Sentinel vs SolarWinds Security Event Manager comparison

OpenText and SolarWinds are both solutions in the Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) category. OpenText is ranked #17 with an average rating of 8.0, while SolarWinds is ranked #33 with an average rating of 7.5. OpenText holds a 2.7% mindshare in SIEM, compared to SolarWinds’s 1.0% mindshare. Additionally, 83% of OpenText users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 82% of SolarWinds users who would recommend it.

Sentinel

Read 18 Sentinel reviews

8,739 Views
8,564 Comparison Views

83% willing to recommend

SolarWinds Security Event M...

Read 27 SolarWinds Security Event Manager reviews

3,587 Views
3,479 Comparison Views

82% willing to recommend

Sentinel

SolarWinds Security Event M...

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Sep 18, 2024

SolarWinds Security Event Manager and Sentinel both compete in the security solutions category. Based on user reviews, SolarWinds is noted for its cost-effectiveness and support, while Sentinel is preferred for its advanced features and comprehensive capabilities.

Features: SolarWinds Security Event Manager includes straightforward integration, real-time monitoring, and user-friendly implementation. Sentinel offers extensive reporting tools, advanced threat intelligence, and sophisticated features for complex requirements.

Room for Improvement: SolarWinds Security Event Manager could enhance its scalability, alerting system, and up-to-date feature set. Sentinel needs more transparent documentation, streamlined configuration processes, and clarity in user guides.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: SolarWinds Security Event Manager is noted for its seamless deployment process and responsive customer service. Sentinel has comprehensive support but could simplify initial deployment for easier setup.

Pricing and ROI: SolarWinds Security Event Manager is valued for its affordability and quick return on investment. Sentinel, though higher in initial setup cost, is seen as worth the investment due to its extensive features and long-term benefits.

To learn more, read our detailed Sentinel vs. SolarWinds Security Event Manager Report (Updated: August 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Sentinel vs. SolarWinds Security Event Manager

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

Sentinel

Ranking in Security Information and Event Management (SIEM)

17th

Average Rating

7.6

Reviews Sentiment

6.8

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

SolarWinds Security Event M...

Ranking in Security Information and Event Management (SIEM)

33rd

Average Rating

7.8

Reviews Sentiment

5.7

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of August 2026, in the Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) category, the mindshare of Sentinel is 2.7%, down from 3.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of SolarWinds Security Event Manager is 1.0%, up from 0.7% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Sentinel	2.7%
SolarWinds Security Event Manager	1.0%
Other	96.3%

Security Information and Event Management (SIEM)

Featured Reviews

Simon Johnston

Manager, Customer Success at Coltek Business Soltuions

Simple antivirus solution integrates well but could improve pricing and currency options

I don't really have experience working with these solutions. I promote them for our clients, but I don't work with them. I can't share my experience with these tools as I make assumptions about that. For both Adlumin and CrowdStrike, both confirm that they're scalable and enterprise-ready and all those kinds of things. We haven't had any specific problem with either of those. We just have a preference for which one we would prefer. If somebody says they want to use a different one from the one that we prefer, then we have to find reasons why they aren't. But scalability is not one of the reasons that one is better over the other. I don't really have advice for people that are looking into using Sentinel; just do your research across what is available. On a scale of one to ten, I rate Sentinel a seven.

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Yashokanth Partkunan

Managed Services Engineer at Loop1 Systems

Has supported client needs efficiently but requires deeper analysis features and faster support

The log analyzing capability of SolarWinds Security Event Manager should go into more depth than the current environment. More modification and enhancements are required on the dashboard side in order to make it closer to optimal performance. From observation and feedback from users, they need more functionality related to monitoring, and in-depth analyzing needs to be improved.

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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 most valuable feature is the flexible log for identifying security threats inside an application. Sentinel is very good at this."

"The most valuable feature of this solution is that it provides a central locking system for many event sources."

"It provides real time security event analytics."

"The solution's Kusto Query Language (KQL) execution time is pretty good."

"Transactional user information improves security, prevents fraud, and promotes best practices."

"In my opinion, Sentinel's best features include that it's a very easy product to use, it's very simple, and the after-sale service is very good."

"Sentinel is a tool that, if it's well configured, removes from view all unnecessary information and shows you only needful entries, so you can do your job faster, more conveniently, and with high performance."

"The tool is simple to use."

More Sentinel pros

"The most valuable feature of the solution is intuitivity of navigation; it's easy to build rules and actions which are based on the logs and event types we collect with the software."

"The scalability of SolarWinds Security Event Manager is good."

"The graphical user interface is very user-friendly. SolarWinds is a hybrid solution so you can use it across many platforms."

"The solution helps me to go back in time and search for different events. For example, if you wanted to know who activated an account; you could go back in time and find out."

"The most valuable feature of this solution is the visibility into both attempted and failed logins."

