7 Best SQL Server Monitoring Tools for 2026
Why should database problems take hours to find?
A slow query can affect an application before the database team knows what is causing it. A blocked session, failed job, or growing database file can create more problems if no one spots it early.
That’s where SQL Server monitoring tools come in.
They help you track database performance, find slow queries, monitor waits and locks, and see what changed before a problem occurred.
In this guide, I’ve covered seven SQL Server monitoring tools that can help you monitor database performance, troubleshoot issues, and understand what is happening across your SQL Server environment.
By the end of this blog, you’ll know which SQL Server monitoring tool fits your database and monitoring needs.
What Is a SQL Server Monitoring Tool?
A SQL Server monitoring tool checks the health and performance of Microsoft SQL Server. It collects data about:
Queries: Query performance and execution times.
Waits: Wait events that can indicate performance bottlenecks.
Locks: Blocking and lock activity between database sessions.
Memory: SQL Server memory usage and pressure.
Storage: Database and disk space usage.
Connections: Active and failed database connections.
Jobs: SQL Server Agent jobs and failed executions.
Databases: Database health, activity, and growth.
The tool stores this data over time, which helps teams identify what changed before a slowdown or failure. It can also alert the team when a metric crosses a set threshold or shows unusual behavior.
Some products focus mainly on database monitoring and provide detailed query, wait, and performance data. Others combine SQL Server monitoring with application, server, cloud, network, and log monitoring.
How We Picked Each of These SQL Server Monitoring Tools
Each tool on this list supports Microsoft SQL Server monitoring. We evaluated how well each tool helps identify common database performance and operational issues, including:
Are slow-running queries affecting database performance?
Are blocked sessions or database locks delaying transactions?
Are SQL Server Agent jobs failing or taking longer than expected?
Is the database growing faster than expected?
Is high CPU, memory, or storage usage affecting SQL Server performance?
Are there noticeable changes in database performance over time?
We also compared each tool's deployment options, licensing model, available trial, and pricing. Product features and pricing were verified using official vendor information.
7 Best SQL Server Monitoring Tools Compared at a Glance
Let’s have a quick overview of each of these SQL Server Monitoring tools.
Tool | Best for | Deployment | Main SQL Server focus | Starting price |
Motadata ObserveOps | IT operations teams that want database, application, server, network, and log monitoring together | On-premises, cloud, and hybrid | Database health, query performance, alerts, and related infrastructure monitoring | Contact the Motadata sales team for a quote. A free trial is available. |
SolarWinds Database Performance Analyzer | Database teams that use wait-time analysis to investigate slow queries | Self-hosted on Windows or Linux | Wait times, SQL statements, query plans, and performance advice | Contact the SolarWinds sales team for a quote. A 14-day trial is available. |
ManageEngine Applications Manager | IT teams that want SQL Server monitoring with wider application and server monitoring | Self-hosted | Queries, database health, resources, jobs, and availability | The Professional plan starts at $395 per year for 10 monitors and one user. |
Datadog Database Monitoring | Cloud and DevOps teams that already use Datadog | Software as a service with a local Agent | Query samples, query execution plans, wait events, and application traces | The Database Monitoring plan costs $70 per database host per month, billed annually. An Infrastructure Monitoring plan is also required. |
Dynatrace | Large teams that want database monitoring linked to application services | Software as a service, managed, or self-hosted options | Database service health, queries, dependencies, and application context | Database Monitoring costs $0.11 per database instance hour. |
Site24x7 SQL Server Monitoring | Teams that want hosted database and infrastructure monitoring | Software as a service with an on-premises poller | Queries, waits, jobs, deadlocks, resources, and capacity | The Professional plan costs $42 per month, billed annually. Each SQL Server instance uses one advanced monitor licence and covers up to 25 databases. |
Redgate Monitor | Teams that manage many SQL Server and Azure SQL systems | Self-hosted or software as a service | Estate health, query impact, alerts, and deployment tracking | The Standard edition starts at $97 per server per month, billed annually. |
Do not compare these tools by the starting price alone. Datadog also requires an Infrastructure Monitoring plan. Site24x7 uses one advanced monitor licence for each SQL Server instance. Redgate charges by server, while Dynatrace charges for each hour a database instance is monitored. Count all the systems you need to monitor before you compare the final cost.
