Elastic Observability vs SolarWinds AppOptics comparison

Elastic and SolarWinds are both solutions in the Application Performance Monitoring (APM) and Observability category. Elastic is ranked #11 with an average rating of 9.0, while SolarWinds is ranked #55. Elastic holds a 1.9% mindshare in APM, compared to SolarWinds’s 0.8% mindshare. Additionally, 88% of Elastic users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 80% of SolarWinds users who would recommend it.

Elastic Observability

Read 29 Elastic Observability reviews

10,155 Views
7,210 Comparison Views

88% willing to recommend

SolarWinds AppOptics

Read 9 SolarWinds AppOptics reviews

2,750 Views
1,678 Comparison Views

80% willing to recommend

Elastic Observability

SolarWinds AppOptics

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Jul 24, 2024

SolarWinds AppOptics and Elastic Observability compete in the observability and monitoring category. SolarWinds AppOptics edges ahead in pricing and support, while Elastic Observability takes the lead in feature robustness according to user reviews.

Features: SolarWinds AppOptics includes detailed monitoring, integrations, and ease of use. Elastic Observability offers powerful data visualization, extensive search capabilities, and flexibility. Users find Elastic Observability's features more robust and valuable.

Room for Improvement: SolarWinds AppOptics users mention enhanced customization and advanced alerting capabilities. Elastic Observability users point to improved simplicity and better documentation. Both products have areas needing enhancements, but Elastic Observability's complexity remains a notable concern.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: SolarWinds AppOptics is praised for straightforward deployment and responsive customer support. Elastic Observability's deployment is more intricate, but its support also has positive feedback. Users find SolarWinds AppOptics simpler to deploy.

Pricing and ROI: SolarWinds AppOptics is considered cost-effective with quick return on investment. Elastic Observability, although pricier, is perceived as offering better value for its comprehensive capabilities. Users see Elastic Observability as a worthy investment despite higher initial costs.

To learn more, read our detailed Elastic Observability vs. SolarWinds AppOptics Report (Updated: April 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Elastic Observability vs. SolarWinds AppOptics

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

Elastic Observability

Ranking in Application Performance Monitoring (APM) and Observability

11th

Ranking in IT Infrastructure Monitoring

15th

Ranking in Cloud Monitoring Software

11th

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

6.8

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Log Management (15th), Container Monitoring (5th)

SolarWinds AppOptics

Ranking in Application Performance Monitoring (APM) and Observability

55th

Ranking in IT Infrastructure Monitoring

61st

Ranking in Cloud Monitoring Software

44th

Average Rating

7.8

Reviews Sentiment

7.0

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of May 2026, in the Application Performance Monitoring (APM) and Observability category, the mindshare of Elastic Observability is 1.9%, down from 5.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of SolarWinds AppOptics is 0.8%, up from 0.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Application Performance Monitoring (APM) and Observability Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Elastic Observability	1.9%
SolarWinds AppOptics	0.8%
Other	97.3%

Application Performance Monitoring (APM) and Observability

Featured Reviews

Mohammed-Abdelalim

Assistant Vice President at QualityKiosk Technologies Pvt. Ltd.

Has provided powerful customization for unique monitoring needs but needs more out-of-the-box capabilities

In my opinion, the best features of Elastic Observability are their flexibility to integrate with other existing systems and the ability to build a unified monitoring tool that can integrate with existing ones and end-to-end user journeys which require a lot of customizations. The greatest feature in Elastic is the ability to customize. This is similar to my comments about customizable dashboards in Elastic because it's visible to the analyst. However, it's very great. Customizing these dashboards can meet the customer's specific use cases and specific stories that they have in their environment, their special environment that doesn't look like other environments. The dashboarding in Elastic is highly customizable to the level of logos. If the customer wants his company logo in the dashboard, it can be done.

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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

"I think Elastic Observability is already in very good shape."

"In addition to the fact that we are more proactive in the detection of incident before they occur, we can on one click see the request path from the customer to the backend."

"I recommend Elastic Observability for its completeness of vision and wide ecosystem."

"Good design and easy to use once implemented."

"Elastic APM has plenty of features, such as the Elastic server for Kibana and many additional plugins. It's a comprehensive tool when used as a logging platform."

"The solution allows us to dig deep into data."

"The solution is open-source and helps with back-end logging. It is also easy to handle."

"The most valuable feature of Elastic Observability is the text search."

More Elastic Observability pros

"The reporting of the solution is very good."

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

"The sum solution, NTA, and DPA."

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

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

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

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

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

More SolarWinds AppOptics pros

Cons

"I am familiar with Azure Monitor, which I find more user-friendly compared to Elastic, which is a very technical tool."

"It lacked some capabilities when handling on-prem devices, like network observability, package flow analysis, and device performance data on the infrastructure side."

