ControlUp vs WhatsUp Gold comparison

ControlUp and Progress Software are both solutions in the IT Infrastructure Monitoring category. ControlUp is ranked #21 with an average rating of 8.0, while Progress Software is ranked #18 with an average rating of 8.0. ControlUp holds a 0.8% mindshare in IM, compared to Progress Software’s 2.6% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of ControlUp users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 85% of Progress Software users who would recommend it.

ControlUp

Read 13 ControlUp reviews

3,616 Views
2,025 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

WhatsUp Gold

Read 25 WhatsUp Gold reviews

10,003 Views
4,701 Comparison Views

85% willing to recommend

ControlUp

WhatsUp Gold

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 9, 2024

WhatsUp Gold and ControlUp are in the network management and monitoring solutions category. WhatsUp Gold tends to have an advantage in terms of cost-effectiveness, while ControlUp offers robust features that enhance value for enterprises.

Features: WhatsUp Gold provides comprehensive network monitoring capabilities, enabling users to visualize network layouts and monitor device performance. ControlUp offers real-time analytics, troubleshooting tools, and deep insights into system performance, making it suitable for complex IT environments.

Room for Improvement: WhatsUp Gold could enhance its analytics capabilities, offer more advanced troubleshooting tools, and expand its support for virtual environments. ControlUp may improve by simplifying its installation process, offering more cost-effective options, and enhancing usability for less tech-savvy users.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: WhatsUp Gold offers an intuitive deployment process with quick setup and responsive customer service, suitable for simpler network structures. ControlUp has a more sophisticated installation process due to its extensive features, but offers excellent support during deployment, ideal for IT environments needing comprehensive monitoring.

Pricing and ROI: WhatsUp Gold generally presents a lower initial setup cost with competitive pricing, making it appealing for budget-conscious management plans. ControlUp, despite higher costs, is seen as a worthwhile investment due to its extensive feature set, delivering significant ROI for organizations requiring advanced monitoring techniques.

To learn more, read our detailed ControlUp vs. WhatsUp Gold Report (Updated: April 2026).

Buyer's Guide

ControlUp vs. WhatsUp Gold

April 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

21st

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

7.6

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Digital Experience Monitoring (DEM) (5th)

WhatsUp Gold

Ranking in IT Infrastructure Monitoring

18th

Average Rating

7.8

Reviews Sentiment

6.2

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Application Performance Monitoring (APM) and Observability (30th), Network Monitoring Software (23rd), Server Monitoring (15th), Configuration Management (21st), Log Management (41st), Cloud Monitoring Software (22nd), Network Traffic Analysis (NTA) (10th)

Mindshare comparison

As of May 2026, in the IT Infrastructure Monitoring category, the mindshare of ControlUp is 0.8%, down from 0.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of WhatsUp Gold is 2.6%, up from 1.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

IT Infrastructure Monitoring Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
WhatsUp Gold	2.6%
ControlUp	0.8%
Other	96.6%

IT Infrastructure Monitoring

Featured Reviews

reviewer2717526

Senior Systems Administrator at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees

Delivers comprehensive and customizable system management with increased efficiency

The best features I have found are that it is very customizable, which would be number one, and very extensible through the use of scripts and triggers. The visual look of the interface is very easy to understand what is happening and somewhat why it's happening. It may sound facetious, but it really is everything about it. Everything works exactly the way it's meant to, a dream come true for anyone who's administering systems because it gives you all the information that you want and all the actions you want to take, all in one place. The benefits I have seen from using it so far include the ability to know in advance and take actions based on the information the tool gives you.

Read full review

Erik Cheng

Technical Manager at Quan Hung Gourmet

Efficient monitoring with detailed customization, yet complexity remains

The best feature of WhatsUp Gold is the automatic generation of topology and its integration with virtualization and wireless. I have used the automated device discovery with this topology feature. The interactive map feature helps me manage the topology because sometimes we cannot draw the topology correctly, so we need to manually edit the connections. The alerting system is very tunable and customizable, but it's a little complicated to use. Many customers cannot manage it by themselves and need support from us, the provider. We always use the dashboards in the SOC, where we constantly display a dashboard or multiple dashboards. This allows us to know immediately if the connection or bandwidth is full or if the connection is broken.

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

"ControlUp has improved our organization by giving us full visibility into our systems, so we know what's running, where it's running, what it's doing, and the load on the system."

"ControlUp has some good functionalities, such as remotely pushing scripts in the device through the tool."

"This product's most valuable feature is that it allows you to consume many resources from a centralized tool."

"The Solve interface has provided us the ability to view our entire estate including physical devices in a single pane of glass, transforming the way we approach the troubleshooting and reporting of our estate."

"It shows you so many details of what's going on in that log-on that, if there's a problem, you can identify it in five minutes."

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

"It has a great career time monitoring tool."

More ControlUp pros

"The new version has a lot of improved features."

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

"One thing good about WhatsUp Gold is that it is fairly stable."

"WhatsUp Gold is very easy to deploy."

"You have to invest a few days to become an expert in this solution, but after that, it's possible to do almost anything with it."

