware
SolarWinds Database Performance Analyzer is very strong when we come to SQL Server, but it is still lagging when it comes to PostgreSQL.
Manager - Production Database Administration at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
 

Setup Cost

Foglight offers flexible pricing and transparent licensing, though some users desire more competitive pricing for long-term and international customers.
SolarWinds Database Performance Analyzer offers competitive pricing and value, with annual costs between $2,000-$3,000 including first-year maintenance.
Pricing is very reasonable.
Global Head of Engineering for Cloud Operations at SAI Global Compliance
The pricing is palatable.
Senior IT Manager at a wholesaler/distributor with 1,001-5,000 employees
My experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing has been great.
Manager - Production Database Administration at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
 

Valuable Features

Foglight for Databases offers centralized monitoring, robust alerts, and performance insights, aiding quick diagnosis and reducing business impact.
SolarWinds Database Performance Analyzer offers real-time monitoring, anomaly detection, and query optimization with a user-friendly, scalable interface.
Overall, Foglight for Databases is reliable and helps with generating alerts and monitoring database health and historical data in database operations.
Mssql Database Administrator at HCLSoftware
I find it extremely helpful to use Foglight to triage any database issues, specifically performance issues using what Foglight calls PI investigator.
Senior IT Manager at a wholesaler/distributor with 1,001-5,000 employees
The profiler allows us to look at the profiles of the database queries that are being run over time.
Global Head of Engineering for Cloud Operations at SAI Global Compliance
The MTTA and MTTR actually reduced a lot because it gives you a smart tool, a DBA smart tool to deep down and drill down the issues quickly.
Manager - Production Database Administration at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
 

Categories and Ranking

Foglight for Databases
Ranking in Database Development and Management
2nd
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
15
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
SolarWinds Database Perform...
Ranking in Database Development and Management
4th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
7.3
Number of Reviews
13
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of March 2026, in the Database Development and Management category, the mindshare of Foglight for Databases is 3.9%, down from 8.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of SolarWinds Database Performance Analyzer is 3.8%, down from 9.9% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Database Development and Management Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Foglight for Databases3.9%
SolarWinds Database Performance Analyzer3.8%
Other92.3%
Database Development and Management
 

Featured Reviews

TusharTiwari - PeerSpot reviewer
Mssql Database Administrator at HCLSoftware
Centralized monitoring has improved query performance tuning and real-time incident response
The most valuable feature of Foglight for Databases is a centralized location where all reports can be accessed, including session information and execution plans. There is no need to remember specific queries or DMVs; the GUI provides the desired results directly. When blocking occurs, users begin to experience access issues. Upon receiving notification, I can kill the blocking query, allowing users to regain application access and preventing business impact. Locating data using the Angular UI of Foglight for Databases is straightforward. There is no need to remember commands; the GUI is simple and intuitive. Overall, Foglight for Databases is reliable and helps with generating alerts and monitoring database health and historical data in database operations.
reviewer2787105 - PeerSpot reviewer
Manager - Production Database Administration at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
Deep query analysis has reduced MTTA and MTTR and now safeguards critical customer workloads
In addition to the features SolarWinds Database Performance Analyzer offers, I wish it had more robust performance monitoring and analyzing features for PostgreSQL databases. SolarWinds Database Performance Analyzer is very strong when we come to SQL Server, but it is still lagging when it comes to PostgreSQL. PostgreSQL is an upcoming enterprise-level database technology in the market. SolarWinds Database Performance Analyzer is still struggling to have a solid monitoring and performance analyzer in comparison to SQL Server. This is one of the features I am looking to SolarWinds Database Performance Analyzer to develop as soon as possible. SolarWinds Database Performance Analyzer can be improved in two areas. One is more and robust performance monitoring and analyzing features for PostgreSQL databases. Second, SolarWinds Database Performance Analyzer is still lagging for monitoring the cloud instances of databases including Aurora DB and Cloud SQL DB. These two areas are where SolarWinds Database Performance Analyzer needs to work extensively to make this monitoring and performance analyzing robust. From an operational perspective, SolarWinds Database Performance Analyzer still has a limitation of 250 licenses per instance. This is really a problem for someone with larger server sizes available and more instances running on the same SolarWinds Database Performance Analyzer URL. SolarWinds should look at how they can increase that threshold because there should not be a limit of 250 instances.
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
13%
Government
11%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Performing Arts
6%
Healthcare Company
14%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Financial Services Firm
8%
Computer Software Company
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business2
Midsize Enterprise2
Large Enterprise11
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business4
Midsize Enterprise3
Large Enterprise9
 

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Quest Foglight for Databases?
The pricing is palatable. We've already done one renewal and we are in our second contract. We're happy thus far.
What needs improvement with Quest Foglight for Databases?
It would be amazing if they could enable the "Performance Investigator" functionality across all database platforms. I've been talking to their product development team about enhancements that I wo...
What is your primary use case for Quest Foglight for Databases?
I primarily use the solution for database monitoring, specifically for Oracle, Microsoft SQL Server, Postgres, SAP HANA, and AWS Redshift.
What do you like most about SolarWinds Database Performance Analyzer?
In IT, problems often occur in areas such as applications, web interfaces, or databases. The tool allows users to easily determine the root cause of these issues, whether they stem from the network...
What needs improvement with SolarWinds Database Performance Analyzer?
In addition to the features SolarWinds Database Performance Analyzer offers, I wish it had more robust performance monitoring and analyzing features for PostgreSQL databases. SolarWinds Database Pe...
What is your primary use case for SolarWinds Database Performance Analyzer?
My main use case for SolarWinds Database Performance Analyzer is as a database performance monitoring tool. My day-to-day purpose of utilizing SolarWinds Database Performance Analyzer is for monito...
 

Also Known As

No data available
Confio, SolarWinds DPA, Ignite8
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

CommitDBA
GSI Commerce, Liquid Digital Media, ProLogis, Indiana University
Find out what your peers are saying about Foglight for Databases vs. SolarWinds Database Performance Analyzer and other solutions. Updated: March 2026.
884,797 professionals have used our research since 2012.