"We did previously use a different solution, but SolarWinds is much better. It's easy to interact with SolarWinds. It's easy to operate, easy to configure and is generally easier compared to what we were working with before."

"Some of the rules are most valuable because you can be notified about various things, such as spyware or things that are going on in the internal network."

"We were suffering from a lack of visibility into our logs, so we implemented SolarWinds LEM."

More SolarWinds Security Event Manager pros

Cons

"I would prefer to extend dashboards part and their functions in Web GUI version, so the charts could be for configurable."

"It is an ancient product."

"On version 5, builder was somewhat unstable during deployment -> workaround strong procedure with too many middle steps of saves."

"Creating a drag-and-drop dashboard or workbook in Sentinel is a little more complex compared to other tools like LogRhythm and IBM QRadar."

"It's probably not a product that I would recommend to anyone."

"Price is always a consideration, so the price would be nice if it were lower."

"Some functions look great but, in practice, some key limitations turn the process into something opaque."

"The web interface needs to be improved, as it has a java-based way to call its controls."

More Sentinel cons

"I imagine we will have to develop our own reports soon, this seems to be more cumbersome."

"SolarWinds should improve its correlation capabilities. The correlation does not automatically detect and reduce the events fast enough. You have to manually do a correlation report, which means the tool is not scalable in many ways."

"The flash-based interface can be improved because sometimes, the speed of monitoring is reduced."

"There are no multiple dashboards which would allow you to see information side-by-side."

"I think the customization area in the tool can be considered as an area of concern where improvements are required."

"Under the new system, it is not upgradable the way they say. When you try to do an upgrade, it doesn't really work unless you dump everything and start from scratch. You lose a lot of your nodes. Whenever you set your nodes up and everything else, they don't want to bring those nodes back in, so you have to really go back and restructure all your nodes. I went from version 6.5 to version 6.6 and then to version 6.7. I then went to version 2019, and now it is version 2020. It would be good if we can upgrade without having to delete everything and start from scratch. They can maybe build more KPIs and other things for the dashboard. Some of the other systems already have built-in KPIs. SolarWinds is starting to catch up, but it is not there yet. They can include some of the business or industry standards for tracking the time, that is, the meantime to detect (MTTD) and the meantime to resolve (MTTR). They can also find a way to build a KPI that measures the number of instances of port scans experienced in a week or a month."

"One of the drawbacks of being so flexible is that it is also a fairly complicated software application to install, configure, and maintain."

"Training for this solution needs to be improved, as new employees are sometimes unfamiliar with the product."

More SolarWinds Security Event Manager cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The solution’s pricing is aligned with its competitors."

"We inquired about getting support from the vendor, Micro Focus, but the cost was very high."

"We receive a pricing discount because of our ongoing partnership with Micro Focus."

"Sentinel is moderately priced."

"Sentinel is a subscription-based solution."

"Sentinel's slightly on the expensive side."

"The tool is available at a good price for customers compared to other solutions in the market. I rate the product's price as an eight out of ten."

"We do a yearly license renewal. For a year, the solution costs roughly $500,000 USD. There are no costs beyond this yearly fee."

"Licensing is on devices, so if you have many, then this may be high."

"The pricing model would benefit from having package deals with other SolarWinds products."

"The price of SolarWinds Security Event Manager is reasonable."

"Licenses can only be purchased in blocks of fifty at a time."

"It is in the appropriate mid-range. It is not as expensive as some of the other solutions. It is also not cheap."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

Manufacturing Company

Outsourcing Company

Comms Service Provider

Construction Company

13%

Financial Services Firm

13%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Comms Service Provider

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	9
Midsize Enterprise	3
Large Enterprise	8

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	19
Midsize Enterprise	3
Large Enterprise	7

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for NetIQ Sentinel?

My experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing shows that while it is a little on the higher side, since it is part of a package for all Microsoft products, I feel it is a better choice comp...

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What needs improvement with NetIQ Sentinel?

Sentinel needs minimal improvement, though improvements are ongoing. Everything seems to be functioning perfectly, and I don't have any specific inputs for improvements I would like to see in Senti...

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What is your primary use case for NetIQ Sentinel?

My main use case for Sentinel is that I'm a subject matter expert for Sentinel, specifically for security incident event and event management. I head the SME for SIEM in LTIMindtree for this curren...

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for SolarWinds Security Event Manager ?

The tool is available at a good price for customers compared to other solutions in the market. I rate the product's price as an eight out of ten.

See all answers

What needs improvement with SolarWinds Security Event Manager ?

See all answers

What is your primary use case for SolarWinds Security Event Manager ?

I work with all SolarWinds products mostly, including Network Configuration Manager and NPM. I am a reseller. I usually recommend SolarWinds products for Loop1. It's for the bigger ones; we are the...

