Splunk AppDynamics vs WhatsUp Gold comparison

Splunk and Progress Software are both solutions in the Application Performance Monitoring (APM) and Observability category. Splunk is ranked #3 with an average rating of 8.2, while Progress Software is ranked #29 with an average rating of 8.7. Splunk holds a 4.1% mindshare in APM, compared to Progress Software’s 0.6% mindshare. Additionally, 91% of Splunk users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 85% of Progress Software users who would recommend it.

Splunk AppDynamics

Read 253 Splunk AppDynamics reviews

12,143 Views
9,472 Comparison Views

91% willing to recommend

WhatsUp Gold

Read 25 WhatsUp Gold reviews

2,686 Views
886 Comparison Views

85% willing to recommend

Splunk AppDynamics

WhatsUp Gold

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Aug 17, 2025

WhatsUp Gold and Splunk AppDynamics are competing solutions in network management and application performance monitoring. Splunk AppDynamics appears to have the edge due to its comprehensive features and capabilities.

Features: WhatsUp Gold offers network bandwidth monitoring, device health monitoring, and server performance monitoring, providing easy access and discovery of network devices through interactive mapping. Splunk AppDynamics delivers business transaction tracking, dynamic baselining, and application flow maps, offering end-to-end visibility into application performance across complex environments.

Room for Improvement: WhatsUp Gold could benefit from enhanced support for advanced integrations and deeper analytics capabilities. The interface, while user-friendly, might be further improved for increased intuitiveness. The auto-discovery function could be refined to support a broader range of integrations. Splunk AppDynamics can improve its initial setup process, making it less complex for first-time users. Comprehensive training resources for deeper feature utilization could enhance user adoption. Further enhancements in ease-of-use for non-technical users would be beneficial.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: WhatsUp Gold is praised for its straightforward deployment process and responsive support staff, offering a seamless implementation experience. Splunk AppDynamics, while requiring a more complex integration setup, compensates with extensive documentation and comprehensive expert support that is highly regarded for its expertise.

Pricing and ROI: WhatsUp Gold provides competitive pricing with lower initial setup costs, offering a favorable ROI for budget-conscious businesses. Splunk AppDynamics demands a higher upfront investment, which is justified by its enriched capabilities that deliver significant long-term ROI, making it suitable for businesses seeking robust functionalities.

To learn more, read our detailed Splunk AppDynamics vs. WhatsUp Gold Report (Updated: September 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Splunk AppDynamics vs. WhatsUp Gold

September 2025

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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

Splunk AppDynamics

Ranking in Application Performance Monitoring (APM) and Observability

3rd

Ranking in IT Infrastructure Monitoring

6th

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

6.8

Number of Reviews

253

Ranking in other categories

IT Operations Analytics (2nd), Mobile APM (1st), Container Monitoring (3rd)

WhatsUp Gold

Ranking in Application Performance Monitoring (APM) and Observability

29th

Ranking in IT Infrastructure Monitoring

30th

Average Rating

7.8

Reviews Sentiment

6.2

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Network Monitoring Software (32nd), Server Monitoring (16th), Configuration Management (17th), Log Management (28th), Cloud Monitoring Software (23rd), Network Traffic Analysis (NTA) (12th)

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2025, in the Application Performance Monitoring (APM) and Observability category, the mindshare of Splunk AppDynamics is 4.1%, down from 5.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of WhatsUp Gold is 0.6%, up from 0.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Application Performance Monitoring (APM) and Observability Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Splunk AppDynamics	4.1%
WhatsUp Gold	0.6%
Other	95.3%

Application Performance Monitoring (APM) and Observability

Featured Reviews

Gyanesh Rahatekar

Back office at Reliance Industries Ltd

Application performance management and error resolution improved with data-driven insights

Dynatrace has multiple functions compared to Splunk AppDynamics, so Splunk AppDynamics should add those functions, which are not available as of now. Dynatrace has a universal agent that collects all information related to their CI, and if one CI has multiple languages, then there is no need to instrument multiple agents. However, Splunk AppDynamics requires multiple agents; if I have one server with multiple applications in different languages, then I need to instrument different agents for each application. Splunk AppDynamics should work with Dynatrace with one single universal agent that works with all application languages, eliminating the need for multiple implementations.

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Tom Condo

Supervisor Information Services Operations at Seminole County Public Schools

If CPU, memory, or disk space is over-utilized, it alerts us immediately via text or email if there is an issue

When it comes to the intuitiveness of the topology mapping feature, our network architect created a vision diagram of our entire network and then created the links tied into the WhatsUp active monitoring to different spots on our topology map. It's one of the more critical functions we do here. We have the map displayed in different places in our room and help desk. We get alerted via emails but we can also see it visually. It does what it says it's going to do. We find this feature very helpful. 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. All the information is provided. This feature really helps. You can see the correlation between that link and what failed. This feature is very helpful. The interface is fairly intuitive. Some of our users used SolarWinds and Nagios, and WhatsUp is easy in comparison. Once you get set up, the look, feel, and configuration are good. Our network architect had never used it before but he was able to create the Visio and map. It was very simple. He has no problems with it.

