10 Best Database Monitoring Tools for 2026

If your company relies on multiple databases and applications, keeping track of database performance can become difficult.

You may face challenges such as:

• Slow queries that affect application performance

• Blocked sessions and locks that hold up database activity

• High CPU, memory, or disk usage affecting database performance

• Storage issues that can affect database operations

• Difficulty finding whether the database, server, or application is causing a slowdown

• Performance data spread across different monitoring tools

As your database environment grows, identifying the cause of performance issues becomes harder without the right monitoring in place.

I get why database monitoring tools have become an important part of managing database performance. They help you monitor database activity, spot performance issues, and find what is causing a slowdown.

In this guide, we compare the 10 best database monitoring tools for 2026. We cover their key features, use cases, pros and cons, and pricing.

What Database Monitoring Tools Show You

Database monitoring is the process of tracking a database’s performance, health, and activity to identify issues that may affect applications. It helps you monitor queries, connections, locks, resource usage, storage, and other database activity.

Database monitoring tools typically track:

• Database uptime: Shows whether the database is online.

• Slow queries: Finds queries that take too long to run.

• Connections and sessions: Shows active and blocked sessions.

• Locks and deadlocks: Identifies queries or transactions blocking others.

• Server health: Tracks CPU, memory, disk, and network usage.

• Replication and backups: Alerts you to replication delays or failed backups.

• Storage usage: Shows database and disk space usage.

Some tools provide basic health checks, while others offer deeper details such as query plans, wait events, and blocking history.

How We Evaluated Database Monitoring Tools

We looked at the key areas that matter when choosing a database monitoring tool:

• Does it support the database systems you use?

• Can it identify and explain slow queries?

• Can it monitor database and server health in one place?

• Can you set useful alerts and performance thresholds?

• How much historical performance data does it provide?

• Can it monitor both cloud and on-premises databases?

• Can it connect database activity to application requests?

• Can you use it as a hosted or self-hosted solution?

A Quick Comparison of the 10 Best Database Monitoring Tools

The table below compares the tools based on their database coverage, deployment options, primary use cases, and starting prices.

10 Best Database Monitoring Tools for 2026

Let’s understand each of the database monitoring tools in detail.

1. Motadata ObserveOps

Best for: Monitoring databases alongside applications, servers, logs, cloud services, and network devices.

Motadata ObserveOps lets you monitor databases and the systems connected to them from one platform. It tracks database availability, resource usage, connections, query activity, and other performance metrics. You can also monitor servers, applications, logs, networks, and cloud services from the same platform.

A database slowdown can have more than one cause. A costly query, busy server, storage delay, or network issue can affect application performance. ObserveOps lets you check these areas together, so you can see whether the problem is coming from the database or another part of the environment.

Its database monitoring supports Microsoft SQL Server, MySQL, PostgreSQL, Oracle, IBM Db2, SAP HANA, and Sybase. You can monitor connections, transactions, slow queries, deadlocks, storage, processor usage, and backup or job activity where the database provides those metrics.

ObserveOps can also suit hybrid environments and organizations that need to keep monitoring data on their own network. If you only need deep performance tuning for a single database system, a database-specific monitoring tool may be a better fit.

Pricing

Motadata uses annual subscription pricing but does not publish a fixed price for ObserveOps. The quote depends on the deployment and the parts of the environment being monitored. A 30-day free trial is available.

2. Datadog Database Monitoring

Best for: Cloud and application teams that already use Datadog Infrastructure Monitoring.

Datadog Database Monitoring shows query activity, waits, connections, locks, and database health in the Datadog platform. It collects database readings through the Datadog Agent and places them beside server, container, and application data.

Datadog groups queries that follow the same pattern and removes values that change with each request. The team can then see which type of query uses the most time or resources. It also captures execution plans and shows slow, blocked, and long-running queries.

Datadog works well when the team already uses its infrastructure or application monitoring products. A developer can move from a slow application request to the related database query without leaving the platform. The main issue is cost. Database Monitoring is an extra product and cannot be bought without Datadog Infrastructure Monitoring.

For other options, our Datadog alternatives guide compares tools with different pricing models.

Pricing

Datadog Database Monitoring starts at $70 per database host per month with annual billing. The on-demand price is $84 per database host per month. Datadog also requires an Infrastructure Monitoring plan, which starts at $15 per host per month with annual billing.

Datadog pricing guide explains the additional charges you may need to consider.

3. SolarWinds Database Performance Analyzer

Best for: Database administrators who need detailed query and wait-time analysis across different database systems.

SolarWinds Database Performance Analyzer, or DPA, focuses on the time that database work spends waiting. It shows whether a delay comes from processor use, storage, locks, memory, the network, or another part of the database.

