The DBmarlin alternative to AppDynamics for Databases
Database monitoring that did not stand still since 2013
DBmarlin was created by many of the team behind DBTuna, the database monitoring product AppDynamics acquired in 2013 and has changed little since. DBmarlin is what we built next.
Free licence includes 1 database instance. No agents. Self-hosted or cloud.
Why teams switch from AppDynamics for Databases
What teams tell us before they cancel their Database Visibility licence.
We built the original
The DBmarlin team includes many of the engineers behind DBTuna, the deep-dive database monitoring product AppDynamics acquired in 2013. We know its architecture because we designed it.
Little has changed since 2013
Database Visibility, as DBTuna is known today, is still recognisably the product we sold: the same wait-time-and-SQL approach we designed over a decade ago, now carried inside a much larger platform.
A database tool bolted onto an APM suite
Database Visibility is not sold as a focused product. It ships as a Pro or Peak edition add-on inside AppDynamics' APM licensing, so teams that just want database visibility end up buying into full-stack APM.
Another portfolio reshuffle
AppDynamics is now part of the Splunk Observability portfolio following Cisco's acquisition of Splunk. Teams that just want stable database monitoring are along for the ride on someone else's roadmap again.
Side-by-side comparison
DBmarlin vs AppDynamics for Databases
The features that matter to teams leaving Database Visibility.
| Feature | DBmarlin | AppDynamics for Databases |
|---|---|---|
| Origin | Built from scratch in 2020 by many of the original team, continuously developed since with monthly releases. | DBTuna's 2010-2013 architecture, carried inside AppDynamics then Splunk Observability |
| Licensing | Standalone product, published per-instance pricing, plus a free tier | Sold as a Pro or Peak edition add-on within the broader AppDynamics APM licensing suite, quote-based |
| Database support | Oracle, SQL Server, PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB, MongoDB, IBM Db2, SAP ASE, and more | Oracle, SQL Server, MySQL/MariaDB, Sybase ASE/IQ, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, DB2, Azure SQL |
| Granularity | 1 second data points | 1 minute aggregated data |
| Realtime data | Realtime up to the second | Usually 1-2 minutes behind live |
| AI-assisted root cause | Yes, built-in co-pilot correlating wait events, plan changes, and deploys | Cognition Engine AI operates at the application and business-transaction layer, not database-specific SQL tuning |
| Free tier | 1 instance, no card needed | No |
We know exactly where it stops, because we built it.
DBmarlin is not a guess at what a DBTuna-style tool should look like today. It is built by many of the people who designed the original, rebuilt from the ground up for a decade of change AppDynamics did not make: cloud-native engine support, change-correlated wait-time analysis, and AI-assisted root cause analysis.
Wait-time analysis tied to deploys and plan changes.
DBmarlin automatically tracks schema changes, integrates with CI/CD tools for further change information, and correlates change with database performance. Comparison reports let you analyse before and after changes to see the impact, so a query slowdown ties back to the deploy, plan flip, or parameter shift that caused it.
A focused product, not a line item on an APM invoice.
DBmarlin is priced per instance with published tiers you can read without a sales call, instead of a Pro or Peak edition add-on bundled into a much larger APM contract.
Teams that made the switch
Migration ease
You do not have to rip and replace. Run both, build confidence, cancel when you are ready.
01: Parallel run
Run DBmarlin alongside your existing AppDynamics for Databases deployment for 30 days. No cutover pressure.
02: White-glove onboarding
Our team provides hands-on onboarding for the first 30 days, including live sessions, configuration review, and Slack access to your assigned engineer.
03: Cutover to DBmarlin
Most teams reach equivalent visibility within the first couple of weeks, then retire Database Visibility and any APM add-on licensing that came with it.
Common questions
Before you book the demo
Is DBmarlin really built by the people who created DBTuna?
Yes. Several of DBmarlin's founding team were part of the original team that designed and built DBTuna before it was acquired by AppDynamics in 2013. DBmarlin was built from scratch in 2020 as a modern successor to that original approach: SQL and wait-time first.
Why did the DBmarlin team decide to build something new instead of sticking with AppDynamics?
The database monitoring space had become overcrowded, and most tools, including Database Visibility, had grown bloated and over-complicated as they were folded into larger platforms. DBmarlin was built in 2020 to return to the simplicity of three clicks to the root cause: a focused, deep-dive database performance tool rather than a module inside a much bigger suite.
Can we use DBmarlin without buying a full APM platform?
Yes. DBmarlin is a standalone database performance monitoring product with its own published pricing. You are not required to license an APM Pro or Peak edition to get database visibility.
Can we run DBmarlin alongside AppDynamics for Databases during a trial?
Yes. DBmarlin runs alongside AppDynamics for Databases with no conflict, so you can validate coverage before you cancel anything. Most teams run both for 30 days and compare directly.
Does DBmarlin cover the same databases as AppDynamics for Databases, including Sybase and DB2?
Yes. DBmarlin monitors Oracle, SQL Server, PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB, IBM Db2, SAP ASE (Sybase), MongoDB, and more, across 12+ platforms, all included in the core product.
See DBmarlin running on your stack in under 30 minutes.
Connect your first database for free. No card, no agent, no APM bundle required.