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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

"I find troubleshooting is quicker because we can drill down into the end points and see which endpoints are getting critical. Visibility-wise, the micro details are easy to find."

"The analytics are great."

"We can make custom alerts in our system for specific issues like high CPU utilization or application downtime."

"The event alerting feature or the trigger system is what I like most about AppDynamics Server Monitoring. Whenever an issue occurs, the tool automatically generates an even trigger that tells engineers in the company to take action, so it's an essential feature of AppDynamics Server Monitoring. Another valuable feature of the tool is end-to-end monitoring, which means if you need to debug, you can go transaction by transaction, where the issue lies, and how it's linked. For example, if it's a low-performance issue, you can look into it more through AppDynamics Server Monitoring in terms of which area takes too much time to execute. You can also see the SQL queries and the kind of query going on through the tool."

"It allows us to configure health rules so that we can, based on our own experience, determine when an application is behaving incorrectly."

"The best feature of AppDynamics is the analytics, which gives us the business insights of the application."

"The features that I like best are the dashboard and Business Journey."

"I think the performance and interface are the most important features."

More Splunk AppDynamics pros

"The interface in the last few years it has been a lot greater, they are much more user-friendly. I like the interface."

"The most valuable feature is the auto-discovery function."

"The most valuable features are network bandwidth monitoring and monitoring device health."

"Auto scanning is most valuable. It looks for rogue devices on your network."

"The best feature of WhatsUp Gold is the automatic generation of topology and its integration with virtualization and wireless."

"The installation and configuration process are easy."

"Our local support team provides excellent service."

"The documentation is very good."

More WhatsUp Gold pros

Cons

"The tool is expensive."

"The solution could be more user-friendly for diagnostic purposes. Anyone who is using the solution should be able to infer what that error is about, they should be able to troubleshoot it better."

"We constantly need to improve our alert mechanism because we get a lot of false-positive alerts. These are not real errors. In addition, for end-user monitoring, sometimes, we are not able to catch all user activities. Because of not being able to follow the user activity from the start to the end, we are missing out on the performance issues."

"I am not very impressed with support. The service could be better."

"The end-user experience is not really good because we can't catch all of the transactions. We only can catch the full stack of flow transactions, but I think that this is caused by the technology they use. If they will catch every transaction, it will cause a very big load on the performance of applications. The monitoring of all transactions needs improvement."

"If it could have a sub-tool for monitoring Apache Kafka logs, it would save me even more time. There are ways to do it now, but a direct way would be faster and better."

"The documentation and training material have room for improvement."

"AppDynamics is a solution that requires extra learning and could be more user-friendly. Additionally, automated reports would helpful similar to have they have in Google Analytics."

More Splunk AppDynamics cons

"Improvements are needed in integration, especially for WhatsApp call and messages. Our region heavily uses WhatsApp Messenger for communication, and integration with this platform would be beneficial."

"Improvements are needed in integration, especially for WhatsApp call and messages."

"The pricing for this solution has gone up quite recently, which has led some of our customers to buy an alternative product."

"The new release cadence needs to be improved. It takes a while for them to add new features and functionality. There should be a quicker turnaround with new versions."

"Pricing is too high relative to how many devices we use. The price list is not linear to number of devices."

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

"I would like to see them do an enhancement to the application monitoring. A lot of other products do better application monitoring so they should do some improvements to the application monitoring."

"I might like to see a better interface in the future."

More WhatsUp Gold cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"One of the main downsides to the solution is its cost."

"It would be better if there were more solutions incorporated into the base price. "

"AppDynamics Database Monitoring requires a license for database monitoring and other features, while Dynatrace provides monitoring and other features out of the box without additional costs. Sometimes this makes it more challenging to pitch AppDynamics Database Monitoring to customers, especially because you need to buy a separate license. As an implementer, I have yet to learn about the pricing for AppDynamics Database Monitoring. Pricing is taken care of by the sales team."

"AppDynamics is an expensive solution."

"You are required to purchase licenses whether you use it or not. It is not pay-as-you-use."

"If one is expensive and ten is low price, I rate the product price as seven out of ten."

"There is an annual cost for the use of this solution."

"We have a license-based solution. That means you need a license for each server you monitor."

More Splunk AppDynamics pricing and cost advice

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

"The price of WhatsUp Gold is good."

"The most valuable feature is the cost compared to other solutions."

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

"It is per device, per year. The pricing is very clear. If you have a service agreement, you get all of your major upgrades and minor upgrades. It was under $10,000 to go all-in with all of the different add-ons for it."

"This is a well priced solution."

"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."