The dashboard ranks the queries that create the most load. A database administrator can open a query, review its earlier performance, and see advice for indexes and other changes. DPA also compares database response time with the virtual machine or cloud service running underneath it.

DPA suits teams that manage several database products in the data centre and cloud. A small team that only needs uptime checks and basic alerts may find it more than it needs. The customer must also install and maintain the product.

Pricing

SolarWinds asks buyers to request a quote for Database Performance Analyzer. Subscription and volume licensing are available. The company also offers a fully functional 14-day trial. Our SolarWinds alternatives guide compares it with broader monitoring platforms.

4. Redgate Monitor

Best for: SQL Server teams that also need one view for PostgreSQL, MySQL, Oracle, and cloud databases.

Redgate Monitor watches database health, queries, waits, blocking, deadlocks, storage, and server resources. SQL Server remains its strongest area, but the current product also supports PostgreSQL, MySQL, Oracle, and several managed cloud database services.

The global dashboard shows which servers need attention. From there, a database administrator can open an alert and see the query, wait, blocking session, or resource problem behind it. Deployment tracking also helps the team see whether a slowdown began after a database change.

Redgate now offers both SaaS and self-hosted editions. The SaaS edition removes the need to maintain the monitoring server. The self-hosted edition keeps the platform inside the company's environment.

Pricing

The Redgate Monitor Standard plan starts at $1,233 per server per year for one to four server licences. The price falls to $1,170 per server for five to nine licences and $1,110 per server for ten to nineteen licences. Companies with twenty or more licences need a quote. The Redgate Monitor Enterprise plan also requires a quote. A 14-day trial is available.

5. ManageEngine Applications Manager

Best for: IT teams that want database monitoring with application, server, virtual machine, and cloud monitoring.

ManageEngine Applications Manager monitors relational databases, NoSQL databases, in-memory databases, and managed cloud databases.

It tracks queries, wait times, locks, sessions, replication, storage, and server resources from the same console used to monitor applications and infrastructure.

It can rank SQL statements based on resource usage and show why a query is waiting. You can also trace an application action to the SQL query behind it. This makes it easier for developers and database administrators to identify whether a database query or another part of the application is causing a slowdown.

Applications Manager offers broader monitoring than a dedicated database monitoring tool. However, its monitor-based licensing requires careful planning.

Before choosing a plan, check how database instances, servers, applications, and other monitored resources are counted toward the license.

Our ManageEngine alternatives guide compares other monitoring tools and their pricing options.

Pricing

The Professional plan starts at $395 per year for 10 monitors and one user. The same Professional plan starts at $995 with a perpetual licence, while annual maintenance is priced separately. The Enterprise plan starts at $3,995 per year for 100 monitors and one user. A 30-day trial is available.

ManageEngine pricing guide covers its different products and licensing models.

6. Site24x7

Best for: Small and growing teams that want hosted database, server, application, website, and network monitoring.

Site24x7 monitors databases through a hosted platform. It supports common SQL and NoSQL systems in data centres, cloud accounts, and hybrid environments. The team can watch availability, connections, sessions, locks, replication, query activity, and server resources.

Database readings appear with application and server data. If a page becomes slow, the team can check whether the delay began in the application, database, or host. Site24x7 can also run automatic actions when an alert meets the rules set by the team.

The low starting price makes Site24x7 easy to try. The full cost takes more work because plans include a set number of servers, websites, applications, and other monitors. Extra monitors and add-ons increase the monthly price.

Pricing

The Site24x7 Lite plan starts at $9 per month with annual billing or $10 with monthly billing. It includes two servers and five websites. The Professional plan starts at $42 per month with annual billing or $49 with monthly billing. Database monitors, extra servers, applications, logs, and other add-ons can change the total price.

7. Dynatrace

Best for: Large application environments that need database health connected with services, traces, logs, and user experience.

Dynatrace monitors databases as part of its wider observability platform. Its database view covers query execution and resource use, including processor, memory, and storage activity. The team can then compare this data with application services and user activity.

Dynatrace is most useful when the team needs to see how a database problem affected an application. It shows the related service, the database activity, and the users who experienced the slowdown.

The platform supports databases such as Amazon RDS, Google Cloud SQL, MySQL, SQL Server, Oracle, and PostgreSQL. Private databases are usually monitored through ActiveGate extensions. Several usage charges can apply, so teams should calculate the cost before choosing a plan.

Our Dynatrace alternatives guide compares products with different pricing models.

Pricing

Dynatrace does not sell database monitoring as a separate fixed-price plan. Usage draws from an annual platform commitment. The Infrastructure Monitoring plan starts at $0.04 per host-hour, while the Full-Stack Monitoring plan starts at $0.01 per memory-GiB-hour. Logs, metrics, traces, and other data can add separate charges.

