SolarWinds AppOptics vs WhatsUp Gold comparison

SolarWinds and Progress Software are both solutions in the Application Performance Monitoring (APM) and Observability category. SolarWinds is ranked #55, while Progress Software is ranked #30 with an average rating of 8.0. SolarWinds holds a 0.8% mindshare in APM, compared to Progress Software’s 1.3% mindshare. Additionally, 80% of SolarWinds users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 85% of Progress Software users who would recommend it.

SolarWinds AppOptics

Read 9 SolarWinds AppOptics reviews

2,750 Views
1,678 Comparison Views

80% willing to recommend

WhatsUp Gold

Read 25 WhatsUp Gold reviews

10,003 Views
2,701 Comparison Views

85% willing to recommend

SolarWinds AppOptics

WhatsUp Gold

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Jul 24, 2024

WhatsUp Gold and SolarWinds AppOptics are two prominent network monitoring tools. Users are generally more satisfied with the support and pricing of WhatsUp Gold, while SolarWinds AppOptics stands out with its advanced features, making it a preferred choice for those seeking robust functionality.

Features: WhatsUp Gold offers reliable network monitoring capabilities, intuitive configuration, and efficient customer service. SolarWinds AppOptics provides comprehensive performance monitoring, scalability, and a broader feature set with more extensive monitoring options.

Room for Improvement: WhatsUp Gold can improve its alerting functions, integration with third-party tools, and overall scalability. SolarWinds AppOptics users seek enhancements in log management, reduction in complexity, and better documentation.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: WhatsUp Gold is known for its quick deployment and efficient customer service. SolarWinds AppOptics has a more complicated setup process but offers powerful functionalities. Users feel they receive faster support from WhatsUp Gold, making it easier to resolve issues promptly.

Pricing and ROI: WhatsUp Gold users find the initial setup cost reasonable and perceive higher ROI due to its cost-efficiency. SolarWinds AppOptics is viewed as more expensive, but users believe the advanced features justify the price tag. Users of SolarWinds AppOptics experience a significant return on investment despite higher costs due to its extensive capabilities.

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

Buyer's Guide

SolarWinds AppOptics 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

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

WhatsUp Gold

Ranking in Application Performance Monitoring (APM) and Observability

30th

Ranking in IT Infrastructure Monitoring

18th

Ranking in Cloud Monitoring Software

22nd

Average Rating

7.8

Reviews Sentiment

6.2

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Network Monitoring Software (23rd), Server Monitoring (15th), Configuration Management (21st), Log Management (41st), Network Traffic Analysis (NTA) (10th)

Mindshare comparison

As of May 2026, in the Application Performance Monitoring (APM) and Observability category, the mindshare of SolarWinds AppOptics is 0.8%, up from 0.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of WhatsUp Gold is 1.3%, up from 0.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Application Performance Monitoring (APM) and Observability Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
WhatsUp Gold	1.3%
SolarWinds AppOptics	0.8%
Other	97.9%

Application Performance Monitoring (APM) and Observability

Featured Reviews

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.

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.

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

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

"Customer service is exceptional, as they are very much in tune with our service needs and are always in contact for both enhancement requests and overall satisfaction."

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

"Technical support is always live and they're supportive."

"The reporting of the solution is very good."

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

"Technical support is always live and they're supportive."

More SolarWinds AppOptics pros

"We've been using it for many years and we use it typically for early warning, as it notifies customers of problems prior to failure."

"It handles the basics of monitoring."

"The most important features of WhatsUp Gold are the server health and uptime it provides."

"We primarily use the solution to check the state of the network, monitoring thousands of devices and all of the internal network, and it is the first tool we use to see the state of the network for real-time monitoring."

"This product has aided us in procurement and is overall a well-priced solution."

"The most valuable aspects of the solution are the application monitors that allow for discreet roaming on network devices."

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

"The visual map and email alerts are very useful to have in real time so we always know the state of our network."

More WhatsUp Gold pros

Cons

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

"I would like to see more integration with other tools that are available on the market."

"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."

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

"I'd like to see the ability to use other internal instrumented applications as filters in the overview/aggregation screen."

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

"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."

"The solution should be more user-friendly."

More SolarWinds AppOptics cons

"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."

"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 pricing for this solution has gone up quite recently, which has led some of our customers to buy an alternative product."

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

"Adding on services increases the cost and on the version we have there is no option for ATM monitoring."

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

"Improvements are needed in integration, especially for WhatsApp call and messages."

"WhatsUp Gold should work on real-time monitoring and configuration management. If they succeed in doing this, the solution will cover all the network troubleshooting aspects and will be a benefit."

More WhatsUp Gold cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"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."

"I believe the current licensing cost is reasonable."

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

"The most valuable feature is the cost compared to other solutions."

"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."

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

"The price of WhatsUp Gold is good."

"This is a well priced solution."

"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."

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

More WhatsUp Gold pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

13%

Construction Company

13%

Comms Service Provider

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

12%

Manufacturing Company

11%

Government

Comms Service Provider

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	2
Midsize Enterprise	1
Large Enterprise	7

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	9
Midsize Enterprise	5
Large Enterprise	14

Questions from the Community

Ask a question

Earn 20 points

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

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Application Performance Monitoring (APM) and Observability

April 2026

Download SolarWinds AppOptics product report

Buyer's Guide

WhatsUp Gold

April 2026

Download WhatsUp Gold product report

Also Known As

AppOptics, SolarWinds TraceView, Librato

No data available

Overview

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

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

TraxoCovea Insurance BTE TechnologyDatarista

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

SolarWinds AppOptics vs. WhatsUp Gold

April 2026

Free Report: SolarWinds AppOptics vs. WhatsUp Gold

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