Prices were checked on official vendor pages in October 2026.
1. Motadata
Best for: IT operations teams that want SQL Server, application, server, network, and log monitoring in one product.
Motadata ObserveOps monitors Microsoft SQL Server along with servers, networks, cloud services, applications, and logs. It gives IT professionals a view of database performance alongside the rest of the IT environment.
The SQL Server integration tracks query execution, transaction rates, connections, database size, locks, and cache usage.
It also monitors transaction log growth and SQL Server service health. These metrics help identify whether a database issue is ongoing or occurred at a specific point in time.
ObserveOps connects SQL Server data with application and infrastructure metrics. When an application slows down, IT professionals can check its transactions, the SQL Server database, the host, and related logs from the same platform.
This makes it easier to determine whether the database is causing the problem or another part of the environment is involved.
The platform supports agentless remote monitoring as well as monitoring through an installed agent.
It is a good fit for organizations that want SQL Server monitoring as part of a wider IT monitoring setup. Organizations looking only for advanced SQL query tuning may prefer a database-focused tool.
Pros
- The team can compare SQL Server performance with application, server, network, and log activity from the same time period. This helps technicians find the cause of a slowdown faster.
- Agentless and agent-based monitoring options make it easier to follow different access and security rules.
- A shared monitoring platform gives database, application, and infrastructure teams the same view of an incident. This can reduce delays between teams.
Cons
- Motadata does not publish a fixed price, so a buyer must ask for a quote.
- A database administrator who only needs detailed SQL tuning may prefer a product that focuses only on databases.
Pricing
Motadata does not publish a fixed price for ObserveOps. Contact the Motadata sales team for a quote based on the systems and features you need.
A free trial is available from the ObserveOps product page.
2. SolarWinds
Best for: Database teams that want to use wait times to find why a query is slow.
SolarWinds Database Performance Analyzer monitors Microsoft SQL Server, Azure SQL, Oracle, MySQL, PostgreSQL, MariaDB, and other supported databases.
The tool focuses on wait-time analysis. A wait shows what a query is waiting for, such as CPU, memory, storage, or a database lock. Database Performance Analyzer groups wait data by query, user, application, and database to help identify performance problems.
It also provides SQL statements and query plans. Query plans show how SQL Server processes a query. Comparing query plans over time can help identify when a query starts using a less efficient execution plan.
Tuning advisors suggest changes that may improve query performance. Anomaly detection compares current database activity with previous patterns and highlights unusual behaviour.
Database Performance Analyzer uses agentless monitoring. It suits database professionals who need detailed query and wait information across multiple database platforms. Organizations that need application, network, and log monitoring may need additional SolarWinds products.
Pros
- Wait-time data gives database administrators a direct place to begin a slow-query investigation.
- Support for several database systems lets a team monitor SQL Server, Oracle, MySQL, and PostgreSQL without using a separate product for each one.
- Agentless monitoring saves the team from installing and maintaining monitoring software on every database host.
Cons
- SolarWinds does not show a fixed current price on the Database Performance Analyzer product page.
- Teams may need separate SolarWinds products when they also want detailed application, network, and log monitoring.
Pricing
SolarWinds offers subscription and volume licensing for Database Performance Analyzer. The vendor does not publish a fixed current price. Contact its sales team for a quote.
A fully functional 14-day trial is available. A credit card is not required.
If SolarWinds does not fit your database or monitoring requirements, compare SolarWinds alternatives to see other options.
3. ManageEngine
Best for: IT teams that want SQL Server monitoring with application, server, and service monitoring.
ManageEngine Applications Manager monitors applications, databases, servers, virtual systems, and cloud services. Its Microsoft SQL Server monitor works with SQL Server on Windows, Linux, Docker, Microsoft Azure, and other supported environments.
The product tracks queries, connections, memory, cache use, locks, waits, databases, and SQL Server jobs. Query reports help the team find statements that use too much time or too many resources. Database administrators can also check file size, log size, growth, and backup details.
Applications Manager shows SQL Server, application, and host monitoring in the same product. This helps an IT operations team check whether a slow service began in the database, the server, or another application part.
