OmniPeek vs SolarWinds Server and Application Monitor comparison

OmniPeek vs. SolarWinds Server and Application Monitor

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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

OmniPeek

Ranking in Application Performance Monitoring (APM) and Observability

37th

Average Rating

7.8

Reviews Sentiment

6.0

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Network Monitoring Software (48th)

SolarWinds Server and Appli...

Ranking in Application Performance Monitoring (APM) and Observability

18th

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

4.5

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Server Monitoring (6th), Active Directory Management (8th)

Mindshare comparison

As of July 2026, in the Application Performance Monitoring (APM) and Observability category, the mindshare of OmniPeek is 0.6%, up from 0.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of SolarWinds Server and Application Monitor is 1.1%, down from 1.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Application Performance Monitoring (APM) and Observability Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
SolarWinds Server and Application Monitor	1.1%
OmniPeek	0.6%
Other	98.3%

Application Performance Monitoring (APM) and Observability

Featured Reviews

AjayKumar19

Senior Software Engineer at Microchip Technology Inc.

Helps analyze network packets effectively and saves time for testers

I have utilized the packet capturing capabilities in OmniPeek. Using the Alpha sniffer and hardware-supported network devices, we can perform sniffer capturing for Wi-Fi wireless packets and router packets. The interface allows us to capture packets and observe connection establishment, data transfer, and the downloading and uploading of packets, such as TCP and UDP packets. The software works for both wireless and wired connections, including Ethernet. As a wireless test engineer in the wireless industry, the features of OmniPeek help me monitor network activity. While there are alternatives such as Wireshark, OmniPeek supports Windows and is particularly helpful for testers, especially for device certification validation. This software enables packet analysis to verify protocol compliance and identify issues. For developers, packet captures from OmniPeek assist in understanding and debugging issues.

Read full review

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.

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

"I believe the most crucial feature of OmniPeek search is the ability to sniff packets based on channel switching."

"The most valuable feature is OmniPeek is user-friendly."

"OmniPeek's ability to convert application visibility into flow helps me quickly understand application performance over LAN, WAN, or wireless."

"This is a good product; I would recommend and encourage people to use it because it has helped me a lot in the field."

"OmniPeek shows the entire packet flow and structure, particularly in security-related scenarios, whereas Wireshark sometimes fails to capture all packets."

"It's a solid piece of software. It's stable."

"OmniPeek is a good product, but you should know its purpose for your organization."

"The most valuable feature of OmniPeek was the ability it gave us to see the connection procedure."

More OmniPeek pros

"The most beneficial aspect of SolarWinds Server and Application Monitor is its ability to monitor at the application level."

"The most valuable feature is the Access Rights Manager."

"The component and cable monitoring are good. SolarWinds is more intuitive and user-friendly than AppDynamics. The AppDynamics console is more complex because it's a more feature-rich solution, so it's not easy for somebody to pick it up."

"Manage Groups: The capability to group appropriate devices gives better visibility of sites, categories, or critical regions. The same can be used to represent a dashboard for higher management."

"Once we got our IT inventory organized and aligned with the business, we were able to leverage our Orion Platform to provide more than just a reactive-based monitoring service to the business."

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

"SAM has altered the way monitoring is being looked at - from just being able to monitor CPU, Mem, Disk and network utilization levels we have moved to the next levels of finding out process related issues, service related issues and specific application related issues to identify root cause of performance issues."

"The ROI for SolarWinds products is unmatched in the industry."

More SolarWinds Server and Application Monitor pros

Cons

"Centralized management of configurations needs improvement."

"Making it more clear on how to configure the filters, or really automating them, would be an improvement."

"The solution's automation has room for improvement."

"OmniPeek needs to improve its performance level."

"Sometimes setting up the filters for the product is difficult, and I can't quickly sharpen them from the home screen."

"I would like to see the tool work in an open environment the same as how it does in a closed environment."

"I don't see a clear roadmap in the future for improving this software."

"I would like to see the saving feature improved. We have had issues if you do not save your progress then you have to start from the beginning."

More OmniPeek cons

"SolarWinds Server and Application Monitor could improve the server monitoring and the web application monitoring features are not good. Microsoft SCOM has better server monitoring."

"An additional feature that would improve this solution is the ability to complete root cause analysis."

"SolarWinds' interface is slow, and this is a global concern."

"From an integration point of view, if you want to have a manager of manager kind of layer, that is currently lacking in SolarWinds Server and Application Monitor."

"SAM AppInsight for SQL: The ability to ignore fragmentation of specific indexes."

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

"Reporting is the only thing with which we currently have challenges. They have this in two ways. There is the report writer, which is the backend, and we also have web reports, which are on the console. So, they have removed the report writer for the backend reports, and we are making use of the web console, but most of the users are not finding it very interesting to use the frontend reports. I would like them to bring back the report writer. That's the key area within it to improve on the reporting. If they can bring back the report writer, then most users will actually be comfortable. I have some customers who are trying to export their report to an Excel format, but it is not possible because they said any report that has been done from the web console cannot be exported to Excel, but most of the customers need to export their reports to Excel. That's one area they need to work on."

"When you implement SolarWinds on a larger scale my customers complain about the speed."

