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Microsoft Configuration Manager vs SolarWinds Server and Application Monitor comparison

Microsoft and SolarWinds are both solutions in the Server Monitoring category. Microsoft is ranked #5 with an average rating of 8.2, while SolarWinds is ranked #10 with an average rating of 7.4. Microsoft holds a 5.2% mindshare in SM, compared to SolarWinds’s 2.7% mindshare. Additionally, 91% of Microsoft users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 89% of SolarWinds users who would recommend it.
Microsoft Configuration Man...
Read 85 Microsoft Configuration Manager reviews
  • 10,107 Views
  • 1,718 Comparison Views
91% willing to recommend
SolarWinds Server and Appli...
Read 44 SolarWinds Server and Application Monitor reviews
  • 3,599 Views
  • 792 Comparison Views
89% willing to recommend
 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Aug 12, 2025

Microsoft Configuration Manager and SolarWinds Server and Application Monitor are key players in IT management. While both offer robust features, SolarWinds provides unique insights and detailed monitoring, giving it a slight edge in application and system diagnostics.

Features: Microsoft Configuration Manager includes comprehensive management for software deployments, patch management, and hardware inventories, offering centralized IT environment compliance. SolarWinds excels in detailed application monitoring, providing unique capabilities like SSL certificate monitoring and system diagnostics, essential for deep application and network monitoring.

Room for Improvement: Microsoft Configuration Manager could enhance performance and integration with non-Microsoft environments. Users desire lower resource consumption, easier setup, improved reporting accuracy, and Linux support. SolarWinds users want improved performance and scalability, interface stability, and better integrated monitoring across environments.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Both Microsoft Configuration Manager and SolarWinds Server and Application Monitor are typically deployed on-premises. Microsoft offers extensive documentation and a large community for support, though response times vary. SolarWinds also has inconsistent support response times but benefits from frequent updates.

Pricing and ROI: Microsoft Configuration Manager is a significant investment for larger organizations, offering considerable ROI for productivity and compliance, with flexible pricing based on package negotiations. SolarWinds is seen as cost-effective for its robust monitoring capabilities, though some find it expensive, its detailed monitoring justifies the higher price for businesses focused on extensive system data.

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To learn more, read our detailed Microsoft Configuration Manager vs. SolarWinds Server and Application Monitor Report (Updated: September 2025).
Buyer's Guide
Microsoft Configuration Manager vs. SolarWinds Server and Application Monitor
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

Microsoft Configuration Man...
Ranking in Server Monitoring
5th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.4
Number of Reviews
85
Ranking in other categories
Software Distribution (1st), Configuration Management (3rd), Patch Management (1st)
SolarWinds Server and Appli...
Ranking in Server Monitoring
10th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
4.5
Number of Reviews
44
Ranking in other categories
Application Performance Monitoring (APM) and Observability (20th), Active Directory Management (10th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2025, in the Server Monitoring category, the mindshare of Microsoft Configuration Manager is 5.2%, down from 7.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of SolarWinds Server and Application Monitor is 2.7%, down from 3.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Server Monitoring Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Microsoft Configuration Manager5.2%
SolarWinds Server and Application Monitor2.7%
Other92.1%
Server Monitoring
 

Featured Reviews

JunedBedrekar - PeerSpot reviewer
Have effectively deployed patches and applications while integrating with cloud solutions
The features I find most valuable in Microsoft Configuration Manager are replication and scripting. If I want to get a fetch report for anything, such as hardware-related issues or group policy-related issues, I need to fetch the report by using SCCM's scripting language and remediation part. The inventory collection features of Microsoft Configuration Manager are good because we always prefer the inventory. We do it by using the script language. We use remote management capabilities in Microsoft Configuration Manager. Remote management capabilities are useful if the user is not providing access; we can use the backend users to update the group policy and sync the devices. These are the main features we require.
Read full review
NikhilKalwint - PeerSpot reviewer
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.
Read full review