The Professional plan is made for monitoring from one site. The Enterprise plan adds a central server and managed servers for larger or separate locations. The product suits teams that want broad monitoring at a published starting price. A team that wants deep database tuning across a very large SQL Server estate may prefer a specialist product.
You can also compare ManageEngine alternatives before choosing a monitoring platform.
Pros
- One console shows database, application, server, virtual machine, and cloud service health. This helps the team check several possible causes without moving between products.
- SQL Server job alerts tell the team when a job fails or runs for too long. This helps technicians act before scheduled work is delayed.
- The Enterprise plan shows monitoring from separate sites through a central server. The team does not need to open each site separately during an investigation.
Cons
- Each SQL Server installation counts as a monitor, so the licence count can rise quickly in a large estate.
- The team must maintain the Applications Manager installation and its monitoring database.
Pricing
The ManageEngine Applications Manager Professional plan starts at $395 per year for 10 monitors and one user. The Enterprise plan starts at $3,995 per year for 100 monitors and one user.
A monitor is one application, server, service, or URL. For example, 100 SQL Server installations use 100 monitors. A Free plan covers up to five monitors. Annual subscriptions include support and maintenance, and a free trial is available.
For pricing-related intent, add ManageEngine pricing when discussing its licensing and plans.
4. Datadog
Best for: Cloud and DevOps teams that already use Datadog for applications and infrastructure.
Datadog Database Monitoring is a hosted service for query and database performance. It supports Microsoft SQL Server on self-managed hosts and supported cloud database services.
The product collects query metrics and query samples. A normalized query groups statements that have the same form but different values. This helps the team see the total effect of one query pattern.
An explain plan, also called a query execution plan, shows the steps SQL Server uses to run a query. For example, it can show whether SQL Server scans a table, uses an index, joins tables, or sorts results. It also shows which step uses the most time or processing resources.
Datadog also records wait events, blocking activity, database state, failovers, and other SQL Server events. Teams that use Datadog Application Performance Monitoring can connect a slow database query with the application trace that called it.
Database Monitoring is not sold as a stand-alone product. The customer must also use Datadog Infrastructure Monitoring. It suits teams that want database, application, and infrastructure monitoring in the same service. The extra product requirement raises the cost for a team that only needs SQL Server monitoring.
Pros
- Application, database, infrastructure, and log monitoring work together in Datadog. This helps the team follow a slow request without moving between products.
- Query grouping helps teams judge the total effect of a query pattern instead of checking one execution at a time.
- Links between traces and queries help developers see which application request caused database work.
Cons
- Datadog does not sell Database Monitoring on its own. You must also pay for an Infrastructure Monitoring plan.
- The price increases for every database host, which can be costly when a company runs many hosts.
Pricing
The Datadog Database Monitoring plan costs $70 per database host per month with annual billing. The on-demand price is $84 per database host per month.
To use Database Monitoring, you also need a Datadog Infrastructure Monitoring plan. The Database Monitoring plan tracks up to 200 normalized queries for each host. It also shows query execution plans and finds slow queries. Datadog offers a free trial.
If the pricing model or broader monitoring requirements are a concern, compare Datadog alternatives.
5. Dynatrace
Best for: Large application teams that want SQL Server activity linked to services and user requests.
Dynatrace is an observability platform for applications, infrastructure, databases, logs, and user activity. It can monitor Microsoft SQL Server through a local OneAgent extension or a remote ActiveGate extension.
OneAgent is the software Dynatrace installs on a monitored host. ActiveGate is a component that can collect data from remote systems. These two options let a team choose between host-based and remote database monitoring.
Dynatrace shows database service health, response time, failures, calls, and query activity. It also maps the application services that call the database. A team can start with a slow user request and follow it through the service to SQL Server.
Dynatrace uses usage-based pricing. This can suit a company that wants one platform across a large application environment. A small database team may find the platform and its pricing model more than it needs for a few SQL Server instances.
Pros
- Service maps help application teams follow a slow request from the user-facing service to the database.
- Local and remote collection options let teams monitor SQL Server while following their software installation and network access rules.
