Amazon CloudWatch vs SolarWinds AppOptics comparison

Amazon Web Services (AWS) and SolarWinds are both solutions in the Application Performance Monitoring (APM) and Observability category. Amazon Web Services (AWS) is ranked #25 with an average rating of 7.7, while SolarWinds is ranked #56. Amazon Web Services (AWS) holds a 1.0% mindshare in APM, compared to SolarWinds’s 0.8% mindshare. Additionally, 90% of Amazon Web Services (AWS) users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 80% of SolarWinds users who would recommend it.

Amazon CloudWatch

Read 49 Amazon CloudWatch reviews

7,762 Views
3,959 Comparison Views

90% willing to recommend

SolarWinds AppOptics

Read 9 SolarWinds AppOptics reviews

3,669 Views
2,311 Comparison Views

80% willing to recommend

Amazon CloudWatch

SolarWinds AppOptics

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 18, 2024

Amazon CloudWatch and SolarWinds AppOptics compete as key cloud monitoring tools. Users favor SolarWinds AppOptics for its efficiency and detailed performance insights, making it a preferred choice despite CloudWatch's strong AWS integration.

Features: Amazon CloudWatch provides detailed metrics, real-time data management, and real-time alerts within the AWS ecosystem, which aids scalability, simplicity, and security. SolarWinds AppOptics offers advanced network performance monitoring, application performance management, and robust reporting capabilities, suitable for users demanding detailed visibility.

Room for Improvement: Amazon CloudWatch could improve its monitoring for non-AWS services and refine its pricing model. Users also seek better report generation capabilities. SolarWinds AppOptics may benefit from integrating solutions, simplifying Unix application monitoring, and providing a unified console for multiple applications.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Amazon CloudWatch supports broad public cloud and hybrid deployments with multiple technical support tiers. SolarWinds AppOptics, despite offering simpler support systems, centralizes troubleshooting queries. Amazon's customer service stands out for specialization and accessible support tiers.

Pricing and ROI: Amazon CloudWatch is seen as reasonably priced, especially when included with AWS services, using a pay-as-you-go model which suits predictable cost management through AWS integration. SolarWinds AppOptics uses a traditional license-based structure, which sometimes lacks flexibility compared to competitors. Both tools provide substantial ROI through effective monitoring and management.

To learn more, read our detailed Amazon CloudWatch vs. SolarWinds AppOptics Report (Updated: August 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Amazon CloudWatch vs. SolarWinds AppOptics

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

Amazon CloudWatch

Ranking in Application Performance Monitoring (APM) and Observability

25th

Ranking in Cloud Monitoring Software

15th

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

7.2

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Log Management (21st)

SolarWinds AppOptics

Ranking in Application Performance Monitoring (APM) and Observability

56th

Ranking in Cloud Monitoring Software

44th

Average Rating

7.8

Reviews Sentiment

7.0

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

IT Infrastructure Monitoring (62nd)

Mindshare comparison

As of August 2026, in the Application Performance Monitoring (APM) and Observability category, the mindshare of Amazon CloudWatch is 1.0%, down from 1.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of SolarWinds AppOptics is 0.8%, up from 0.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Application Performance Monitoring (APM) and Observability Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Amazon CloudWatch	1.0%
SolarWinds AppOptics	0.8%
Other	98.2%

Application Performance Monitoring (APM) and Observability

Featured Reviews

Azam S M

Infrastructure Lead at Danat Fz LLC

Has provided reliable monitoring and alerting through extensive metric tracking and dashboard configuration

Amazon CloudWatch itself provides a lot of data. However, for visualization, we need to use third-party tools. We are in a process of integrating Grafana, Loki, and Prometheus to have better visualization on Amazon CloudWatch. We are also integrating Grafana with the application itself to get the application data and logs. Alternatively, there is AWS Kinesis and Glue where you can scrape the logs and have visualization, but a more easy option is Grafana. If you want to get a proper visual representation to see what is happening, then you need to integrate a third-party tool. Amazon CloudWatch has all the data, but to see what is happening, you need some third-party tool.

