SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager vs WhatsUp Gold comparison

SolarWinds and Progress Software are both solutions in the Configuration Management category. SolarWinds is ranked #13 with an average rating of 8.3, while Progress Software is ranked #20 with an average rating of 8.0. SolarWinds holds a 3.2% mindshare in CM, compared to Progress Software’s 1.9% mindshare. Additionally, 95% of SolarWinds users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 85% of Progress Software users who would recommend it.

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Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager and WhatsUp Gold based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out in this report how the two Configuration Management solutions compare in terms of features, pricing, service and support, easy of deployment, and ROI.

To learn more, read our detailed SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager vs. WhatsUp Gold Report (Updated: August 2026).

Buyer's Guide

SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager vs. WhatsUp Gold

August 2026

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Review summaries and opinions

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

Categories and Ranking

Microsoft Intune

Mindshare comparison

As of August 2026, in the Configuration Management category, the mindshare of Microsoft Intune is 4.6%, down from 9.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager is 3.2%, up from 1.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of WhatsUp Gold is 1.9%, up from 0.0% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Configuration Management Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Microsoft Intune	4.6%
SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager	3.2%
WhatsUp Gold	1.9%
Other	90.3%

Configuration Management

Featured Reviews

OluwashileAdeniyi

Senior Infrastructure Security Engineer at a outsourcing company with 51-200 employees

Centralized endpoint security has improved and supports hybrid work and BYOD policies

Regarding what I dislike about Microsoft Intune and its downsides, I would say that more Mac controls are needed because we have limited Mac and Linux control. When comparing controls and policies between Windows, Mac, and Linux, Windows has almost everything you can think of, while Mac and Linux have limited types of control. You cannot implement certain things on Mac and Linux that you can on Windows. The limited controls are a major issue. Additionally, if Microsoft could find a way to embed servers into Microsoft Intune, that would be beneficial. Microsoft Intune is not really designed for servers or Windows servers. It is more tailored towards Windows 11 and Windows 10 operating systems. Windows servers are not fully supported. Enterprise organizations usually have both servers and endpoints, which are users' workstations. For servers, most people look for other solutions such as SCCM, which is Configuration Manager. However, SCCM is what Microsoft Intune is trying to replace. Both SCCM and Microsoft Intune belong to Microsoft. Microsoft is trying to transition organizations into Microsoft Intune, the native cloud solution. However, because this update is still in process, servers are not fully compatible with Microsoft Intune and cannot be managed by it. The current policy that has emerged from issues with clients is what they call co-management, which is relatively new, and I do not know if adoption is significant. Many legacy or older customers who have been using these products for decades still have SCCM. When it is time for them to manage their Windows devices, they use what is called cloud attach. Cloud attach is a term whereby your SCCM is connected to your Microsoft Intune. Most people do not know about it, but I have deployed it for several organizations. Cloud attach and co-management work together so that your device is in SCCM, but some policies are pushed from Microsoft Intune. It is like two different solutions working hand in hand. That is what they call co-management. Microsoft Intune does not bring all of your endpoint and security management tools into one place, which is the goal and how it should be. However, as I mentioned, servers are not included. If we talk about end users, Microsoft Intune does bring all your devices together. In a typical enterprise environment, you have end users with workstations, laptops, company-issued phones, and bring your own devices. You can create policies for all of these. However, for the backend, your servers do not have much coverage. Servers are not really covered by Microsoft Intune in that way.

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reviewer1327239

Software Engineer at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees

Automated configuration management has improved monitoring, backups, and policy control

I do not think there is anything I would like to improve at this point in time because SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager compares almost perfectly to what it is supposed to do. I think it is one of the best products in its category. Regarding the automation capabilities of SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager, I think that is an area they will need to explore in making it more autonomous. Discovery happens through IP address scanning, but building out automation is something they need to focus on. I absolutely believe in providing automation for SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager. It is essential to address how to deploy, discover, and remediate wherever possible. I think that is something they should already be looking at because AAFS is currently something everybody is focused on, and storage also needs to consider it.

