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Most buyers should pick SolarWinds Database Performance Analyzer.
Pick SolarWinds Database Performance Analyzer if you monitor more than SQL Server: its listed coverage includes SQL Server, Oracle, MySQL, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, and Redis, and pricing starts at $142 per database per month. Pick SQL Sentry for a Microsoft SQL Server-focused estate, including visibility across SSAS, Azure SQL Database, and Azure Synapse SQL Pools. SQL Sentry’s price and billing unit are not published, so get a quote before comparing costs. Both list a 14-day trial and no free plan.
01Side by side
| SolarWinds Database Performance Analyzer | SQL Sentry | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $142 per database/month | Not published |
| Free plan | No | No |
| Best for | Cross-platform database monitoring | Microsoft SQL Server monitoring |
| Core strength | Cross-platform diagnostics and query optimization | SQL Server performance monitoring |
| Learning curve | Not published | Not published |
| Integrations/data | SQL Server, Oracle, MySQL, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, Redis | SQL Server; SSAS, Azure SQL Database, Synapse SQL Pools |
| Team/seat costs | $142 per database/month | Price and billing unit not published |
| Support | Review score: 5 | Review score: 5 |
SolarWinds Database Performance Analyzer Choose SolarWinds Database Performance Analyzer if
- Choose SolarWinds Database Performance Analyzer if you monitor several database engines.
- Choose SolarWinds Database Performance Analyzer if you need a published database price.
- Choose SolarWinds Database Performance Analyzer if you want cross-platform monitoring.
SQL Sentry Choose SQL Sentry if
- Choose SQL Sentry if your estate is Microsoft SQL Server-only.
- Choose SQL Sentry if you need visibility across SSAS and Azure SQL Database.
- Choose SQL Sentry if SQL Server monitoring is your specific requirement.
02Pricing compared
SolarWinds Database Performance Analyzer has the clearer published price: the Database category lists $142 per database per month. Its listed plan includes a 14-day fully functional trial. Multi-year contracts are billed annually, according to the pricing details.
SQL Sentry’s price and billing unit are not published, so there’s no reliable like-for-like cost comparison. Ask SolarWinds for a quote before weighing it against DPA; don’t assume DPA’s per-database price applies to SQL Sentry.
Neither product has a free plan, and both list a 14-day trial. For DPA, budget by the number of databases you need to monitor. For SQL Sentry, confirm both the quote and what it covers.
03Features and depth
DPA is the broader fit when your estate spans database engines. Its listed coverage includes SQL Server, Oracle, MySQL, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, and Redis, across on-premises, cloud, and hybrid environments. The product is positioned for monitoring, diagnostics, and performance tuning; SolarWinds also describes AI-assisted query optimization and one-click query rewrites.
SQL Sentry is specifically listed for Microsoft SQL Server monitoring. Its product details include visibility across SSAS, Azure SQL Database, and Azure Synapse SQL Pools. That focus may suit a SQL Server estate, but the published details do not list other database engines for SQL Sentry.
One caveat: SolarWinds’ homepage describes broader database observability features, but doesn’t establish that every capability applies specifically to SQL Sentry. Confirm the exact features in your quote or product documentation before switching.
04Ease of use and learning curve
The available product details don’t publish enough to compare setup effort, interface complexity, or training needs. DPA lists agentless monitoring, Windows or Linux operation, and self-hosted or SaaS options. Those details help with deployment planning, but they don’t tell us how much configuration or ongoing tuning is required.
For SQL Sentry, deployment details are not published on the vendor's site. Ask whether your intended setup is supported and what it takes to connect your SQL Server estate before committing.
The review scores rate ease of use at 6 for DPA and 5 for SQL Sentry, but they don’t explain the scoring method. Treat them as a rough signal, not a substitute for checking your own requirements.
Questions people ask
How much does SolarWinds Database Performance Analyzer cost?
The Database category lists DPA at $142 per database per month. The listed plan includes a 14-day fully functional trial, and multi-year contracts are billed annually. Confirm the quote for your database count and contract terms.
How much does SQL Sentry cost?
SQL Sentry’s price and billing unit are not published on the vendor's site. Request a quote from SolarWinds and confirm what the price covers; DPA’s published per-database price should not be assumed to apply.
Which product supports more database platforms?
DPA lists SQL Server, Oracle, MySQL, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, and Redis. SQL Sentry is listed for Microsoft SQL Server, with visibility across SSAS, Azure SQL Database, and Azure Synapse SQL Pools. The published details don’t list other engines for SQL Sentry.
Do DPA and SQL Sentry offer free trials?
Both list a 14-day trial and neither has a free plan. DPA’s listed trial is fully functional. The published SQL Sentry pricing details state a 14-day trial but don’t specify whether it is fully functional.