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John Yuko

Assistant Manager ICT - Projects at I&M Bank Ltd

Unique features allow consolidating and combing metrics into a single dashboard, but don't monitor mobile solutions

I would like to see more granular information provided on Unix applications. Also, the integration with Unix services should be a bit more straightforward in terms having an agent to retrieve your credentials rather than having to enter or save them for SSH on SolarWinds. From the outset, we had to set some commands to log into the search console, and they are saved on the solution, which presents a challenge in terms of exposure. The solution is unable to monitor APK solutions completely because we'd then be forced to break down the APK and provide the APIs or go through the source code. They don't have a module that can analyze an application that is maybe under-used.

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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 are able to, on a real-time basis, understand the capacity utilization and the latency aspects, and, to that extent, we can now know the productivity of the tests and if the development team has increased them in any way."

"The technical support is fantastic; it's the best ever."

"It is very easy to use; as a monitoring tool, whenever your system experiences issues, it will notify you and is directly linked to your service."

"Monitoring time and ensuring ease in it is the most valuable feature."

"We can set CPU thresholds using the solution."

"The solution is easy to use."

"The solution effectively monitors golden signals like CPU, page requests, and queues."

"Scheduling is a valuable feature."

More Amazon CloudWatch pros

"The reporting of the solution is very good."

"SolarWinds AppOptics does far more than what an individual may realize; it is not just a SIEM tool."

"It's a solid application."

"AppNeta provides a range of products, all based around intelligent network testing algorithms."

"The product has a great dashboard."

"Customer service is exceptional, as they are very much in tune with our service needs and are always in contact for both enhancement requests and overall satisfaction."

"Technical support is always live and they're supportive."

"I have found the most valuable feature is application performance management."

More SolarWinds AppOptics pros

Cons

"The solution's integration could be easier for laypersons."

"There is room for improvement in terms of stability."

"It's not very intuitive. It doesn't have drag-and-drop functionality to trigger actions from notifications."

"The solution could benefit from a price decrease."

"I do not know whether or not CloudWatch can be integrated with on-prem services."

"CloudWatch doesn’t monitor disk throughput by default."

"Amazon CloudWatch's pricing needs improvement."

"There is some delay in logging that they need to improve on."

More Amazon CloudWatch cons

"Because of its inability to monitor mobile solutions, I would rate this solution as a seven out of ten."

"The implementation needs improvement. It needs to get modernized with the newer cloud scenario in both public and private deployment models."

"Does not perform traditional SNMP/CLI/NetFlow/WMI etc monitoring."

"I'd like to see the ability to use other internal instrumented applications as filters in the overview/aggregation screen."

"We had a stability issue with a portion of the installation (Sequencer) when it was first introduced and have chosen not to install that specific function."

"In terms of the technology, I think they need to put some more advanced troubleshooting into SolarWinds, in terms of AI capabilities. That's the next generation, especially in the cases of APIs which have already adopted AI capabilities into their products."

"AppOptics would benefit from having a much more centralized view."

"The integration with Unix services should be a bit more straightforward."

More SolarWinds AppOptics cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The pricing model is pay-as-you-go so you have to be mindful of usage to manage costs."

"The solution is expensive."

"We have monthly licensing costs. The licenses are probably in the vicinity of about $300 - $350/month."

"The price is okay for me."

"The pricing can be considered reasonable, especially when already operating on a cloud platform."

"The pricing is average."

"Amazon CloudWatch has very cheap pricing, and it hardly costs my company $25-$30 a month for fifty systems, so it's pretty affordable."

"The tool is not expensive."

More Amazon CloudWatch pricing and cost advice

"Since it's a negotiable rate, I would rate the pricing as a five out of five."

"I believe the current licensing cost is reasonable."

"Mostly, it's a perpetual license. We don't have any customers using the subscription right now—it's mostly a perpetual license that the customers purchase. The licensing is based on the number of elements, whereas other solutions are node-based."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

14%

Manufacturing Company

Transportation Company

Outsourcing Company

Construction Company

14%

Financial Services Firm

12%

Outsourcing Company

Comms Service Provider

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	17
Midsize Enterprise	8
Large Enterprise	26

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	2
Midsize Enterprise	1
Large Enterprise	7

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Amazon CloudWatch?

No specific setup costs were mentioned.

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What needs improvement with Amazon CloudWatch?

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What is your primary use case for Amazon CloudWatch?

Amazon CloudWatch is a very small service that AWS provides. It is a monitoring service for applications within the AWS cloud, and we can integrate external applications using the APIs or SDK. The ...