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Erik Cheng

Technical Manager at Quan Hung Gourmet

Efficient monitoring with detailed customization, yet complexity remains

The best feature of WhatsUp Gold is the automatic generation of topology and its integration with virtualization and wireless. I have used the automated device discovery with this topology feature. The interactive map feature helps me manage the topology because sometimes we cannot draw the topology correctly, so we need to manually edit the connections. The alerting system is very tunable and customizable, but it's a little complicated to use. Many customers cannot manage it by themselves and need support from us, the provider. We always use the dashboards in the SOC, where we constantly display a dashboard or multiple dashboards. This allows us to know immediately if the connection or bandwidth is full or if the connection is broken.

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Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The solution is stable."

"The most valuable feature is Intune's ability to push out updates for the security and antivirus. I also like Intune's copilot and the ability to automate processes. For example, if you have 5,000 employees who are issued new PCs and you need to set them up with everything they need."

"Microsoft's licensing is more flexible and adaptive than its competitors."

"Microsoft Intune does help me save time in terms of management of various devices—I don't have to go to those locations to manage the devices at those locations, I can do it remotely, which is very helpful."

"Intune's most valuable features are its device management capabilities, particularly its centralized integration with other Microsoft stack components."

"From a solution perspective, I always recommend that you go for it."

"Intune is a very good cloud solution for managing devices."

"The user experience of Microsoft Intune is very friendly and the interface is very good."

More Microsoft Intune pros

"The installation is straightforward."

"Its main functionality is highly beneficial as it centralizes the management of configuration items across the network."

"It is pretty straightforward to set up."

"The most valuable features the solution offers are compliance, reliability, and information about reliability."

"The solution's view is very nice, and they have a great customized dashboard."

"It is a stable solution."

"I use it for monitoring the entire network for the company. We oversee nodes down, we oversee devices heading up to crossing the threshold for CPU usage. We oversee power so power backups on the switches, we oversee if they're down or if they're failing. We oversee any node down or any router from any vendor."

"SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager compares almost perfectly to what it is supposed to do, and I think it is one of the best products in its category."

More SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager pros

"One thing good about WhatsUp Gold is that it is fairly stable."

"In terms of pricing, I'd say that the pricing is nice and the product is good."

"This product has aided us in procurement and is overall a well-priced solution."

"It handles the basics of monitoring."

"It's a good product, and if one has the expertise to use it, it will be a good investment and it will help IT to save and plan for the future."

"The interactive mapping interface for scrolling, zooming, and drilling down on an element to learn about a network issue is good. When we see a network there will sometimes be a spot that has one link. You can go into a particular part of the topology map, scroll in, and see exactly which module it is."

"The visual map and email alerts are very useful to have in real time so we always know the state of our network."

"NetFlow monitoring, real-time monitoring, and surveys have been the most valuable features for our business."

More WhatsUp Gold pros

Cons

"An area for improvement is the absence of seamless integration, particularly with external dashboards."

"During the onboarding of Microsoft Intune, we faced the problem that the policies were not getting synced."

"The support from Microsoft was previously good, but now it is very poor."

"Software or patch management solutions must be complemented with something beyond Microsoft Intune because it doesn't upgrade or manage a list of integrated packages and lacks the capacity to upgrade all kinds of software on computers."

"Reporting needs to be better. Sometimes, it is way too slow, and it is not even accurate."

"Intune's server management could be better. If it could incorporate more features from System Center into Intune's Configuration Manager, it would be beneficial."

"It isn't easy to use. It's very complicated, but as long as you take the time to learn it, you can do just about anything you want with your device."

"There needs to be more support for Mac operating systems."

More Microsoft Intune cons

"I would like to see more features in terms of wireless reporting and more historical information for client connectivity in SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager."

"There is room for improvement in automation."

"The only thing that requires some experience, and training doesn't fix, is how to set up your custom policy-based reports to check compliance."

"When we run the SolarWinds NCM jobs at the cellular line, it runs in the morning. They're just not finishing. We're getting false processing."

"We do health checkups for the network devices. However, compared to NetBrain, the NCM health checkup is getting very bad."

"It would be great if they include a network service manager, network performance manager, or a privileged assessment in the next release."

