Skip to content
SolarWinds logo

SolarWinds Pricing 2026

Plans, hidden costs, and cheaper alternatives compared

Is SolarWinds worth the price?

70/10

SolarWinds' pricing structure is quite varied, with 'Monitoring & Observability' at $7/node/month appearing fair for comprehensive visibility.

However, 'Database' at $142/database/month seems expensive, especially for organizations with many databases. 'Service Management' at $39/technician/month is competitive for IT service desks.

This pricing is best for medium to large enterprises needing specialized IT management solutions.

Pricing Plans

Monitoring & Observability

$7/node/month

  • Manage on-prem, hybrid, or cloud-native ecosystem with end-to-end full-stack visibility, powered by AI.

Database

$142/database/month

  • Monitor database for new issues, diagnose and uncover root causes, and optimize for faster performance for major leading database technologies.

Service Management

$39/technician/month

  • Resolve issues faster, structure and centralize information, provide high quality services, and connect the organization with an AI-powered solution.

Hidden Costs & Gotchas

Potential for high node/database count costs

No free trial to assess fit

No annual discount mentioned

Integration costs for non-SolarWinds tools

Which Plan Do You Need?

Large IT environments

Organizations needing deep database insights

Teams requiring robust service management

How SolarWinds Compares to Competitors

Compared to Datadog, which can start around $15/host/month for basic monitoring, SolarWinds' $7/node/month for 'Monitoring & Observability' is more competitive on a per-node basis. However, for database monitoring, tools like Percona Monitoring and Management offer open-source alternatives, potentially making SolarWinds' $142/database/month significantly pricier for some users.

SolarWinds Pricing FAQ

How much does SolarWinds cost?

SolarWinds starts at $7/month on the Monitoring & Observability plan. It offers 3 paid tiers ranging from $7/month up to $39/month.

Does SolarWinds have a free plan?

SolarWinds does not offer a permanent free plan. Paid plans are required from day one.

What is the cheapest SolarWinds paid plan?

The cheapest paid plan for SolarWinds is "Monitoring & Observability" at $7/month. Key features include: Manage on-prem, hybrid, or cloud-native ecosystem with end-to-end full-stack visibility, powered by AI..

Is there a cheaper alternative to SolarWinds?

Yes. Popular alternatives to SolarWinds include PRTG, Site24x7, Centreon, Instana. Free alternatives include PRTG, Shoreline, Last9. Compare them side-by-side on Toolradar.

Cheaper alternatives to SolarWinds

Direct competitors with similar features. Many offer free tiers or lower per-seat pricing.