SolarWinds Server and Application Monitor Reviews

Name: SolarWinds Server and Application Monitor
Brand: SolarWinds
Rating: 4.0 (42 reviews)

4.0 out of 5

42 reviews
89% willing to recommend

1,147 followers

What is SolarWinds Server and Application Monitor?

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.

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SolarWinds Server and Application Monitor is the #10 ranked solution in top Server Monitoring solutions, #11 ranked solution in top Active Directory Management solutions, and #20 ranked solution in APM tools. PeerSpot users give SolarWinds Server and Application Monitor an average rating of 8.0 out of 10. SolarWinds Server and Application Monitor is most commonly compared to Dynatrace: SolarWinds Server and Application Monitor vs Dynatrace. SolarWinds Server and Application Monitor is popular among the large enterprise segment, accounting for 47% of users researching this solution on PeerSpot. The top industry researching this solution are professionals from a educational organization, accounting for 35% of all views.

Buyer's Guide

SolarWinds Server and Application Monitor

April 2025

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Helped 851,491 peers since 2012

Featured SolarWinds Server and Application Monitor reviews

Subhajit Nag

Senior Process Associate at Tata Consultancy Services

SolarWinds' interface is slow, and this is a global concern. Every SolarWinds user complains about the sluggishness. The response is slow. If you browse from one page to another, you have to wait. Our company is a massive user with plenty of licenses, so the performance issues could be due to the load per license. Ten thousand components can be mapped under one license. So SolarWinds needs to take care of the speed problem. It cannot be this slow. That is a huge complaint. Otherwise, the tool is good. It should also be easier to upgrade SolarWinds. AppDynamics is harder to deploy but easier to upgrade. So AppDynamics takes a lot of time and effort to install, but you can upgrade it in minutes. SolarWinds is the opposite. It's easy to deploy, but upgrades take forever. To date, nobody can complete it on time, so the production environment is sitting idle. The upgrade time matters because you only install the solution once, but you'll need to upgrade the solution repeatedly over the life of the product. A complex installation isn't an issue, but I mind if the upgrade takes too long because it's already in production.

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VIVEK PATHAK

Solutions Architect at Airtel

My company uses Riverbed for application performance monitoring. I was doing research so that I could understand if SolarWinds Server and Application Monitor provide APM capabilities similar to Riverbed, which allows our company to get a packet capture of an entire session, and on the basis of it, we look at the application performance monitoring part. With SolarWinds Server and Application Monitor, my company does SNMP polling, so it can drag an entire session, but it focuses more on availability, CPU memory, and server connection status. In Riverbed, my company catches an entire system, so when we deal with two applications, we have end-to-end app visibility. All the application monitoring happens through Riverbed. Our company's main problem is that, as of now, we have two different products in our organization, and we don't want to continue with the multiple products currently. I wanted to understand if SolarWinds Server and Application Monitor already have capabilities like Riverbed, and if they do, then I wanted to figure out why our company should not go with SolarWinds and why we are using products from multiple vendors. My company needs to continue with either Riverbed or SolarWinds. I wanted to see which products are good for the organization and how much I want to continue with Riverbed.

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Ross R

Infrastructure Technical Applications Manager at Emory Healthcare

I try to always follow the processes and things exactly to a T. I don't think we had any major issues with the product. It has room for improvement, but overall, it does most of what we need to do on a day-to-day basis. Overall, I rate the solution a seven out of ten.

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SolarWinds Server and Application Monitor mindshare

Product category:

As of May 2025, the mindshare of SolarWinds Server and Application Monitor in the Server Monitoring category stands at 2.6%, down from 3.4% compared to the previous year, according to calculations based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Server Monitoring

PeerResearch reports based on SolarWinds Server and Application Monitor reviews

Type	Title	Date
Category	Server Monitoring	May 19, 2025	Download
Product	Reviews, tips, and advice from real users	May 19, 2025	Download
Comparison	SolarWinds Server and Application Monitor vs Zabbix	May 19, 2025	Download
Comparison	SolarWinds Server and Application Monitor vs ServiceNow Discovery	May 19, 2025	Download
Comparison	SolarWinds Server and Application Monitor vs Oracle Enterprise Manager	May 19, 2025	Download

Title	Rating	Mindshare	Recommending
Dynatrace	4.4	N/A	95%	347 interviews Add to research
Datadog	4.3	N/A	97%	187 interviews Add to research

Valuable Features

SolarWinds Server and Application Monitor excels in monitoring capabilities including service, application, and infrastructure oversight. Users value features like AppInsight for applications like SQL and Exchange, real-time node performance, customizable alerts, and detailed dashboards. The integration with virtual infrastructure offers additional benefits, while network device performance monitoring, AppStack for fault identification, and user-friendly interfaces further enhance its utility in IT environments. Robust reporting, easy customization, and dependency mapping contribute significantly to user satisfaction.

