SolarWinds Server and Application Monitor vs Tanium comparison

SolarWinds Server and Appli...

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Jan 18, 2026

Tanium and SolarWinds Server and Application Monitor compete in the network management and monitoring space. Tanium has an advantage in customer service, while SolarWinds stands out with extensive features, providing a strong option for comprehensive monitoring solutions.

Features: Tanium provides strong security features including endpoint management, data protection, and instant discovery for threat-hunting and vulnerability management. SolarWinds offers detailed server monitoring with AppInsight for SQL and Exchange, advanced alerting mechanisms, and virtual infrastructure monitoring through VMAN.

Room for Improvement: Tanium could enhance its feature integration for broader IT environments and provide more intuitive user interfaces. Improved scalability customization and extending their non-security components would also be beneficial. SolarWinds might work on simplifying setup procedures, reducing the complexity of advanced configurations, and enhancing user experience in handling diverse monitoring tasks.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Tanium is recognized for its straightforward deployment and effective customer support, which aids in quick implementation. SolarWinds, in contrast, may require more complex configurations but offers robust customer service support to ensure successful setups.

Pricing and ROI: Tanium typically involves a higher initial cost but offers strong ROI through security and management efficiency. SolarWinds provides flexible pricing that presents good value when its comprehensive capabilities are fully utilized, balancing cost and functionality effectively.

To learn more, read our detailed SolarWinds Server and Application Monitor vs. Tanium Report (Updated: January 2026).

SolarWinds Server and Application Monitor vs. Tanium

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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

SolarWinds Server and Appli...

Ranking in Server Monitoring

8th

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

4.5

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Application Performance Monitoring (APM) and Observability (22nd), Active Directory Management (9th)

Tanium

Ranking in Server Monitoring

3rd

Average Rating

7.8

Reviews Sentiment

6.4

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Vulnerability Management (24th), Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP) (20th), Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) (21st), Unified Endpoint Management (UEM) (5th)

Mindshare comparison

As of February 2026, in the Server Monitoring category, the mindshare of SolarWinds Server and Application Monitor is 3.2%, up from 2.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Tanium is 4.5%, down from 7.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Server Monitoring Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Tanium	4.5%
SolarWinds Server and Application Monitor	3.2%
Other	92.3%

Server Monitoring

Featured Reviews

NikhilKalwint

Technical Specialist at ServiceIO

Monitoring over a thousand systems has improved decision making and operational visibility

From an advantage perspective, SolarWinds Server and Application Monitor is comparatively cheaper from a commercial point of view. It is easy to install and configure, very user-friendly, and quick to get up and running, allowing you to see the early value adds in your organization. It is compatible with most technologies for monitoring with very few chances of incompatibility. Configuration also allows us to monitor all the technical parameters we are looking for, making it a very good experience for us. The alerting feature in SolarWinds Server and Application Monitor is a main advantage, as it alerts based on threshold breaches and can raise tickets to the ticketing system, send SMS, and email notifications, allowing engineers to work on those tickets to resolve issues and avoid further impact. The visibility into server health is a beneficial feature that I am utilizing. We widely use various application performance metrics in SolarWinds Server and Application Monitor such as database monitoring and server monitoring, which are quite good enough for any monitoring solution. We utilize the customizable dashboards in SolarWinds Server and Application Monitor.

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Vignesh K

Infra Vulnarability Manager at Rezilyens

Immediate results in patching promptly address vulnerabilities

When working with Tanium, there are some older devices that haven't been patched for a long time, and certain patches are not included in Tanium. I have to search outside to download patches, create bundles, and then perform the task. It would be easier if Tanium provided the patches directly. Some other brands provide the patch with a direct download link, which facilitates the process. Also, I feel that if there were more detailed documents and remediations readily available online for troubleshooting, especially more up-to-date information, it would be beneficial. Currently, some resources online are very out-of-date.

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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

"We manage SolarWinds ourselves without outsourcing its services."

"It is simple to implement and can provide fairly decent Windows-based monitoring, beyond simple SNMP. It is great for monitoring newbies and smaller shops."

"The more valuable feature of this solution is the Exchange feature."

"Identifying the problem statement is easy."

"This product can monitor application environments no matter where they reside and provides capabilities for deep insight into infrastructure."

"Management Console - Managing service to each server enrolled in the Solarwinds is much easier. Using a web base console, you can control your service much convenient way. There is no need to login remotely. It save a lot of time and effort."

"Hardware health: It allows for proactive monitoring of the hardware health and is a game changer."

"The graphical interfaces, GUI customizations, and alert configurations are impressive."

More SolarWinds Server and Application Monitor pros

"For incident response tasks, all these tasks can get done in minutes with minimal disruption to the end-user."

"When I push a quick update, it's done right away, and I can rescan immediately to confirm completion within minutes."

"Tanium's most valuable features are patch management, inventory, and distribution software."

"I like the tool's incident response and security patching."

"The interrogation piece was the most valuable feature because it was very detailed."

"The most valuable features of this solution are the consolidation of all historical data on device endpoints, security drivers, firmware, and Software version gaps."

"Tanium has made the process of detecting threats more proactive with its detection. So, the process is easier and more efficient."

"The product is granular and can build complex roles compared to other EDR vendors."

More Tanium pros

Cons

"Application-based monitoring, such as monitoring within servers like Apache and IIS, has room for improvement."

"An additional feature that would improve this solution is the ability to complete root cause analysis."

"They should incorporate more artificial intelligence. There should also be more predictive features."