"The cost must be made more transparent."

"Elastic Observability needs to have better standardization, logging, and schema."

"Elastic Observability’s price could be improved."

"There could be more low-code features included in the product."

"The price is the only issue in the solution. It can be made better and cheaper."

"Elastic Observability is difficult to use. There are only three options for customization but this can be difficult for our use case. We do not have other options to choose the metrics shown, such as CPU or memory usage."

More Elastic Observability cons

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

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

"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."

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

"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."

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

"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."

More SolarWinds AppOptics cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"One needs to pay for the licenses, and it is an annual subscription model right now."

"We have been using the open-source version."

"Elastic Observability is cheaper than other similar solutions, such as Dynatrace. Its license calculation is based on various factors like data volume and physical infrastructure, particularly related to RAM capacity."

"The product is not that cheap."

"Since we are a huge company, Elastic Observability is an affordable solution for us."

"The product’s pricing needs improvement."

"So far, there are just the standard licensing fees. Several of the components are embedded in the license or are even open source. They're even free depending on what you use, which makes it even more appealing to someone that is discussing pricing of the solution."

"Elastic Observability's pricing could be better for small-scale users."

More Elastic Observability pricing and cost advice

"I believe the current licensing cost is reasonable."

"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."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

15%

Computer Software Company

12%

Government

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

13%

Construction Company

13%

Comms Service Provider

Manufacturing Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	9
Midsize Enterprise	4
Large Enterprise	16

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 Elastic Observability?

The problem is their licensing model, which is a bit confusing. Many customers struggle to understand their total cost of ownership because Elastic licensing is not dependent on easy, quantifiable ...

See all answers

What needs improvement with Elastic Observability?

After careful consideration about areas for improvement in Elastic Observability, aspects such as pricing, customization, implementation, and scalability could be improved. As a user of the system,...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Elastic Observability?

My use case for Elastic Observability is observability, as we upload our customers' data, including logs, and when there is an issue, we can analyze what went wrong.

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Comparisons

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Compared 5% of the time

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Compared 5% of the time

New Relic vs Elastic Observability

Compared 4% of the time

Datadog vs Elastic Observability

Compared 4% of the time

Sentry vs Elastic Observability

Compared 3% of the time

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New Relic vs SolarWinds AppOptics

Compared 11% of the time

Dynatrace vs SolarWinds AppOptics

Compared 8% of the time

Splunk AppDynamics vs SolarWinds AppOptics

Compared 6% of the time

Zabbix vs SolarWinds AppOptics

Compared 6% of the time

Azure Monitor vs SolarWinds AppOptics

Compared 2% of the time

More SolarWinds AppOptics Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Elastic Observability

May 2026

Download Elastic Observability product report

Buyer's Guide

Application Performance Monitoring (APM) and Observability

April 2026

Download SolarWinds AppOptics product report

Also Known As

No data available

AppOptics, SolarWinds TraceView, Librato

Overview

Elastic Observability offers a comprehensive suite for log analytics, application performance monitoring, and machine learning. It integrates seamlessly with platforms like Teams and Slack, enhancing data visualization and scalability for real-time insights.

Elastic Observability is designed to support production environments with features like logging, data collection, and infrastructure tracking. Centralized logging and powerful search functionalities make incident response and performance tracking efficient. Elastic APM and Kibana facilitate detailed data visualization, promoting rapid troubleshooting and effective system performance analysis. Integrated services and extensive connectivity options enhance its role in business and technical decision-making by providing actionable data insights.

What are the most important features of Elastic Observability?

Centralized Logging: Streamlines the collection, analysis, and storage of log data.
Powerful Search: Provides robust search capabilities for quick access to relevant information.
Scalability: Supports growing data needs across diverse environments.
Real-time Telemetry: Ensures up-to-date insights and monitoring.
Platform Integration: Seamlessly connects with services like Teams and Slack.
Data Visualization: Enhances visibility with Elastic APM and Kibana.

What benefits and ROI should users explore in reviews?

Cost-effectiveness: Offers significant savings through efficient data management.
Rapid Incident Response: Minimizes downtime with quick troubleshooting tools.
Comprehensive Insights: Supports better business decisions with detailed data analysis.
Performance Tracking: Enables assessment of system effectiveness and improvements.

Elastic Observability is employed across industries for critical operations, such as in finance for transaction monitoring, in healthcare for secure data management, and in technology for optimizing application performance. Its data-driven approach aids efficient event tracing, supporting diverse industry requirements.

Elastic

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

PSCU, Entel, VITAS, Mimecast, Barrett Steel, Butterfield Bank

TraxoCovea Insurance BTE TechnologyDatarista

Buyer's Guide

Elastic Observability vs. SolarWinds AppOptics

April 2026

Free Report: Elastic Observability vs. SolarWinds AppOptics

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