- Automatic problem details show the affected application service, database, and host together. This helps the team decide where to investigate first.
Cons
- The wider Dynatrace platform can take more planning than a database-only product.
- Other Dynatrace data, such as full-stack host monitoring or logs, has separate usage rates.
Pricing
Dynatrace Database Monitoring costs $0.11 per database instance hour. At that rate, one instance running for 730 hours would cost $80.30 before any other Dynatrace usage.
Dynatrace charges separately for Full-Stack Monitoring, Infrastructure Monitoring, and logs. Check the official rate card and calculate the cost of every Dynatrace service your team plans to use.
If you are considering other observability platforms, compare Dynatrace alternatives.
6. Site24x7
Best for: IT teams that want hosted SQL Server, server, network, cloud, and website monitoring.
Site24x7 is a hosted monitoring service. Its SQL Server monitor checks database performance on local servers, Microsoft Azure, and Amazon Relational Database Service.
The product tracks slow and expensive queries, response time, waits, jobs, deadlocks, blocking chains, connections, cache use, input and output activity, transaction logs, backups, and TempDB. TempDB is the SQL Server system database used for temporary work.
Capacity reports show database file and log growth. This helps the team see when storage may run out. Dynamic thresholds compare current values with normal behaviour, while fixed thresholds warn the team at a limit chosen by an administrator.
Site24x7 uses an on-premises poller to collect data from SQL Server and send it to the hosted service. It suits teams that want database and wider infrastructure monitoring without hosting the main monitoring platform. Buyers must count advanced monitors because each SQL Server instance uses one.
Pros
- The hosted service reduces the monitoring software that the IT team must maintain on-site.
- Support for local and cloud SQL Server systems lets a team monitor a hybrid database estate from one account.
- Capacity reports can warn the team before database files or transaction logs fill available storage.
Cons
- Each SQL Server instance consumes one advanced monitor licence, so the plan price alone may not cover a large estate.
- An on-premises poller is required to collect data from SQL Server systems inside the company network.
Pricing
The Site24x7 Professional plan costs $42 per month with annual billing. It costs $49 per month with monthly billing.
SQL Server is an advanced monitor. One SQL Server instance uses one advanced monitor licence and covers up to 25 individual databases. Extra advanced monitor packs cost more. A 30-day free trial is available.
If you want to compare other monitoring platforms, see Site24x7 alternatives.
7. Redgate
Best for: Database teams that manage many SQL Server, Azure SQL, and related database systems.
Redgate Monitor is a database monitoring product for Microsoft data platforms and other supported databases. It can monitor SQL Server on physical servers, virtual machines, cloud virtual machines, Azure SQL, Azure SQL Managed Instance, and Amazon Relational Database Service.
The global overview shows the health of the whole database estate. The team can move from an alert to server, instance, database, and query details. Query impact data helps database administrators see which queries used the most time and resources during a problem.
Redgate Monitor also tracks deployments. This lets the team compare a performance change with a recent database release. The Standard edition covers monitoring, diagnosis, alerts, query impact, and deployment tracking. The Enterprise edition adds security monitoring, auditing, high-availability options, and a Data API that lets other systems read monitoring information.
Redgate Monitor suits teams that need a shared view of a large Microsoft database estate. A small team with only one or two SQL Server systems may find its per-server licensing less suitable than a lower-cost general monitoring product.
Pros
- The estate view shows which SQL Server system needs attention first. This helps a small database team manage many systems.
- Deployment markers make it easier to check whether a release and a performance problem happened at the same time.
- One dashboard covers on-premises SQL Server and Microsoft database services in the cloud. This saves the team from checking separate monitoring products for each environment.
Cons
- The Enterprise edition requires a sales quote.
- Per-server licensing can become expensive when a company has many small SQL Server hosts.
Pricing
The Redgate Monitor Standard edition is licensed per server per year. One server licence covers all SQL Server instances on that server. Redgate uses different rules for Azure SQL databases and platform services.
The Redgate Monitor Standard edition starts at $97 per server per month, paid annually. The price per server can change with the licence count. The Enterprise edition does not have a fixed published price. Contact Redgate for a quote. A 14-day free trial is available.