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The product is useful for patch management."
"Overall, I believe Microsoft Configuration Manager is definitely a good product."
"The main, clear valuable feature is updating the latest, patches and updates from Windows. This is the main feature we really utilize a lot."
"The solution is stable."
"One of the standout features of SCCM is its application management capabilities. It allows us to create packages efficiently and deploy them to specific groups within our network. This streamlined process has significantly improved our software distribution workflows."
"I like its ease of use. It does what you need it to do, and it's a one-stop-shop for the company and for all your deployments. If you incorporate Intune into it, you can have both. You can bring your own devices and corporate devices, and everything runs out of SCCM and Intune."
"The initial setup is straightforward and not too complicated."
"The major features of this product are the reporting tools. The most valuable features are package deployment and application deployment. Security management is also good because any vulnerability will be identified, and you can fix it. It's the best tool because you never know what kind of client you will have. For example, you may have your offices in low bandwidth remote areas. But it's achievable because it accommodates the bandwidth that you have available. Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager is an excellent reporting tool for your environment. If you want to know the details about the hardware configuration, software configuration, what is causing a problem, or when a new feature update comes in for Windows, even that goes on SCCM itself. A lot of deployment stuff."
More Microsoft Configuration Manager pros
"SolarWinds SAM has significantly improved our workflow by allowing us to develop a comprehensive knowledge base of known errors and automate responses to specific alerts."
"We use the solution as a central monitoring tool. We use it to monitor every transaction that has a relation to the organization’s infrastructure."
"The solution can be deployed quickly."
"The product integrates with Remedy."
"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."
"The initial setup was relatively easy, and we didn't have to install anything. All we had to do was put on the devices we wanted to monitor."
"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."
More SolarWinds Server and Application Monitor pros
 

Cons

"Our company would prefer not rebooting computers while people are using them. There seems to be no strategy behind it."
"It is not easy to get good technical support, especially at level one."
"The tool's deployment is complex and depends on the architecture you want to implement."
"We'd like the solution to make it easier to manage remote users."
"The main room for improvement is the on-screen display. I think it would be good if some improvements were made."
"I would like to see an agentless version of the solution."
"The ability to integrate MDM would be great."
"On some hardware, we'd like an easier way to get peripherals attached."
More Microsoft Configuration Manager cons
"An additional feature that would improve this solution is the ability to complete root cause analysis."
"It would be helpful if the solution could integrate more with the security compliances, like this IDSS, etc."
"The technical support was better in previous years. With the launch of the premium support service, the normal support has declined."
"There is one feature that is a report writer. And they are currently trying to take it out from being a stand-alone application and integrating to the web. This doesn't give us the flexibility and it doesn't expand what we can get when it comes to reporting. So, putting it on the web is going to make it difficult to get some information. Leaving it where it is now will help us a lot."
"SAM AppInsight for SQL: The ability to ignore fragmentation of specific indexes."
"Application-based monitoring, such as monitoring within servers like Apache and IIS, has room for improvement."
"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."
"The templates could use improvement. Currently, they are quite complex. They should have drag-and-drop functionality instead. It would make it easier to use."
More SolarWinds Server and Application Monitor cons
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It comes free with the Microsoft account. We have a yearly agreement, and all products are covered under it."
"As far as I know, it is an annual operating expense license."
"The solution operates on a licensing model that can be expensive."
"The price model is different for every client."
"Microsoft provides a steep price for their enterprise products, but they offer very competitive pricing for their legacy customers."
"The price could be better."
"SCCM comes with its own version of SQL Server. If you use that SQL Server with SCCM and don't use it for another applications than you get an SQL Server for free."
"Its licensing is quite complicated because we are getting the license not only for SCCM but for the full Microsoft package. We don't need to pay for a separate license. We need to have one license that includes everything we need, such as Windows, Microsoft 365, SCCM, encryption, and so on. So, we don't have a specific price for it. Perhaps, it is good that it includes the full suite of licensing of Microsoft. It is expensive, but we are getting a lot of features."
More Microsoft Configuration Manager pricing and cost advice
"Price can always be lower. It is neither on the expensive side nor on the cheap side. We have worked with them for a lot of years, so we get a discount due to the size of the installation."
"When planning for the number of licenses to purchase, make sure you understand all of the elements within an application required to really understand performance well. In our case, we quickly came to the conclusion that an unlimited license for SAM was the way to go."
"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."
"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."
"I would rate the pricing for this solution a three out of five."
"The product is expensive."
"The licenses start from USD 3000.00 and go up to USD 20,000.00 for the year. It's a perpetual license. Nothing is free in SolarWinds, anything that you need is an additional cost."
"The tool is available for my company at a good price point."
More SolarWinds Server and Application Monitor pricing and cost advice
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
12%
Government
11%
Computer Software Company
9%
Manufacturing Company
7%
Computer Software Company
12%
Government
10%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Healthcare Company
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business20
Midsize Enterprise13
Large Enterprise64
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business17
Midsize Enterprise8
Large Enterprise21
 

Questions from the Community

How does Ansible compare to Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager (SCCM)?
Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager takes knowledge and research to properly configure. The length of time that the set up will take depends on the kind of technical architecture that your org...
See all answers
How to choose between ManageEngine Desktop Central and Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager (formerly SCCM)?
ManageEngine Desktop Central is very easy to set up, is scalable, stable, and also has very good patch management. What I like most about ManageEngine is that I can log on to every PC very easily a...
See all answers
What do you like most about SCCM?
One of the standout features of SCCM is its application management capabilities. It allows us to create packages efficiently and deploy them to specific groups within our network. This streamlined ...
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 are no specific features or functionality I would like to see improved or enhanced in SolarWinds Server and Application Monitor at this time. I have not encountered any missing features or fu...
See all answers
 