More WhatsUp Gold pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

28%

Computer Software Company

13%

Manufacturing Company

Government

Financial Services Firm

13%

Manufacturing Company

12%

Government

11%

Computer Software Company

10%

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	55
Midsize Enterprise	36
Large Enterprise	188

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

Questions from the Community

Any advice about APM solutions?

There are many factors and we know little about your requirements (size of org, technology stack, management systems, the scope of implementation). Our goal was to consolidate APM and infra monitor...

See all answers

APM tools for a Managed Service Provider - Dynatrace vs. AppDynamics vs. Aternity vs. Ruxit

Hi Avi! It's great to see your thorough approach to selecting an APM package for your MSP company. Considering your focus on SMBs and enterprises in Israel, Dynatrace seems like a solid choice with...

See all answers

What do you like most about AppDynamics?

The solution saves time and cost.

See all answers

What do you like most about WhatsUp Gold?

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 l...

See all answers

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 first. The licensing is based on devices, providing better cost-effectiveness than ...

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 complicated to manage.

See all answers

Comparisons

Dynatrace vs Splunk AppDynamics

Compared 14% of the time

Datadog vs Splunk AppDynamics

Compared 8% of the time

Splunk Enterprise Security vs Splunk AppDynamics

Compared 8% of the time

New Relic vs Splunk AppDynamics

Compared 8% of the time

Grafana vs Splunk AppDynamics

Compared 4% of the time

More Splunk AppDynamics Competitors

Grafana vs WhatsUp Gold

Compared 12% of the time

PRTG Network Monitor vs WhatsUp Gold

Compared 10% of the time

SolarWinds NPM vs WhatsUp Gold

Compared 9% of the time

ManageEngine OpManager vs WhatsUp Gold

Compared 7% of the time

Zabbix vs WhatsUp Gold

Compared 6% of the time

More WhatsUp Gold Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Splunk AppDynamics

September 2025

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Buyer's Guide

WhatsUp Gold

September 2025

Download WhatsUp Gold product report

Overview

Splunk AppDynamics enhances application performance monitoring with advanced diagnostics and real-time insights, offering seamless end-to-end transaction tracking and infrastructure visibility.

AppDynamics provides critical tools for businesses to analyze application behavior and performance. Through innovative features like transaction snapshot analysis and adaptable dashboards, users can quickly identify and address issues, ensuring high levels of system uptime and efficiency. It is designed to support complex environments including Kubernetes and AWS, enhancing user experience by detecting performance issues early. Despite needing improvements in network monitoring and integration, it remains a robust option for tracking application health.

What are the key features of AppDynamics?

Real-time Performance Monitoring: Offers immediate insights into application behavior.
Business Transaction Tracking: Tracks transactions from start to finish for bottleneck identification.
JVM Memory Monitoring: Provides detailed JVM metrics and memory use information.
Deep-dive Diagnostics: Enables in-depth analysis of code and stack traces.
Adaptable Dashboards: Customizable views for better data interpretation.

How does AppDynamics benefit users?

Improved Incident Resolution: Faster problem detection and solution implementation.
Enhanced Application Performance: Real-time monitoring optimizes system operations.
Comprehensive Visibility: Provides a full view of application infrastructure.
Informed Decision Making: Detailed analytics guide performance improvements.
Customer Satisfaction: Enhances user experience through faster issue resolutions.

In industries like financial services and e-commerce, AppDynamics facilitates performance tracking across distributed systems, optimizing infrastructure to meet consumer demands. It excels in environments needing precise transaction monitoring and is pivotal in delivering high value and satisfaction.

Splunk

Explore and manage your entire network infrastructure effortlessly with WhatsUp Gold's robust layer 2/3 discovery, creating a detailed interactive map from the edge to the cloud. Monitor devices, wireless controllers, servers, virtual machines, applications, and traffic flows across various environments. Real-time alerts ensure optimal performance, allowing you to meet or exceed SLAs. The platform offers customizable maps, dashboards, and alerts for easy network management. Quickly resolve issues with intuitive workflows, reducing Mean Time to Resolution (MTTR). WhatsUp Gold's integrated log management provides easy visibility and control of device log data, allowing monitoring, filtering, searching, and alerting on syslogs or Windows logs. Archive logs to comply with regulatory requirements and preserve historical data, all through a user-friendly interface. Streamline network monitoring and issue resolution with WhatsUp Gold, making network management efficient and hassle-free.

Progress Software

Sample Customers

Cisco, Sony, Nasdaq, Reserve Bank of New Zealand, Edmunds.com, Puma, Fox News, DirecTV, Pizza Hut, T-Systems, Cornell University, OpenTable, BITMARCK, Green Mountain Power, Care.com, Overstock, Paddy Power, eHarmony, Kraft, The Motley Fool, The Container Store, and more See more customers

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

Splunk AppDynamics vs. WhatsUp Gold

September 2025

Free Report: Splunk AppDynamics vs. WhatsUp Gold

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