How to Choose the Right SQL Server Monitoring Tool
The right SQL Server monitoring tool should fit your database estate, daily work, deployment rules, and budget. Use the following points to compare your options and see whether a product can help your team find and fix real database problems.
List every SQL Server system: Count physical servers, virtual machines, cloud instances, Azure SQL databases, and test systems that need monitoring.
Start with your main problems: Decide whether you need help with slow queries, blocking, failed jobs, storage growth, availability, or all of these issues.
Check SQL Server support: Make sure the product supports your SQL Server version, operating system, cloud service, and high-availability setup.
Review query details: Check whether the product shows query text, execution history, wait events, blocking sessions, and query plans.
Check data history: Make sure the product keeps enough history to investigate a problem that users report hours or days later.
Test the alerts: Create a safe test for a failed job, blocked query, or storage limit and check whether the right person receives a useful alert.
Follow one slow request: Start with a slow application request and see whether the product can lead the team to the SQL Server query that caused the delay.
Choose the deployment: Decide whether the monitoring platform must run on your servers or can use a hosted service.
Calculate the total cost: Include database hosts, servers, instances, monitors, required platform plans, data use, support, and extra retention.
Run a trial with real work: Monitor a normal busy period and use a known slow query to see whether the product gives the team enough detail to act.
What Should a SQL Server Monitoring Tool Show?
A useful tool should show more than CPU and memory use. It should help the team answer practical questions.
Which query is taking the most time?
What is the query waiting for?
Is another session blocking it?
Did SQL Server change the steps it uses to run a query?
Is the problem in SQL Server, the host, or the application?
Is a database file or transaction log running out of space?
Did a job, backup, or high-availability process fail?
Which SQL Server Monitoring Tool Should You Choose?
Choose a specialist database product when query tuning and wait analysis are the main jobs. SolarWinds Database Performance Analyzer and Redgate Monitor fit this type of team.
Choose a wider monitoring platform when a SQL Server problem may begin in an application, host, network, or cloud service. Motadata ObserveOps, ManageEngine Applications Manager, Datadog, Dynatrace, and Site24x7 cover more than the database.
The final choice should match the way your team works. Test a real slow query, a blocked session, a failed job, and a storage alert before you buy.
If you want SQL Server, application, infrastructure, network, and log monitoring in one product, schedule a Motadata ObserveOps demo.
FAQs
What does a SQL Server monitoring tool do?
A SQL Server monitoring tool checks database health and performance. It can track queries, waits, locks, connections, memory, storage, jobs, backups, and database availability. It also keeps past data and sends alerts when it finds a problem.
Does Microsoft SQL Server include monitoring tools?
Yes. SQL Server includes features and tools such as Activity Monitor, Extended Events, Query Store, and Dynamic Management Views. These options can help with many investigations. A separate monitoring product is useful when a team needs one dashboard for many servers, longer history, automatic alerts, and links to applications or infrastructure.
Which SQL Server monitoring tool is best for slow queries?
SolarWinds Database Performance Analyzer and Redgate Monitor are useful choices for database teams that focus on slow queries. They show query activity and the conditions around a slowdown. Motadata ObserveOps, Datadog, and Dynatrace can be a better fit when the team also needs to connect a slow query with an application or server problem.
How much do SQL Server monitoring tools cost?
The price depends on what the vendor counts. Datadog starts at $70 per database host per month with annual billing, but it also requires Infrastructure Monitoring. Dynatrace charges $0.11 per database instance hour. ManageEngine Applications Manager starts at $395 per year. Other vendors use per-server prices or custom quotes.
What should a company test before buying a SQL Server monitoring tool?
Use the trial to investigate a known slow query, a blocked session, a failed SQL Server job, and a growing database file. Check whether the alert explains the problem and leads the team to useful query or host details. Then calculate the price with every production, test, and cloud database that you plan to monitor.
Author
Ramya Shah
Technical Writer
Ramya Shah is a technical content writer with a computer engineering background and roots in automotive journalism. He covers IT Service Management, observability, IT operations, and AI-driven automation. An early adopter of AI-assisted writing workflows, he turns complex IT processes into clear, engaging content optimized for search and answer engines (AEO), lifting content output and organic visibility.
