ControlUp vs SolarWinds AppOptics comparison

ControlUp and SolarWinds are both solutions in the IT Infrastructure Monitoring category. ControlUp is ranked #32 with an average rating of 8.3, while SolarWinds is ranked #62. ControlUp holds a 0.8% mindshare in IM, compared to SolarWinds’s 0.8% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of ControlUp users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 80% of SolarWinds users who would recommend it.

ControlUp

Read 13 ControlUp reviews

4,385 Views
2,631 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

SolarWinds AppOptics

Read 9 SolarWinds AppOptics reviews

3,669 Views
1,908 Comparison Views

80% willing to recommend

ControlUp

SolarWinds AppOptics

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 9, 2024

ControlUp and SolarWinds AppOptics compete in the IT performance monitoring and management category. ControlUp seems to have the upper hand due to its extensive feature set and competitive pricing, alongside robust ROI potential.

Features: ControlUp offers comprehensive endpoint monitoring, real-time performance insights, and extensive integration potential. It includes historical reporting and a ROI-based approach that add value, alongside Netscaler and Scoutbees integration and AI-driven analytics for full analysis. SolarWinds AppOptics focuses on application performance management and network topology discovery, providing performance monitoring through integrated solutions and solid application insights.

Room for Improvement: ControlUp can enhance integration capabilities and seamless automation. Users desire better network monitoring and a more user-friendly alerting system. There is also room to improve reporting and network infrastructure capabilities. SolarWinds AppOptics could improve with a centralized interface and deeper AI integration. Enhancing support for Unix applications and refining pricing and licensing models are also suggested areas for improvement.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: ControlUp is known for its hybrid cloud compatibility and easy deployment, with generally responsive customer support. Further improvements in support are suggested. SolarWinds AppOptics has mixed customer service experiences, impacted initially by scaling demands, and focuses on on-premises deployments, with service variability noted.

Pricing and ROI: ControlUp is competitive in pricing, offering features that justify the cost with flexible licensing options that grant positive ROI through optimized workload management. SolarWinds AppOptics provides reasonable pricing related to product capabilities but highlights its element-based licensing as an area for review. Both demonstrate ROI, with ControlUp noted for savings through proactive issue prevention and resource optimization.

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

Buyer's Guide

ControlUp 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

ControlUp

Ranking in IT Infrastructure Monitoring

32nd

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

7.6

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Digital Experience Monitoring (DEM) (6th)

SolarWinds AppOptics

Ranking in IT Infrastructure Monitoring

62nd

Average Rating

7.8

Reviews Sentiment

7.0

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Application Performance Monitoring (APM) and Observability (56th), Cloud Monitoring Software (44th)

Mindshare comparison

As of August 2026, in the IT Infrastructure Monitoring category, the mindshare of ControlUp is 0.8%, down from 1.1% 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.

IT Infrastructure Monitoring Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
ControlUp	0.8%
SolarWinds AppOptics	0.8%
Other	98.4%

IT Infrastructure Monitoring

Featured Reviews

Jean-CharlesMoriaud

Senior IT Engineer Citrix at EDR Media LLC

Automation capabilities and proactive monitoring have improved infrastructure reliability and reduced troubleshooting time

ControlUp has a lot of automation in it. It detects problems and failures very well. It's not only monitoring, but it's also detecting, and it could even fix problems with a lot of automation that you can put in place to fix problems automatically before you even detect them. That's one of the strong points of ControlUp. All the automations, and there's a large customer-written automation. You can pick up those automations and use them on your environment, and it helps a lot. This is very good. It's not third-party, but it's external routines and automations that you can download from their website and implement on your side. That's one of the strong points of ControlUp. ControlUp, the way we implemented it, and the goal of ControlUp, is to be proactive instead of starting to work on a problem when it already happens. There are a lot of counters and monitors you can implement that will help you detect problems before they happen.

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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

"Integration with Netscaler and Scoutbees can provide a proper end-to-end analysis of the user's experience and give us a real ROI."

"The most valuable feature is the granularity of visibility into the resources that are in use by our applications."

"Security, uptime, and reduced capital expenditures are the main reasons we use ControlUp. So basically, the money that we consume is based on the amount of time we are using a service."

"ControlUp has an easy installation process."

"When using ControlUp, the core feature that we have found valuable is its UI. It is a valuable tool to view the analysis reactions of a base core Level 2 or Level 1 team so that they can complete the necessary troubleshooting."

"In terms of the public cloud, ControlUp's features make us feel very secure."

"ControlUp is beneficial as it provides a web interface through which you can access all your infrastructure—servers, devices, and VDI infrastructure—all on the same platform. It supports gathering all infrastructure components in a single, unified dashboard. This helps you identify performance issues or high resource utilization, allowing quick troubleshooting. I appreciate the solid interface that ControlUp offers."

"The script-based actions have allowed us to extend the core reporting capabilities."

More ControlUp pros

"The sum solution, NTA, and DPA."

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

"With minimal effort on our part, TraceView provides extraordinary visibility into the requests that flow through our SOA applications."

"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."

"Some of the most valuable features of SolarWinds are the topology discovery and network performance analysis."

"The product has a great dashboard."

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

"It's a solid application."

