Change Auditor for Active Directory vs SolarWinds Server and Application Monitor comparison

Quest Software and SolarWinds are both solutions in the Active Directory Management category. Quest Software is ranked #7 with an average rating of 9.0, while SolarWinds is ranked #8 with an average rating of 7.6. Quest Software holds a 6.8% mindshare in ADM, compared to SolarWinds’s 1.8% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of Quest Software users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 89% of SolarWinds users who would recommend it.

Change Auditor for Active D...

Read 2 Change Auditor for Active Directory reviews

824 Views
775 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

SolarWinds Server and Appli...

Read 44 SolarWinds Server and Application Monitor reviews

4,008 Views
120 Comparison Views

89% willing to recommend

Change Auditor for Active D...

SolarWinds Server and Appli...

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 23, 2025

SolarWinds Server and Application Monitor and Change Auditor for Active Directory are products targeting server monitoring and Active Directory auditing. SolarWinds may have the upper hand in monitoring and diagnostics, while Change Auditor excels in real-time auditing and security compliance.

Features: SolarWinds Server and Application Monitor provides application dependency mapping, real-time alerting, and performance tracking across diverse environments. Change Auditor for Active Directory offers detailed security analysis, real-time change alerts, and in-depth tracking of user activities within Active Directory.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: SolarWinds Server and Application Monitor offers straightforward deployment and intuitive interfaces for efficient server monitoring on various platforms. Change Auditor for Active Directory is easy to set up in Active Directory environments with a focus on security configuration. SolarWinds offers extensive support options for complex installations, while Change Auditor specializes in support for security-focused deployments.

Pricing and ROI: SolarWinds Server and Application Monitor is cost-effective for organizations seeking a unified monitoring solution, providing substantial ROI through increased uptime and performance optimization. Change Auditor for Active Directory, despite potentially higher initial setup costs, offers significant ROI due to its advanced auditing capabilities, particularly for enterprises prioritizing security and compliance.

To learn more, read our detailed Change Auditor for Active Directory vs. SolarWinds Server and Application Monitor Report (Updated: January 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Change Auditor for Active Directory vs. SolarWinds Server and Application Monitor

January 2026

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Helped 881,082 peers since 2012

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

Change Auditor for Active D...

Ranking in Active Directory Management

7th

Average Rating

9.0

Reviews Sentiment

6.9

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

SolarWinds Server and Appli...

Ranking in Active Directory Management

8th

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

4.5

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Application Performance Monitoring (APM) and Observability (20th), Server Monitoring (9th)

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2026, in the Active Directory Management category, the mindshare of Change Auditor for Active Directory is 6.8%, down from 7.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of SolarWinds Server and Application Monitor is 1.8%, up from 0.9% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Active Directory Management Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Change Auditor for Active Directory	6.8%
SolarWinds Server and Application Monitor	1.8%
Other	91.4%

Active Directory Management

Featured Reviews

reviewer2794194

Sr Mgr Cyber Defense at a manufacturing company with 10,001+ employees

Auditing changes has become faster and now uncovers misconfigurations within minutes

The best features Change Auditor for Active Directory offers are that it's lightweight and easy to understand. You don't have to memorize event IDs since it's in English. What makes Change Auditor for Active Directory lightweight and easy to understand in my experience is that it doesn't require the events to record to the domain controllers. Therefore, I can focus just on the event types without having to turn up detailed logging on my DCs. Change Auditor for Active Directory has positively impacted my organization by helping us respond to audits very quickly to show that we had evidence of who was making the changes and match them up to the ticket request and who approved it. After implementing Change Auditor for Active Directory, it has allowed us to answer questions literally in minutes, whereas it would have taken us half a day to a day before.

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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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Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"The most valuable features are the ability to protect Active Directory accounts and groups, and the real-time notifications that help manage Active Directory more effectively."

"Change Auditor for Active Directory has positively impacted my organization by helping us respond to audits very quickly to show that we had evidence of who was making the changes and match them up to the ticket request and who approved it."

"Features like monitoring and infrastructure dependency mapping are valuable to us."

"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."

"I'd rate technical support at eight out of ten. They are helpful and fast."

"We manage SolarWinds ourselves without outsourcing its services."

"Monitoring of processes and services is the most valuable feature. It is not necessarily just the server alone in terms of the CPU or the memory. We can go in-depth into services and processes."

"I am impressed with the tool's AppStack feature which mainly helps us in the identification process. This feature can give an overview of the fault and help us identify the issues for performance degradation. Instead of looking at multiple places, we can look at a single place to identify the issues."

"AppInsight for SQL: Enables us to see the relevant error log entries on the same page as performance parameters."

"One of the most valuable features are the reports. They're pretty good. Also, the ease of installation and customization for the client is another feature that we value. SolarWinds has a lot of features but these are the ones I like the most. We also like that the KPIs have the ability to be preset."