"The most beneficial aspect of SolarWinds Server and Application Monitor is its ability to monitor at the application level."
"The graphical interfaces, GUI customizations, and alert configurations are impressive."
"We manage SolarWinds ourselves without outsourcing its services."

Room for Improvement

SolarWinds Server and Application Monitor needs improvement in several areas including web console stability and speed, greater integration within Orion, and more comprehensive reporting features. Users experience issues with performance and the complexity of templates. Enhanced support for non-Windows applications and more advanced monitoring capabilities such as cloud readiness, application performance monitoring, and AI-driven insights are desired. Price adjustments and quicker technical support are also mentioned as areas needing attention.

"For each poller, SolarWinds Server and Application Monitor can only monitor up to ten thousand components, which restricts scalability."
"The technical support was better in previous years. With the launch of the premium support service, the normal support has declined."
"Application-based monitoring, such as monitoring within servers like Apache and IIS, has room for improvement."

ROI

Based on user feedback, SolarWinds Server and Application Monitor has proven to be a valuable investment. Users have reported positive outcomes and benefits, indicating a satisfactory return on investment.

Pricing

Enterprise buyers have mixed experiences with SolarWinds Server and Application Monitor's pricing. Some find it expensive but justifiable given the comprehensive features offered, while others highlight competitive pricing and value in comparison to other solutions. Licenses range from $3,000 to over $20,000 annually, with additional costs for features and scalability. Pricing depends on the number of devices and modules required. Buyers suggest considering end-of-quarter deals to maximize value, despite noting high initial costs and complex licensing.

"We pay around $ 2,000 to $ 5,000 yearly for the solution."
"The product is expensive."
"The tool is available for my company at a good price point."

Popular Use Cases

SolarWinds Server and Application Monitor is used primarily for application and server monitoring tailored to various client needs, providing customizable monitoring for network performance, server health, and application environments. It supports on-premises, hybrid, and cloud deployments, delivering insights into application and infrastructure status. Users employ it for monitoring CPU utilization, memory, databases, and network devices. It offers alerting based on thresholds and aids in efficient capacity management, serving diverse infrastructure components.

Service and Support

Many users find SolarWinds Server and Application Monitor customer service and support effective and responsive. Technical support often resolves issues quickly, though some encounter delays and increased escalation times. Experiences vary; some appreciate 24/7 availability and quick turnarounds, while others report a decline in quality after support changes or require advanced troubleshooting. THWACK community resources help many avoid direct support contact. Premium support offers faster responses and higher satisfaction ratings for complex issues.

Deployment

Many users found the initial setup of SolarWinds Server and Application Monitor to be straightforward and easy. Familiarity with certain files and systems helps, while the setup wizard and detailed documentation aid the process. Some found the deployment complex due to factors such as infrastructure size or manual processes. Nonetheless, the solution's flexibility for customization, availability of technical support, and ability to scale make it a valuable choice for various environments.

Scalability

SolarWinds Server and Application Monitor is regarded as scalable, with users having scaled to various sizes, from a few devices to thousands. Some report it requires additional polling engines for larger environments, though the process is straightforward. Licensing costs can be a consideration for extensive scaling, and certain scaling challenges were mentioned, particularly with complex infrastructures. Performance and modularity are generally praised, while some have noted resource intensity in larger deployments.

Stability

SolarWinds Server and Application Monitor demonstrates strong stability with limited interruptions. Issues mostly relate to older versions or self-inflicted problems. Regular maintenance and resource management enhance consistency. Users emphasize its reliability, though some note performance dips when managing large data sets or insufficient resources. Troubleshooting may be needed during errors or system migrations. Frequent stable operation, with rare disruptions, positions the tool as a dependable choice among market competitors. Several commend its steady performance and few, notable non-recurring problems.

These insights are based on the in-depth reviews provided by peers to help you make a better buying decision.

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