More SolarWinds Server and Application Monitor cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"We have only purchased the add-on once and have not paid for any subsequent versions as it was too costly for us."

"The pricing for this solution could be improved, as it is a very expensive product."

"There are different types of licenses available."

"We pay around $ 2,000 to $ 5,000 yearly for the solution."

"I like the pricing for this SolarWinds product."

"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."

"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."

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

"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."

"The product is expensive."

"The solution's price is reasonable. Though it's on the higher side, the tool is worth the money."

More SolarWinds Server and Application Monitor pricing and cost advice

See which vendors are best for you

Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Application Performance Monitoring (APM) and Observability solutions are best for your needs.

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902,988 professionals have used our research since 2012.

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Comms Service Provider

12%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Construction Company

Healthcare Company

Educational Organization

13%

University

Financial Services Firm

Government

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Midsize Enterprise	1
Large Enterprise	7

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

Questions from the Community

What needs improvement with OmniPeek?

There isn't anything specific that needs improvement in OmniPeek, as it performs better than Wireshark for our requirements. However, OmniPeek could benefit from supporting different platforms. Pla...

What is your primary use case for OmniPeek?

I have been working with the OmniPeek product for almost two years at the start of my career, primarily using it for wireless 802.11 Wi-Fi packets, sniffer, and analysis. My experience with OmniPee...

What advice do you have for others considering OmniPeek?

I didn't explore much about OmniPeek beyond its basic features. OmniPeek is user-friendly and easy to start working with, especially on the Windows platform. For beginners, it is very easy to handl...

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.

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 ...

What is your primary use case for SolarWinds Server and Application Monitor?

I am doing research as we currently have both solutions, and I am looking to see if we need both or can manage with one. Currently, the outcome indicates that we need both. The focus point is diffe...

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Product Reports

OmniPeek

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SolarWinds Server and Application Monitor

Download SolarWinds Server and Application Monitor product report

SolarWinds Server and Application Monitor report

Also Known As

Savvius OmniPeek

SolarWinds SAM

Overview

OmniPeek enables effective network monitoring by offering packet capturing capabilities for Wi-Fi and routers, providing insights crucial for maintaining network performance and troubleshooting issues.

OmniPeek serves as a pivotal tool for wireless packet analysis, assisting teams with capturing and analyzing Wi-Fi 802.11 packets across standards. It aids in testing WLAN protocols and provides application performance and security analytics, supporting network issue monitoring, protocol analysis, and troubleshooting both on-premises and cloud applications. Real-time analytics integration with LiveNX and expert view functionalities make it a preferred choice for user-friendly network operation, although improvements in platform support, automation, and guidance are sought by users.

What are OmniPeek's key features?

Packet Capturing: Efficiently captures Wi-Fi and router packets for robust network analysis.
Channel-Based Sniffing: Monitors DFS and non-DFS transitions, vital for network stability.
Real-Time Analytics: Integrates with LiveNX for live data insights.
Custom Color Coding: Enhances packet visibility for easier analysis.
Expert View: Offers in-depth troubleshooting capabilities.

What benefits should users consider?

Ease of Use: Simple interface enhances usability and efficiency.
Protocol Compliance: Verifies protocols for reliable network operations.
Application Performance Monitoring: Ensures optimal application functionality.
Voice Quality Checks: Maintains high communication standards.

OmniPeek is implemented across sectors that require precise wireless packet analysis. It's crucial for testing WLAN protocols, validating IP blocks, and ensuring network performance during enterprise-level authentications and internet egress, offering organizations user-friendly solutions for comprehensive WLAN monitoring.

BlueCat

SolarWinds Server and Application Monitor provides comprehensive server, application, and infrastructure monitoring, focusing on integration, application dependency, and network insights through user-friendly interfaces and detailed dashboards.

With AppStack and AppInsight support, SolarWinds Server and Application Monitor offers service management, detailed resource dashboards, and integration capabilities. It monitors hardware metrics and performance parameters, facilitating database and network insights for cloud and virtual environments. Robust alerting, predictive analytics, and capacity planning ensure efficient management of server health and application performance.

What are the key features?

Integration: Seamlessly connects with existing tools.
AppStack: Provides a holistic view of applications.
AppInsight: Supports widely-used applications.
SNMP Polling: Efficient network data collection.
Diagnostics: Real-time troubleshooting.
Customizable Dashboards: Tailored monitoring views.

What benefits should users expect?

Comprehensive Monitoring: Extends from servers to databases.
Transparent Control: Enhances visibility into performance metrics.
User-Friendly: Simplifies proactive monitoring with alerts.
Predictive Features: Supports capacity and trend planning.

Industries implement SolarWinds Server and Application Monitor to enhance server utilization reporting, network configuration, and AV equipment performance tracking. They benefit from monitoring critical services across diverse deployment models, improving management efficiency and decision-making.

SolarWinds

Sample Customers

Apcon, Aruba Networks, Avaya Inc., Cisco Systems, Ekahau, Gigamon Systems, HP, IBM, IXIA, Meru Networks, Napatech, NextComputing, Procera Networks, Qualcomm Atheros, Ralink Technology Corporation, Telchemy

Andr. L. Riis AS, NetSuite

OmniPeek vs. SolarWinds Server and Application Monitor