Dynatrace pricing guide explains these pricing meters in detail.

8. New Relic

Best for: Development teams that want to see database time inside application performance data.

New Relic shows how database calls affect an application. Its Database 360 view brings database health, query activity, and application performance into the APM interface. Developers can see which database operation slowed an application request and which service made the call.

New Relic works best when the team already sends application and infrastructure data to the platform. Database integrations can add server and database readings for systems such as MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQL Server, Oracle, MongoDB, and cloud database services.

The product is useful for application troubleshooting, but it is not the same as a dedicated DBA tool. Teams that need detailed index advice, deadlock analysis, or long-term query plan comparisons should test those areas before choosing it.

Our New Relic alternatives guide compares other full-stack monitoring platforms.

Pricing

New Relic includes 100 GB of data each month in its Free plan, along with one free full-platform user and unlimited basic users. Data above the free allowance starts at $0.40 per GB. User and compute prices depend on the selected edition and usage.

Our New Relic pricing guide explains its billing model in detail.

9. Paessler PRTG

Best for: IT teams that need database checks beside network, server, storage, and application monitoring.

Paessler PRTG uses sensors to monitor databases. A sensor can connect to SQL Server, MySQL, PostgreSQL, or Oracle, run a saved query, and record how long the connection and query take. It can also read values returned by that query and alert the team when they cross a limit.

PRTG also has sensors for Azure SQL Database and Microsoft SQL Server performance. Databases that support ODBC or OLE DB can be checked through the ADO SQL sensor. Paessler offers a separate Database Observer extension for teams that need more database types and ready-made queries.

PRTG works well when the IT team already uses it for networks and servers. It is not a full replacement for a dedicated database tuning tool. Query plans, detailed wait analysis, and index advice are not the main focus of the standard product.

Our PRTG alternatives guide compares tools with different monitoring features and pricing models.

Pricing

The PRTG Freeware Edition includes up to 100 sensors. The PRTG 1000 plan starts at $358 per month with annual billing and covers up to 1,000 sensors. Larger plans increase the sensor limit. PRTG Database Observer has a separate licence.

10. IDERA SQL Diagnostic Manager

Best for: Database teams that mainly manage Microsoft SQL Server across data centres and cloud services.

IDERA SQL Diagnostic Manager focuses on Microsoft SQL Server. It gives database administrators one place to check slow queries, waits, blocked sessions, deadlocks, TempDB, disk space, active sessions, and server health. It does not require an agent on each SQL Server.

The tool can learn the usual activity on each server and warn the team when something changes. If one session blocks another, the team can open the blocking chain and see the SQL statements involved. Deadlock records are also saved, so the team can review them after the problem has ended.

Its capacity reports show how quickly databases, tables, and disks are growing. The team can use these reports to add storage before space runs out.

The tool works with SQL Server on physical servers and virtual machines. It also supports Azure SQL Database, Azure SQL Managed Instance, Amazon RDS for SQL Server, and SQL Server on Google Cloud. It does not cover Oracle, PostgreSQL, MySQL, or other database systems. Companies that use several database types will need another tool for those systems.

Pricing

IDERA prices SQL Diagnostic Manager per monitored instance. The company does not publish the current rate, so buyers need to request a quote. A full-featured 14-day trial is available without a credit card.

How to Choose a Database Monitoring Tool

Consider these 15 points when choosing a database monitoring tool:

1. Check database support to make sure the tool supports the systems you use.

2. Check version support to confirm it works with your current database versions.

3. Verify cloud support for the managed and cloud databases in your environment.

4. Monitor query performance to identify slow and resource-heavy queries.

5. Review query analysis features such as execution plans, wait events, and performance details.

6. Check lock and deadlock monitoring to identify blocked sessions and transaction conflicts.

7. Monitor server resources such as CPU, memory, disk, and other infrastructure metrics.

8. Check application monitoring to see whether the tool can connect database activity with application performance.

9. Review historical data to make sure you can identify performance trends and recurring issues.

10. Configure useful alerts based on performance thresholds and database events.

11. Evaluate dashboards and reports to see whether they provide the information you need.

12. Choose the right deployment option based on whether you need SaaS, on-premises, or private cloud deployment.

13. Check scalability to ensure the tool can handle more databases and servers as your environment grows.

14. Calculate pricing and licensing based on the resources you plan to monitor.

15. Test the tool with real database issues before committing to a plan.

Conclusion

The right database monitoring tool depends on your monitoring needs.

Motadata ObserveOps is useful when you want to monitor databases, applications, servers, logs, cloud services, and networks from one platform.

It also offers different deployment options for companies that need to keep monitoring data within their own environment.

Before choosing a tool, test it with a real database issue. Check whether you can move from the alert to the cause without switching between multiple tools.

FAQs