"It would be helpful if the solution could integrate more with the security compliances, like this IDSS, etc."

"This product has no real downside unless they fail to continue development of its capabilities."

"One area that could benefit from improvement is its performance"

"For each poller, SolarWinds Server and Application Monitor can only monitor up to ten thousand components, which restricts scalability."

"Support for the IBM Mainframe is needed."

More SolarWinds Server and Application Monitor cons

"It is not really additional functions, or the features that are needed, rather the complexity would be reduced based on the number of modules required to put together a comprehensive operational security and risk compliance model."

"We had some issues with the solution's OS upgrade."

"Tanium’s scalability could be improved."

"The solution lacks mobility."

"Any movement into a SaaS solution has challenges since the processes and data flows are not well defined. Hence, you need to build it at the same time."

"The solution needs to improve the reporting and tracking capabilities."

"The most painful thing is the interface. It's a bit unclear sometimes."

"Tanium required local admin or root rights on Mac devices, which did not comply with our security policies. This made the solution less suitable for our restrictive environment."

More Tanium cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"I would rate the pricing for this solution a three out of five."

"The solution is overpriced in terms of application management."

"We are on an annual license to use the solution. The price of the solution is expensive. The price is based on a bunch of factors, such as the number of engines and elements."

"When compared to other licensed models in the market, it stands out as one of the more cost-effective options."

"When planning for the number of licenses to purchase, make sure you understand all of the elements within an application required to really understand performance well. In our case, we quickly came to the conclusion that an unlimited license for SAM was the way to go."

"Pricing and licensing is fair for what you get. It does have a great bang-for-the-buck appeal."

"The tool is available for my company at a good price point."

"Its licensing is on a yearly basis. It is just the standard price, but it can vary depending on the current rate of the dollar."

More SolarWinds Server and Application Monitor pricing and cost advice

"The solution offers value for money."

"It's an expensive solution. It would be nice if the cost were lower."

"It is higher than some competitors in the market."

"The product's pricing differs from region to region depending on negotiations and the number of endpoints."

"The solution is expensive but it's a good investment."

"There is an annual license required to use this solution."

"Tanium is a more expensive solution in Latin America than some of the competitors, such as BigFix."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Educational Organization

11%

Financial Services Firm

Government

Computer Software Company

Financial Services Firm

15%

Government

10%

Manufacturing Company

Computer Software Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	17
Midsize Enterprise	8
Large Enterprise	21

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	6
Midsize Enterprise	3
Large Enterprise	11

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about SolarWinds Server and Application Monitor?

Identifying the problem statement is easy.

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for SolarWinds Server and Application Monitor?

The initial cost is quite high, but the renewal cost is reasonable.

What needs improvement with SolarWinds Server and Application Monitor?

There is definitely room for improvement besides simplifying its setup. As a non-technical person, I believe the dashboards could be improved. Everything we use appears on video walls, and we need ...

What needs improvement with Tanium?

While there is always room for improvement, I am pleased with Tanium.

What is your primary use case for Tanium?

The primary use case for Tanium ( /products/tanium-reviews ) is compliance, patching, and inventory as part of the core functions.

What advice do you have for others considering Tanium?

For smaller companies, Tanium is quite a big investment, and one needs to have a considerable setup to make it economically viable. I would recommend it to others with a similar use case. The solut...

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Product Reports

SolarWinds Server and Application Monitor

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SolarWinds Server and Application Monitor report

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Also Known As

SolarWinds SAM

Tanium Inc Cloud, Tanium XEM

Overview

SolarWinds Server & Application Monitor (SAM) delivers powerful application and server monitoring capabilities for IT pros, enabling them to diagnose and troubleshoot performance issues faster. Do not let slow applications and downtime impact your end-users and business services. Pinpoint the root cause of application issues across various layers of the IT stack. SolarWinds SAM is affordable and easy to deploy, use, and customize. You can automatically discover your system's environment and start monitoring in about an hour. No professional services or consultation needed.

SolarWinds

Tanium offers robust endpoint protection, patching, and inventory management, consolidating the functions of tools like BigFix with capabilities in incident response, network security, and cloud or on-premise deployments.

Known for real-time capabilities, Tanium provides detailed analytics, security features, and device management. Users benefit from quick implementation, real-time updates, and patching campaigns. Despite its strengths, integration and custom plugin expansion remain areas to improve, along with data visualization and network optimization. Reporting enhancements and user training could advance its usability, and some UI elements may require updates for clarity and security.

What are the essential features of Tanium?

Detailed Analytics: Provides actionable insights for better decision-making.
Security Capabilities: Offers strong defense measures against threats.
Real-Time Queries: Facilitates immediate information access.
Patch Management: Streamlines software updates across devices.
Device Management: Efficiently handles comprehensive inventory and monitoring tasks.

What benefits should users expect?

Ease of Use: Simplifies complex IT tasks.
Scalability: Adapts to growing IT infrastructure needs.
Integration Flexibility: Merges with existing systems effortlessly.
Real-Time Updates: Ensures current data availability for informed actions.

Tanium's deployment spans industries focusing on endpoint protection and compliance, ensuring reliable device and server management in settings where safety and quick adaptation are critical. Organizations use it for application deployment, compliance checks, and integrating it as an EDR solution, enhancing overall security and operational efficiencies.

Sample Customers

Andr. L. Riis AS, NetSuite

JPMorgan Chase, eBay, Amazon, US Bank, MetLife, pwc, Cerner, Delphi, MGM Grand, New York Life

SolarWinds Server and Application Monitor vs. Tanium