More SolarWinds AppOptics pros

Cons

"It is expensive. It is very expensive. I was working in a bank, and even in the bank, which was quite healthy, the ControlUp budget was something we had to defend very harshly."

"Most reports give information about the top 100 devices, but not all of the devices."

"There is area for improvement, maybe in the reporting. It could use some work in reporting."

"Something I would love to see from a partner perspective would be maybe a way to do this in a surface hosting provider."

"The graphical user interface needs to be improved from version to version."

"Integration is always a problem, and we feel that we are doing our best and the service provider thinks they are doing their best. I guess if ControlUp's system could be more capable or if people could understand the integration part, that would be better."

"There was some lag earlier, and reports pulled from the dashboard would sometimes be half an hour old. But now, the information provides real-time status, which is greatly appreciated. Overall, I've seen improvement in the product."

"ControlUp could improve the integration. Microsoft Azure Virtual Desktop monitoring has better integration."

More ControlUp cons

"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."

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

"The solution should be more user-friendly."

"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."

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

"The support is not too bad, but also not very good—it's quite standard."

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

More SolarWinds AppOptics cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"We are satisfied with the price compared to other solutions."

"Personally, I would say that the only thing I could compare it to is another monitoring tool that we use, Nagios."

"Based on my experience, ControlUp is not that expensive."

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

"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."

"I believe the current licensing cost is reasonable."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

13%

Healthcare Company

10%

Manufacturing Company

Computer Software Company

Construction Company

13%

Financial Services Firm

12%

Outsourcing Company

Media Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	4
Midsize Enterprise	2
Large Enterprise	8

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 ControlUp Real-time?

It is expensive. It is very expensive. I was working in a bank, and even in the bank, which was quite healthy, the ControlUp budget was something we had to defend very harshly.

See all answers

What needs improvement with ControlUp Real-time?

I don't see any.

See all answers

What is your primary use case for ControlUp Real-time?

I was taking care of a Citrix infrastructure, and as ControlUp is the best monitoring tool for those environments, I was also using ControlUp to monitor those environments.

See all answers

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Comparisons

Nexthink vs ControlUp

Compared 14% of the time

eG Enterprise vs ControlUp

Compared 7% of the time

Citrix uberAgent Monitoring vs ControlUp

Compared 6% of the time

SysTrack vs ControlUp

Compared 6% of the time

Compared 5% of the time

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New Relic vs SolarWinds AppOptics

Compared 10% of the time

OpenText Real User Monitoring vs SolarWinds AppOptics

Compared 7% of the time

Dynatrace vs SolarWinds AppOptics

Compared 7% of the time

Zabbix vs SolarWinds AppOptics

Compared 6% of the time

Splunk AppDynamics vs SolarWinds AppOptics

Compared 5% of the time

More SolarWinds AppOptics Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

ControlUp

August 2026

Download ControlUp 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

ControlUp is known for its powerful administration tools, real-time insights, and automation capabilities, enabling efficient VDI and infrastructure management. It integrates seamlessly with solutions like Netscaler, offering historical analytics and endpoint monitoring for proactive issue detection.

ControlUp provides an advanced platform for monitoring Citrix VDIs and user sessions, allowing administrators to perform in-depth infrastructure analysis and troubleshooting. It supports virtualization platforms like VMware and Hyper-V, delivering real-time data capabilities and capacity management. ControlUp also facilitates script-based actions and easy deployment, offering AI-enhanced VDI administration. Users can centralize resources for efficient management, benefiting from granular resource visibility and capacity planning. The tool integrates with Scoutbees for end-to-end analysis and supports historical reporting to detect potential issues before they arise.

What are the key features of ControlUp?

Real-Time Insights: Provides up-to-the-minute data for informed decision-making.
Automation Capabilities: Extensive automation through script-based actions to streamline tasks.
Customizable Interface: Adaptable settings to suit organizational workflows effectively.
End-to-End Analysis: Integration with Netscaler and Scoutbees for comprehensive infrastructure analysis.
AI-Enhanced Administration: Leverages AI for improved VDI management and operation.

What benefits and ROI should users look for in the reviews?

Proactive Issue Detection: Early detection of potential issues to minimize downtime and enhance reliability.
In-Depth Analyses: Detailed insights into infrastructure for better planning and optimization.
Efficient Resource Management: Centralization of resources contributes to operational efficiency and visibility.
Cost-Effective Management: Automating repetitive tasks results in reduced operational costs and improved productivity.
Improved User Experience: Comprehensive monitoring and analytics ensure a smoother digital experience for end-users.

Organizations rely on ControlUp for effective infrastructure monitoring and management across industries. Within the tech sector, it supports Citrix VDI environments and enhances digital experience evaluations. Healthcare providers utilize its real-time monitoring for seamless administration of virtual platforms, ensuring efficient patient data management. In finance, ControlUp aids in secure and responsive virtualization, key for transactional systems and customer interactions.

ControlUp

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

B/E Aerospace, North Carolina SECU, Vancouver Island Health Authority, University of Florida

TraxoCovea Insurance BTE TechnologyDatarista

Buyer's Guide

ControlUp vs. SolarWinds AppOptics

August 2026

Free Report: ControlUp vs. SolarWinds AppOptics

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