"It is easy to access and discover devices, as well as monitor them automatically. The topology discover is also a useful feature."

"The tool's most valuable feature is the visibility it offers of everything in the network and infrastructure."

"The most valuable feature is the monitoring of resources."

More WhatsUp Gold pros

Cons

"This solution be improved by including load throttling tools. For example, I can identify a service where we spend a lot of CPU but I cannot restrict the service from ControlUp."

"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."

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

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

"ControlUp doesn't allow us to monitor the network infrastructure, so we are obliged to acquire another solution that allows us to monitor the network."

"We'd like to see the mobile app working again so that we can get alerts 24/7."

"It can be improved by including script-based scheduling."

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

More ControlUp cons

"The price could be improved. When we first started using this product, the company was new. The prices were very low then, in comparison with HP OpenView or IBM, but now the policy is too high, relative to the number of devices we have."

"The licensing model could be improved. Right now, the levels are too far apart. This causes the solution to be more expensive than it needs to be."

"WhatsUp Gold should work on real-time monitoring and configuration management."

"The point system is not clear and clarity around this would improve our understanding of the system."

"I think there are a few bugs now. Although they give some resolution for this, we cannot share the network remotely because of our company policy."

"The interface needs some work."

"We can never achieve or get a good picture of the network topology."

"Setting up WhatsUp Gold is complicated and not easy because it requires managing SNMP and many complex settings in the devices it's monitoring, and fine-tuning it to fit our needs is also not very easy."

More WhatsUp Gold cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"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."

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

"The pricing can be on the expensive side when considering competing products."

"There are some subscription charges that are quite heavy. I need to pay for support every year and these charges can be quite expensive. Aside from the initial cost for the tool, you need to pay additionally for support."

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

"The tool's price is reasonable. WhatsUp Gold is cheaper than SolarWinds."

"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."

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

"The choice of version depends on the number of points, or devices, that you want to monitor, and this makes the product expensive."

More WhatsUp Gold pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

14%

Healthcare Company

10%

Computer Software Company

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

12%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Government

Comms Service Provider

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	9
Midsize Enterprise	5
Large Enterprise	14

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

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

What is your primary use case for WhatsUp Gold?

My use case for WhatsUp Gold includes all device availability checks, bandwidth usage, CPU, and memory usage, as well as alarm notifications.

See all answers

Comparisons

Nexthink vs ControlUp

Compared 18% of the time

Citrix uberAgent Monitoring vs ControlUp

Compared 7% of the time

eG Enterprise vs ControlUp

Compared 7% of the time

SysTrack vs ControlUp

Compared 6% of the time

Zscaler Digital Experience (ZDX) vs ControlUp

Compared 5% of the time

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LibreNMS vs WhatsUp Gold

Compared 3% of the time

SCOM vs WhatsUp Gold

Compared 3% of the time

PRTG Network Monitor vs WhatsUp Gold

Compared 3% of the time

ScienceLogic vs WhatsUp Gold

Compared 3% of the time

NinjaOne vs WhatsUp Gold

Compared 3% of the time

More WhatsUp Gold Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

ControlUp

May 2026

Download ControlUp product report

Buyer's Guide

WhatsUp Gold

May 2026

Download WhatsUp Gold product report

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

WhatsUp Gold stands out with its comprehensive network monitoring, dynamic mapping, and real-time alerts, offering essential tools for managing extensive IT infrastructures.

WhatsUp Gold provides robust capabilities in network visibility through dynamic mapping and NetFlow analysis. The platform's interactive topology aids in pinpointing issues effectively. Auto-discovery ensures complete network device tracking. While offering an intuitive interface and integration with Cisco ServiceNow, users find server performance monitoring useful for incident handling. However, improvements are anticipated in application monitoring and Active Directory integration. The pricing model and customization options leave room for enhancement. Despite these, users benefit from its integrated dashboards for immediate device health checks and network updates, making it beneficial for large-scale infrastructure management.

What features does WhatsUp Gold offer?

Network Monitoring: Provides continuous oversight of network components
Dynamic Mapping: Offers visual representation of network topology
NetFlow Analysis: Delivers insights into bandwidth utilization
Threshold Alerts: Notifies users upon reaching set performance thresholds
Auto-Discovery: Detects devices automatically for complete network coverage

What benefits should users expect from reviews?

Comprehensive Visibility: Enhanced understanding of network elements
Real-Time Monitoring: Immediate insights into network and device status
Cost-Effectiveness: Competitive solution suitable for expansive networks
User-Friendly Interface: Simplifies the management of complex networks

Organizations in sectors like telecommunications, education, and healthcare utilize WhatsUp Gold for their network monitoring needs. Telecom companies track switches and routers, educational institutions manage bandwidth usage, and healthcare facilities monitor device availability to ensure seamless operations.

Progress Software

Sample Customers

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

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

ControlUp vs. WhatsUp Gold

April 2026

Free Report: ControlUp vs. WhatsUp Gold

Find out what your peers are saying about ControlUp vs. WhatsUp Gold and other solutions. Updated: April 2026.

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