More SolarWinds Server and Application Monitor pros

Cons

"Areas that could be improved include having more management capabilities with command-line scripts and more flexibility in general."

"Change Auditor for Active Directory could be improved if the client were more flexible when installed, so if I upgrade the server, I wouldn't have to replace the clients at the same time."

"The current script monitoring feature has limitations, especially when dealing with custom scripts."

"The technical support was better in previous years. With the launch of the premium support service, the normal support has declined."

"The technical support team's response time could be improved."

"Nodes in Azure are able to be monitored with the use of agents, but this does not apply to cloud service offerings that are not node based."

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

"A lot of times, we have to do a lot of manual cleanups."

"In terms of the dashboards on offer, they should work to improve them. The types of dashboards that you get in terms of the graphs on offer aren't ideal right now."

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

More SolarWinds Server and Application Monitor cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

Information not available

"Pricing is inexpensive, starting at 2440 euros. For that, you get the ability to monitor a couple of nodes and one year of maintenance and support."

"The product might cost you $30,000 USD to buy, but scaling this solution requires the purchase of additional polling engines at $20,000 USD each."

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

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

"I have always said SolarWinds is very “proud” of their products, meaning they are expensive. I cannot afford to purchase all the licenses I need for all the SolarWinds products."

"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."

"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."

"Nagios XI, WhatsUpGold, Uptime Software, PRTG, Manage Engine, and SpiceWorks are the other tools that have lower pricing and licensing costs. However, they can't compete with SolarWinds when it comes to the features and functionality that SolarWinds can provide."

More SolarWinds Server and Application Monitor pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

15%

Computer Software Company

11%

Insurance Company

Manufacturing Company

Educational Organization

11%

Financial Services Firm

Government

Computer Software Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

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

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Quest Change Auditor for Active Directory?

The price can vary based on the components purchased and the needs and budget of the organization. It is considered a bit pricey, especially for smaller companies.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Quest Change Auditor for Active Directory?

Areas that could be improved include having more management capabilities with command-line scripts and more flexibility in general. Often this type of tool could benefit from better scripting capab...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Quest Change Auditor for Active Directory?

The primary use case is to manage human errors, like protecting identities from being modified by the software, and to audit security. This includes monitoring high-privilege accounts and having th...

See all answers

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

Identifying the problem statement is easy.

See all answers

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.

See all answers

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 ...

See all answers

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Active Directory Management

December 2025

Change Auditor for Active Directory report

Download Change Auditor for Active Directory product report

Buyer's Guide

SolarWinds Server and Application Monitor

January 2026

SolarWinds Server and Application Monitor report

Download SolarWinds Server and Application Monitor product report

Also Known As

No data available

SolarWinds SAM

Overview

Change Auditor for Active Directory provides advanced monitoring for modifications in Active Directory, offering real-time insights to enhance security and compliance without impacting system performance.

Integrating seamlessly with existing IT infrastructure, Change Auditor allows organizations to monitor, analyze, and report on changes within Active Directory. It provides detailed visibility into user activities and configuration modifications, enabling IT professionals to quickly identify potential security threats and unusual activity patterns. This tool aids in ensuring compliance with regulatory standards, minimizing downtime, and improving operational efficiency through precise tracking and alerting capabilities.

What are its most important features?

Real-Time Alerts: Provides instant notifications for critical changes, allowing timely response to potential threats.
Comprehensive Auditing: Tracks all modifications in Active Directory, offering detailed reports for analysis and compliance.
User Activity Monitoring: Observes user behaviors and correlates activities for better security management.
Automated Reports: Generates scheduled reports to assist in compliance and audits easily.

What benefits or ROI should users consider?

Enhanced Security: Quickly identify and respond to unauthorized changes, reducing security risks.
Regulatory Compliance: Simplifies adherence to compliance standards with detailed auditing and reporting tools.
Operational Efficiency: Saves time through automation of auditing processes and reduces manual tracking efforts.
Reduced Downtime: Swift identification of issues enables faster resolution, minimizing disruptions in service.

In industries like finance and healthcare, Change Auditor significantly impacts risk management by safeguarding sensitive information and aligning with audit requirements. Its robust monitoring capabilities are essential for maintaining the integrity and security of critical data within heavily regulated sectors.

Quest Software

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

Sample Customers

American Airlines, Bank of America, BARCLAYS, ebay, Ford, intel, MARS, MERCK, Microsoft, UBER, VISA

Andr. L. Riis AS, NetSuite

Buyer's Guide

Change Auditor for Active Directory vs. SolarWinds Server and Application Monitor

January 2026

Free Report: Change Auditor for Active Directory vs. SolarWinds Server and Application Monitor

Find out what your peers are saying about Change Auditor for Active Directory vs. SolarWinds Server and Application Monitor and other solutions. Updated: January 2026.

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