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Compared 3% of the time

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Compared 10% of the time

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Compared 7% of the time

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Compared 7% of the time

Zabbix vs SolarWinds AppOptics

Compared 6% of the time

Splunk AppDynamics vs SolarWinds AppOptics

Compared 5% of the time

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Amazon CloudWatch

August 2026

Download Amazon CloudWatch product report

Buyer's Guide

Application Performance Monitoring (APM) and Observability

August 2026

Download SolarWinds AppOptics product report

Also Known As

No data available

AppOptics, SolarWinds TraceView, Librato

Overview

Amazon CloudWatch integrates seamlessly with AWS, providing real-time monitoring and alerting features. Its interface supports task automation, enhancing troubleshooting and analytics capabilities, while offering strong security and scalability at a cost-effective rate.

Amazon CloudWatch is an impactful platform for monitoring AWS resources and managing application performance. It simplifies infrastructure performance monitoring by providing comprehensive analytics capabilities, including application insights and event scheduling. Users appreciate CloudWatch for its detailed metrics, dashboards, and support in issuing alerts to detect anomalies. It efficiently tracks performance, optimizes resource utilization, and ensures service availability. CloudWatch is recognized for its robust alerting features and integration with other AWS services, further supporting its resource monitoring capabilities. However, there is room for improvement in dashboard customization, log streaming speed, and integration with non-AWS services. Enhancements in API integration, machine learning features, and support for third-party tools are also desired.

What features does Amazon CloudWatch offer?

Seamless Integration: Works effortlessly with AWS for cohesive service management.
Advanced Metrics: Provides detailed monitoring of CPU, memory, and more.
Real-time Monitoring: Offers up-to-the-minute alerts on infrastructure status.
Dashboards: User-friendly and informative for quick insights.
Automation: Supports task automation for efficient troubleshooting.

What benefits does Amazon CloudWatch provide?

Cost-effectiveness: Efficient resource monitoring without high costs.
Scalability: Easily adapts to growing infrastructure needs.
Security: Strong protocols for safe monitoring activities.
Improved Performance: Enhances application insights and operational efficiency.
Operational Insights: Provides comprehensive logging and performance analysis.

Industries implementing Amazon CloudWatch often focus on optimizing IT infrastructure. Companies in sectors like finance and e-commerce rely on its monitoring and alerting capabilities to ensure service uptime and performance. The platform's automation and analytics features empower teams to proactively manage performance and detect potential issues promptly.

Amazon Web Services (AWS)

SolarWinds AppOptics offers powerful network performance monitoring and application insights, aiding enterprises in optimizing operations.

SolarWinds AppOptics provides comprehensive tools for network and application performance management. This platform enhances real-time monitoring capabilities, offering topology discovery and hop-by-hop performance analysis. With a focus on minimal configuration, users gain extraordinary visibility into service-oriented architecture applications and are equipped to identify performance issues efficiently. The dashboard's integration capabilities streamline application performance data, empowering organizations with robust reporting features. The deployment is popularly on-premises, yet improvements are desired in pricing strategy and integrations with existing tools.

What are the important features of SolarWinds AppOptics?

Topology Discovery: Facilitates understanding of network structure and connections.
Real-Time Monitoring: Delivers current data to monitor system performance live.
Heat Maps: Provides visual insights into network traffic patterns and performance metrics.
Pathview Monitoring: Enables tracking and evaluation of network performance per segment.
Integration Capabilities: Supports metrics integration for comprehensive system monitoring.

What benefits and ROI should users expect?

Efficiency in Issue Resolution: Swift identification of network bottlenecks and performance issues.
Enhanced Reporting: In-depth reports facilitating data-driven decisions.
Increased Visibility: Comprehensive insights into application and network activities.
Minimal Configuration: Quick setup enabling immediate utility and productivity.

SolarWinds AppOptics is widely used in network operations within enterprises, also extending to server and application monitoring. Deployed to track servers and network devices, it aids in analyzation of logs and data across environments, and is essential for service management. Specific industries benefit from detailed deployment inventory and management portfolios enabled by AppOptics.

SolarWinds

Sample Customers

AirAsia, Airbnb, Aircel, APUS, Avazu, Casa & Video, Futbol Club Barcelona (FCBarcelona), National Taiwan University, redBus

TraxoCovea Insurance BTE TechnologyDatarista

Buyer's Guide

Amazon CloudWatch vs. SolarWinds AppOptics

August 2026

Free Report: Amazon CloudWatch vs. SolarWinds AppOptics

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