"The network flow is a problem for this solution."

"For each device, when you open the network performance monitor, it will give you all of the information about the device, but many of the natural configuration management features are not on that page."

More SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager cons

"We can never achieve or get a good picture of the network topology."

"Adding on services increases the cost and on the version we have there is no option for ATM monitoring."

"Setting up WhatsUp Gold is complicated and not easy because it requires managing SNMP and many complex settings in the devices it's monitoring, and fine-tuning it to fit our needs is also not very easy."

"WhatsUp Gold should work on real-time monitoring and configuration management. If they succeed in doing this, the solution will cover all the network troubleshooting aspects and will be a benefit."

"I haven't had any issue with stability, except during the upgrade to 2017 when we encountered slow responses."

"Importing the maps and being able to customize them could be easier."

"There are some subscription charges that are quite heavy. I need to pay for support every year and these charges can be quite expensive."

"I think there are a few bugs now. Although they give some resolution for this, we cannot share the network remotely because of our company policy."

More WhatsUp Gold cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"While I don't have access to high-level financial information, I believe we have achieved lower costs with this implementation."

"Intune is inexpensive. It also comes bundled in some Office 365 licenses, so you can choose to purchase it separately or as a package."

"I recently got to know that the AD P1 license is compulsory to use Intune Autopilot, which was surprising for me. Earlier, this was not the case. It is the wrong thing to do. We now need to purchase AD P1 licenses for us and for our customers. I would rate it a seven out of ten for pricing."

"Microsoft's licensing is more flexible and adaptive than its competitors."

"It is average. Some of the costs are quite high depending on what the customer currently uses, but overall, it is not bad. I would not say that I would not recommend Intune based on the cost. I definitely would, but they can definitely improve on the cost. So overall, its cost is not bad."

"We don't pay for Intune because it is bundled with the premium subscription to Office 365. It includes Intune and Defender. I don't have to buy two extra products to manage my enterprise."

"It's affordable for the protection it gives. There are no additional costs."

"The E5 license is expensive."

More Microsoft Intune pricing and cost advice

"Additional costs beyond the standard licensing fee are inevitable."

"In Africa, the cost is a major factor in decision-making for many companies. As a result, some companies may choose cheaper solutions, even if they are open-source, over more expensive ones, such as SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager. However, as an engineer, I believe that the functionalities and services offered by SolarWinds justify the cost. Nonetheless, many companies in Africa may still view the prices as unaffordable."

"Pricing is reasonable and competitive."

"We have to pay additionally for its support and maintenance."

"There is a license needed to use SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager."

"With a minimal bundle, we pay about $3000 a year in licensing costs. If you have multiple devices in your network, you must buy the bundle, which is 100% identical for your infrastructure. If you have 15 devices, you need 15 licenses, for example. That's one bundle. You don't pay for anything over and above that."

"The price of the solution is high compared to other solutions."

"You have a base license for 50 devices, and then you can add more licenses as you go."

More SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager pricing and cost advice

"Pricing is reasonable compared to other products."

"There is a license needed to use WhatsUp Gold."

"The choice of version depends on the number of points, or devices, that you want to monitor, and this makes the product expensive."

"The pricing can be on the expensive side when considering competing products."

"I'm not sure, but it's expensive. We don't pay any additional fees."

"This is a well priced solution."

"The price of WhatsUp Gold is good."

"There are some subscription charges that are quite heavy. I need to pay for support every year and these charges can be quite expensive. Aside from the initial cost for the tool, you need to pay additionally for support."

More WhatsUp Gold pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

10%

Manufacturing Company

Computer Software Company

Outsourcing Company

Government

11%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Construction Company

University

Financial Services Firm

12%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Construction Company

Government

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	192
Midsize Enterprise	62
Large Enterprise	186

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	15
Midsize Enterprise	5
Large Enterprise	9

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	9
Midsize Enterprise	5
Large Enterprise	14

Questions from the Community

How does Microsoft Intune compare with VMware Workspace One?

Microsoft Intune is a great tool for managing a mobile device fleet while keeping access control. The solution makes ...

See all answers

What are the pros and cons of Microsoft Intune?