Comparisons

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Compared 9% of the time
Tanium vs Microsoft Configuration Manager Logo
Tanium vs Microsoft Configuration Manager
Compared 8% of the time
BigFix vs Microsoft Configuration Manager Logo
BigFix vs Microsoft Configuration Manager
Compared 5% of the time
KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) vs Microsoft Configuration Manager Logo
KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) vs Microsoft Configuration Manager
Compared 4% of the time
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Compared 15% of the time
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Compared 14% of the time
Splunk AppDynamics vs SolarWinds Server and Application Monitor Logo
Splunk AppDynamics vs SolarWinds Server and Application Monitor
Compared 8% of the time
Prometheus-AI Platform vs SolarWinds Server and Application Monitor Logo
Prometheus-AI Platform vs SolarWinds Server and Application Monitor
Compared 6% of the time
Zabbix vs SolarWinds Server and Application Monitor Logo
Zabbix vs SolarWinds Server and Application Monitor
Compared 5% of the time
More SolarWinds Server and Application Monitor Competitors
 

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide
Microsoft Configuration Manager
October 2025
Microsoft Configuration Manager reportDownload Microsoft Configuration Manager product report
Buyer's Guide
SolarWinds Server and Application Monitor
October 2025
SolarWinds Server and Application Monitor reportDownload SolarWinds Server and Application Monitor product report
 

Also Known As

Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager, System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM ), Microsoft SMS
SolarWinds SAM
 

Overview

Microsoft Configuration Manager streamlines IT management with features such as software deployment, patch management, and automation, centralizing operations for Windows environments. Integration with Microsoft products allows efficient oversight of workstations and servers.

Microsoft Configuration Manager provides comprehensive IT management, offering software deployment, patch management, and application pushing. Automation reduces manual tasks, ensuring consistency across systems. Centralized management enables standardized OS deployments, application updates, and configuration integrity. Integration with Microsoft products facilitates seamless operations, while hardware and software inventory, compliance reporting, and remote control functions enhance IT management. Users seek improvements in application deployment for those without deep scripting knowledge and desire better WSUS control, PowerShell and Intune integration, Linux compatibility, and user interface enhancements. Performance improvements are requested for remote user management and third-party application support.

What features enhance Microsoft Configuration Manager?
  • Software Deployment: Efficiently distribute software across large networks.
  • Patch Management: Automate and streamline update processes for security and functionality.
  • Automation Capabilities: Reduce manual effort and enhance consistency in IT tasks.
  • Centralized Management: Standardize OS deployments and application updates.
  • Integration with Microsoft Products: Seamless operation with existing Microsoft infrastructure.
  • Hardware and Software Inventory: Comprehensive tracking for assets and resources.
  • Compliance Reporting: Ensure compliance with internal and external standards.
  • Remote Control Functions: Enhance support and troubleshooting capabilities.
What benefits should users expect when evaluating Microsoft Configuration Manager?
  • Decreased Manual Work: Automation reduces time spent on repetitive tasks.
  • Enhanced Security: Automated patch management keeps systems secure.
  • Consistent Configurations: Centralized updates ensure uniformity across systems.
  • Improved Integration: Seamless operation within Microsoft ecosystems boosts productivity.
  • Comprehensive Oversight: Detailed inventory and reporting tools aid in strategic planning.
  • Streamlined Support: Remote capabilities improve IT support and user satisfaction.

Microsoft Configuration Manager is widely implemented in organizations to manage Windows workstations and servers. It is essential for deploying operating systems and applications, managing software updates, and conducting hardware and software inventories. The tool is crucial for endpoint and configuration management, ensuring compliance, and automating processes like patching and vulnerability management. Industries such as finance, healthcare, and education rely on Microsoft Configuration Manager to keep systems secure and operational, adapting it to address their specific needs and challenges in maintaining diversified IT environments.

Microsoft

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

Bank Alfalah Ltd., Wªrth Handelsges.m.b.H, Dimension Data, Japan Business Systems, St. Lucie County Public Schools, MISC Berhad
Andr. L. Riis AS, NetSuite
Buyer's Guide
Microsoft Configuration Manager vs. SolarWinds Server and Application Monitor
September 2025
Free Report: Microsoft Configuration Manager vs. SolarWinds Server and Application Monitor
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