See all answers

Comparisons

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Cortex XSIAM vs Sentinel

Compared 4% of the time

CrowdStrike Falcon Insight XDR vs Sentinel

Compared 4% of the time

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Splunk Enterprise Security vs SolarWinds Security Event Manager

Compared 11% of the time

IBM Security QRadar vs SolarWinds Security Event Manager

Compared 10% of the time

Sumo Logic Security vs SolarWinds Security Event Manager

Compared 7% of the time

ManageEngine Log360 vs SolarWinds Security Event Manager

Compared 5% of the time

Elastic Security vs SolarWinds Security Event Manager

Compared 2% of the time

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Sentinel

July 2026

Download Sentinel product report

Buyer's Guide

SolarWinds Security Event Manager

July 2026

SolarWinds Security Event Manager report

Download SolarWinds Security Event Manager product report

Also Known As

NetIQ Sentinel, Novell SIEM

SolarWinds LEM, Solarwinds SIEM, TriGeo, Log and Event Manager

Overview

Sentinel is a robust platform offering seamless native integration, enhanced security through transactional data, and a user-friendly interface reminiscent of Microsoft Windows. Its capabilities in threat detection, monitoring, and business intelligence integration make it an attractive choice for organizations.

Sentinel simplifies security management with its advanced features, including the Kusto Query Language and automation abilities that reduce the complexity of coding tasks. The platform's correlation engine allows for efficient rule generation, while its threat visibility and intelligence features offer preparation against risks. Advanced hunting queries, anomaly dashboards, and scalability options enhance its utility. Users appreciate its seamless connections with Microsoft tools and ability to improve threat detection through cloud and business intelligence integration. However, enhancements could improve documentation on security aspects, simplify dashboards, and optimize drag-and-drop features. There are suggestions for better device integration, a shift to web interfaces, and improved customization options, although some users face challenges with Unix scripting.

What are the most important features of Sentinel?

Native Integration: Offers seamless connections with Microsoft tools.
Enhanced Security: Utilizes transactional data for better protection.
User-Friendly Interface: Features a GUI similar to Microsoft Windows.
Automation Capabilities: Simplifies coding tasks with Kusto Query Language.
Advanced Threat Visibility: Strengthens risk preparation with intelligence features.

What benefits or ROI should users consider in reviews?

Improved Security Monitoring: Provides proactive threat detection.
Increased Efficiency: Offers automation, reducing manual efforts.
Scalability: Supports growth with adaptable features.
Integration Benefits: Ensures seamless connection with existing systems.

Sentinel finds application across sectors for logging, security event monitoring, and integration with tools like Microsoft Defender for Endpoint. Users from industries such as government and academic institutions leverage its advanced SQL query support for customized responses, enhancing security measures with AI capabilities in diverse environments.

OpenText

SolarWinds Security Event Manager is recognized for its ease of use, offering efficient log monitoring and a user-friendly interface. The tool supports a range of monitoring functions and provides strong security capabilities across platform configurations.

Designed for comprehensive log analysis and security event monitoring, SolarWinds Security Event Manager provides robust reporting, timely alerts, and supports file integrity monitoring. Entities use it to ensure compliance, monitor network activities, and prevent threats such as ransomware. Integration and setup are straightforward, enhancing its flexibility for centralized log collection and analysis. While the tool is effective, improvements are needed in performance scaling, interface updates from Flash, and enhanced customization and reporting options.

What are the key features of SolarWinds Security Event Manager?

Log Monitoring: Tracks and analyzes log files for security events.
File Integrity Monitoring: Detects unauthorized changes in files.
Reporting and Alerts: Provides extensive reporting with timely security alerts.
Compliance Maintenance: Assists in maintaining compliance with audit standards.
User-Friendly Interface: Features intuitive navigation and versatile integration capabilities.

What benefits should users consider when evaluating SolarWinds Security Event Manager?

Ease of Use: Intuitive setup and navigation simplify user experience.
Security Enhancements: Strong monitoring helps detect and prevent ransomware threats.
Compliance Support: Ensures compliance with audit requirements, facilitating regulatory adherence.
Integration: Seamlessly connects with other tools for centralized data management.

Industries such as financial services, healthcare, and government often implement SolarWinds Security Event Manager to monitor sensitive information, ensure adherence to regulatory compliance, and manage network security efficiently. The tool's ability to analyze logs and prevent threats makes it valuable for businesses needing robust security event management.

SolarWinds

Sample Customers

Faysal Bank, GaVI, Handelsbanken, ISC Mªnster, Lambeth Council, Swisscard, The Municipality of Siena, Tukes, University of Dayton, University of the Sunshine Coast

NetSuite, EasyStreet, Legacy Texas Bank, and Energy Federal Credit Union, to name a few.

Buyer's Guide

Sentinel vs. SolarWinds Security Event Manager

August 2026

Free Report: Sentinel vs. SolarWinds Security Event Manager

Find out what your peers are saying about Sentinel vs. SolarWinds Security Event Manager and other solutions. Updated: August 2026.

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