The DBmarlin alternative to SQL Sentry
Database monitoring that does not stop at SQL Server
Multi-engine database performance monitoring for SQL Server teams that have outgrown a single-platform tool, with pricing you can read on a webpage.
Free licence includes 1 database instance. No agents. Self-hosted or cloud.
Why teams switch from SQL Sentry
What teams tell us before they cancel their SQL Sentry licence.
New owners, steeper bills
SolarWinds was acquired by Turn/River Capital in April 2025. Customers across the SolarWinds portfolio have publicly reported renewal increases of 200% to 300%.
Subscription-only, three-year minimum
As of August 1, 2025, SolarWinds enforced a subscription-only model with a 3-year minimum on new contracts. SQL Sentry pricing starts at £1,518. Billed per Instance per year
SQL Server only, one engine and nothing else
SQL Sentry covers the Microsoft data platform well: SQL Server, SSAS, Azure Synapse, Azure SQL Database, Managed Instance. The moment your team adds Postgres, MySQL, or Oracle, you need a second tool.
Per-target licensing that stings at scale
Per-target licensing math gets uncomfortable at scale. A 50-instance estate is a 50-license budget conversation every renewal.
Side-by-side comparison
DBmarlin vs SQL Sentry
The features that matter to teams leaving SQL Sentry.
| Feature | DBmarlin | SQL Sentry |
|---|---|---|
| Database support | Oracle, SQL Server, PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB, and more | Microsoft data platform only: SQL Server, SSAS, Azure Synapse, Azure SQL DB, Managed Instance |
| SQL Server depth | Full SQL Server, Azure SQL DB, and Managed Instance support | Full SQL Server, Azure SQL DB, and Managed Instance support |
| Pricing model | Published, per-instance, plus a free tier | Custom-quoted, 3-year subscription minimum since August 2025, starting at £1,518 and billed per instance per year |
| Wait-time analysis with change correlation | Yes | Partial |
| License flexibility | Per-instance, no minimum term commitment | Per-target, 3-year subscription minimum on new contracts |
| AI root cause analysis | Yes, built-in co-pilot | No |
| Free tier | 1 instance, no card needed | No |
Multi-engine on day one.
Add Postgres, MySQL, or Oracle to your stack without adding a second monitoring tool or a second contract. DBmarlin gives every platform in your estate equal depth, wait-time analysis, query plan capture, index recommendations, and AI co-pilot, across 12+ supported platforms from the same console you already use for SQL Server.
Pricing on a webpage, no 3-year minimum.
Trial today, renew when it makes sense, drop instances when you retire them. DBmarlin is priced per instance with published tiers you can read without a sales call, instead of a custom quote tied to a 3-year subscription.
Wait-time analysis tied to deploys, plan flips, and parameter shifts.
Root cause analysis that goes beyond "high CPU on Tuesday". DBmarlin's AI co-pilot correlates wait events and plan changes with your deployment markers to surface the likely root cause and recommend the fix.
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 SQL Sentry setup 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 SQL Server visibility within the first week, then expand to cover Postgres, MySQL, and Oracle from the same console before switching off SQL Sentry for good.
Common questions
Before you book the demo
Does DBmarlin handle Always On Availability Groups?
Yes. DBmarlin monitors Always On Availability Group replicas and reports wait-time and performance data per node, so you can see how load and latency differ across the AG.
How does DBmarlin integrate with Query Store data?
DBmarlin captures query plans and execution history directly, so you get the same plan-regression visibility Query Store provides without depending on it being enabled, plus DBmarlin's own longer-running history and comparison reports.
Does DBmarlin cover Azure SQL Database and Managed Instance?
Yes. DBmarlin monitors Azure SQL Database and Managed Instance alongside on-prem SQL Server, Oracle, PostgreSQL, MySQL, and more, all from the same interface.
Can we run DBmarlin on the same SQL Server hosts we run SQL Sentry on, side by side?
Yes. DBmarlin runs alongside SQL Sentry with no conflict, so you can validate coverage before you cancel anything. Most teams run both for 30 days and compare directly.
What is the migration path if we want to consolidate alerting and dashboards?
Start by pointing DBmarlin at your SQL Server estate and rebuilding your key alerts and dashboards there. Once you are confident in parity, add your Postgres, MySQL, or Oracle instances and consolidate everything into one console before retiring SQL Sentry.
See DBmarlin running on your stack in under 30 minutes.
Connect your first database for free. No card, no agent, no per-target licensing.