SolarWinds SQL Sentry: Features, Pricing and Alternatives (2026)

Vendor

SolarWinds

Price

Paid

Platforms

Self-hosted (Windows)

Licence

Commercial, per monitored target subscription

Works with

SQL ServerAzure SQL DatabaseAzure SQL Managed InstanceAmazon RDS for SQL ServerSQL Server Analysis Services

At a glance

Database engines	SQL Server 2017 to 2025, Azure SQL Database and Managed Instance, RDS for SQL Server, SSAS
Deployment	Self-hosted: Windows monitoring service, Windows client, optional web portal
Collection	Agentless polling; some objects are placed on watched SQL Servers
Alerting	Advisory Conditions and built-in alerts
Query monitoring	Top SQL, waits, blocking and deadlocks
Licensing	Per monitored target subscription (DBSH licence shared with DPA); quote-based

Short answer

SQL Sentry fits DBA teams whose estate is SQL Server, Azure SQL and SSAS and who want detailed deadlock, blocking, TempDB and Top SQL analysis on infrastructure they run themselves. It does not cover other engines, so mixed estates usually pair it with, or choose, a multi-engine tool.

How we know: This profile is research-based: features, supported platforms, architecture and licensing were checked on 7 November 2026 against SolarWinds' SQL Sentry product page, the SQL Sentry 2026.3 system requirements and release notes, the components and architecture documentation, and the DPA licence documentation that covers the shared licence type. We have not installed SQL Sentry or measured its overhead.

Overview

SQL Sentry is a SQL Server performance monitoring product that SolarWinds acquired with SentryOne. Version 2026.3 (released 1 September 2026; 2026.3.4 was the latest build when checked) watches SQL Server 2017, 2019, 2022 and 2025, Azure SQL Database, Azure SQL Managed Instance, Amazon RDS for SQL Server, SQL Server on EC2 and Google Cloud VMs, and SSAS Tabular and Multidimensional 2017 to 2025. SQL Server 2014 and 2016 targets were dropped during the 2026 releases.

SolarWinds documents an agentless design: one or more Windows monitoring services (roughly one per 50 to 100 targets) poll the targets and write to a SQL Server repository database, which DBAs view through a Windows client or the optional SQL Sentry Portal web interface. SolarWinds itself was taken private by Turn/River Capital in April 2025 and continues to sell SQL Sentry under its own name.

Key features

Performance Analysis dashboard with a Top SQL view of the heaviest queries
Deadlock analysis and blocking analysis
TempDB, index and Always On availability group monitoring
Event Calendar of scheduled activity such as SQL Server Agent jobs, plus Event Chains
Advisory Conditions for customised alerting
Machine-learning storage forecasting for disk and database growth
SSAS monitoring, now also viewable in the SQL Sentry Portal (2026.3)

Pros and cons

Pros

Detailed SQL Server diagnostics: deadlocks, blocking, TempDB, waits and Top SQL
Agentless design with a repository you control
Covers Azure SQL, RDS for SQL Server and SSAS as well as on-premises SQL Server
Licence key can be shared with SolarWinds DPA for engines SQL Sentry does not cover

Cons

SQL Server family only; no PostgreSQL, MySQL or Oracle monitoring
Windows-only monitoring service and client, plus a SQL Server repository to size and maintain
No public list prices
Older SQL Server versions (2014, 2016) are no longer supported as targets

Pricing

SolarWinds sells SQL Sentry on subscription with volume licensing, per monitored target. Current licences are the Database Self-Hosted (DBSH) type it shares with Database Performance Analyzer, so one licence key can be split between the two products. The product page shows a starting price through a script-loaded widget, but no amount was readable in the page text or source, so treat pricing as quote-based. A fully functional 14-day trial is available.

Pricing checked on the vendor's official page on 7 November 2026. Prices change; confirm before buying.

Who it is best for

DBA teams running SQL Server, Azure SQL and SSAS who want deep diagnostics on self-hosted monitoring infrastructure.

Who should look elsewhere

Mixed-engine estates that need one tool for SQL Server, Oracle, PostgreSQL and MySQL: see SQL Sentry vs SolarWinds DPA.
Teams that want a SaaS monitor with no servers to run: see SQL Sentry alternatives.

Verdict

Our take

SQL Sentry remains one of the most detailed SQL Server monitors, with agentless collection and a repository you own. Its limits are scope and infrastructure: it covers only the SQL Server family and needs Windows servers and a repository, and pricing comes by quote.

Frequently asked questions

Is SQL Sentry still sold after the SentryOne acquisition?

Yes. SolarWinds sells it as SolarWinds SQL Sentry; version 2026.3 was released on 1 September 2026, and older 2024.x builds have announced end-of-life dates.

Does SQL Sentry need agents on monitored servers?

No. SolarWinds describes it as agentless: monitoring services poll targets remotely and store data in a SQL Server repository, although some database objects are placed on watched SQL Server targets.

Can I use the same licence for SQL Sentry and DPA?

Yes, for current Database Self-Hosted (DBSH) subscription licences. SolarWinds' licence documentation says one key can be split between DPA and SQL Sentry, for example five licences to each.

Sources

Checked November 2026.

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