Microsoft Intune is a great configuration management tool and has a lot of good things going for it. Here are some of...

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How does Google Cloud Identity compare with Microsoft Intune?

Microsoft Intune offers not only an easy-to-deploy data protection and productivity management solution, but also ...

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager?

On pricing, I would rate SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager as one of the best in its segment among leading pro...

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What needs improvement with SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager?

I do not think there is anything I would like to improve at this point in time because SolarWinds Network Configurati...

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What is your primary use case for SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager?

SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager is used for managing a large number of IPs, distributing them within my ente...

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for WhatsUp Gold?

Clients find the licensing calculator confusing, but we simplify this for them by collecting relevant information fir...

See all answers

What needs improvement with WhatsUp Gold?

It would be great if WhatsUp Gold could add features that simplify management with AI, as it is currently too complic...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for WhatsUp Gold?

My use case for WhatsUp Gold includes all device availability checks, bandwidth usage, CPU, and memory usage, as well...

See all answers

Comparisons

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Compared 11% of the time

Jamf Pro vs Microsoft Intune

Compared 10% of the time

Workspace ONE UEM vs Microsoft Intune

Compared 6% of the time

Microsoft Entra ID vs Microsoft Intune

Compared 3% of the time

ManageEngine Endpoint Central vs Microsoft Intune

Compared 3% of the time

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Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform vs SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager

Compared 9% of the time

HashiCorp Terraform vs SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager

Compared 7% of the time

Cisco DNA Center vs SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager

Compared 7% of the time

AWS CloudFormation vs SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager

Compared 5% of the time

ManageEngine Network Configuration Management vs SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager

Compared 4% of the time

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SCOM vs WhatsUp Gold

Compared 3% of the time

LibreNMS vs WhatsUp Gold

Compared 3% of the time

PRTG Network Monitor vs WhatsUp Gold

Compared 3% of the time

NinjaOne vs WhatsUp Gold

Compared 3% of the time

ScienceLogic vs WhatsUp Gold

Compared 3% of the time

More WhatsUp Gold Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft Intune

July 2026

Download Microsoft Intune product report

Buyer's Guide

SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager

July 2026

SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager report

Download SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager product report

Buyer's Guide

WhatsUp Gold

July 2026

Download WhatsUp Gold product report

Also Known As

Intune, MS Intune, Microsoft Endpoint Manager

SolarWinds NCM

No data available

Overview

Microsoft Intune is a cloud-based service designed for device management, security, and compliance. It supports automation and facilitates endpoint management for Windows, iOS, and Android devices, ensuring data protection and efficient policy enforcement.

Microsoft Intune offers seamless integration with tools like Windows Autopilot to automate device setup and deployment. Integrated with Azure Active Directory, it enhances policy management while providing robust reporting and analytics tools for compliance tracking. Despite its intuitive interface aimed at simplifying navigation and device security management, there are challenges such as compatibility issues with Linux and Mac, limited policy support for Android, and demands for better third-party integration. It's widely used for both corporate-owned devices and BYOD scenarios in dynamic IT environments.

What are the key features of Microsoft Intune?

Windows Autopilot: Automates device setup for rapid deployment.
Azure Active Directory Integration: Enhances user policy management.
Reporting and Analytics: Improves compliance visibility.
Mobile Application Management: Ensures app security without compromising personal data.
Cloud-Based Management: Allows management from any location.

What benefits and ROI can users expect?

Time Efficiency: Automation reduces time in policy enforcement and configuration updates.
Enhanced Security: Ensures data protection across corporate-owned and BYOD devices.
Improved Compliance: Advanced reporting tools enhance compliance visibility.
Flexible Management: Cloud-based nature supports management from any location.

In industries such as finance and healthcare, Microsoft Intune is implemented to ensure data protection and compliance with regulatory standards. Manufacturing sectors utilize Intune for managing a distributed workforce across global locations, while educational institutions employ it to secure and manage devices in learning environments supporting both students and faculty.

Microsoft

SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager provides essential tools for network performance monitoring, configuration compliance, and vulnerability management, ensuring streamlined operations for network administrators with real-time change detection and backup automation capabilities.

SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager offers extensive features that empower network management through integration with platforms like Microsoft Teams and ServiceNow. It manages network devices effectively, automating backups and streamlining configuration compliance. Users find it flexible and reliable for network configuration and security management, including support for IP SLA management, which enhances device health checks. The solution facilitates remote network configuration, mass changes across devices, and efficient backup and restore procedures for disaster recovery. While improvements in node-related limitations, AI features, and integrations are noted, the tool remains critical for aligning configurations with enterprise standards and ensuring network visibility.

What are the key features?

Network Performance Monitoring: Provides insights into network health and potential issues.
Configuration Compliance: Ensures all network configurations align with internal policies.
Real-Time Change Detection: Alerts users immediately about configuration changes.
Backup Automation: Simplifies backup processes for network configurations.
Vulnerability Management: Identifies and manages security vulnerabilities effectively.
IP SLA Management: Enhances device health checks through service level agreements.
Integration Capabilities: Seamlessly integrates with Microsoft Teams, ServiceNow, and more.

What benefits should users consider?

Enhanced Security: Protects networks with robust vulnerability management.
Streamlined Operations: Automates routine tasks to save time and resources.
Improved Compliance: Ensures adherence to configuration policies and standards.
Comprehensive Network Visibility: Offers a clear view of network performance and issues.
Disaster Recovery Support: Facilitates quick recovery from network failures with efficient backups.

In industries such as telecommunications, finance, and healthcare, SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager is implemented to manage complex network infrastructures, optimize performance, and maintain security compliance. These sectors rely on the tool's ability to conduct mass device configurations and ensure continuous network monitoring, which is crucial for operations that require consistent uptime and quick response to potential security threats.

SolarWinds

WhatsUp Gold stands out with its comprehensive network monitoring, dynamic mapping, and real-time alerts, offering essential tools for managing extensive IT infrastructures.

WhatsUp Gold provides robust capabilities in network visibility through dynamic mapping and NetFlow analysis. The platform's interactive topology aids in pinpointing issues effectively. Auto-discovery ensures complete network device tracking. While offering an intuitive interface and integration with Cisco ServiceNow, users find server performance monitoring useful for incident handling. However, improvements are anticipated in application monitoring and Active Directory integration. The pricing model and customization options leave room for enhancement. Despite these, users benefit from its integrated dashboards for immediate device health checks and network updates, making it beneficial for large-scale infrastructure management.

What features does WhatsUp Gold offer?

Network Monitoring: Provides continuous oversight of network components
Dynamic Mapping: Offers visual representation of network topology
NetFlow Analysis: Delivers insights into bandwidth utilization
Threshold Alerts: Notifies users upon reaching set performance thresholds
Auto-Discovery: Detects devices automatically for complete network coverage

What benefits should users expect from reviews?

Comprehensive Visibility: Enhanced understanding of network elements
Real-Time Monitoring: Immediate insights into network and device status
Cost-Effectiveness: Competitive solution suitable for expansive networks
User-Friendly Interface: Simplifies the management of complex networks

Organizations in sectors like telecommunications, education, and healthcare utilize WhatsUp Gold for their network monitoring needs. Telecom companies track switches and routers, educational institutions manage bandwidth usage, and healthcare facilities monitor device availability to ensure seamless operations.

Progress Software

Sample Customers

Mitchells and Buzzers, Callaway

United Lincolnshire Hospitals, Air Rarotonga, NetSuite, Thai AirAsia, REA Group, 335th Signal Command, Agilisys, Marine Expeditionary Force

Artoni Trasporti, Austin Independent School District, Banca Marche, Burke County North Carolina, Cambridge University School of Clinical Medicine, Clayco, Community Integrated Care, Desca, Deutsche Bergbau, Flexi-Van, Gropper, Hamleys, Hammonds Furniture, Knowledge IT, Idras S.P.A., Sibeg, Swann Engineering, Trivium Lindenhof

Buyer's Guide

SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager vs. WhatsUp Gold

August 2026

Free Report: SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager vs. WhatsUp Gold

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