Paessler PRTG Database Monitoring vs Quest Spotlight
Paessler PRTG Database Monitoring
paessler.com
Quest Spotlight
quest.comSide by side
| Figure | Paessler PRTG Database Monitoring | Quest Spotlight |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $16.67/mo | — |
| Free plan | Yes | — |
| Free trial | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | — |
| Android | Yes | — |
| Self-hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 6 | 1 |
| Spec score · Database Monitoring | 8.3 (#5) | 7.3 (#24) |
| Founded | 1997 | 1987 |
| Headquarters | Nuremberg, Germany | Aliso Viejo, California, United States |
| Trial | The PRTG Network Monitor trial provides full access for 30 days, is free, and requires no credit card. | Quest offers an on-premises trial and lists Spotlight on SQL Server Enterprise as a free trial product; the pages opened do not state a trial duration. |
Plans
Paessler PRTG Database Monitoring
- PRTG Freeware EditionFree
- PRTG 500$200 a year
- PRTG 1000$358 a year
- PRTG 2500$742 a year
- PRTG 5000$1,300 a year
- PRTG 10000$1,642 a year
In their own words
Paessler PRTG Database Monitoring
Paessler PRTG Database Monitoring tracks database availability, errors, and query performance across Microsoft SQL Server, MySQL, PostgreSQL, Oracle, Azure SQL Database, AWS RDS, and ODBC/ADO-compatible databases. Its sensors measure complete-request time and query execution time separately in milliseconds. You can run custom SQL queries on a schedule and map results to monitoring channels. PRTG can flag connection timeouts, authentication failures, service interruptions, and query-validated errors; threshold alerts can go by email, SMS, push notification, syslog, or webhook.
Azure SQL Database and AWS RDS sensors collect metrics through Azure Monitor and AWS CloudWatch APIs without an agent on the database host. Scan intervals are configurable, with Paessler recommending five minutes for production monitoring. Backup checks use custom queries against backup history tables or file timestamps and require query-level setup. PRTG is offered as a Windows download or cloud-hosted service. Platforms listed include web, Windows, Android, iOS, and self-hosted deployment. A free plan covers up to 100 sensors; paid plans start at $200/mo (annual), and the free trial lasts 30 days.
Quest Spotlight
Quest Spotlight is a self-hosted database monitoring and diagnostics product for professionals managing SQL Server environments. Spotlight on SQL Server Enterprise uses agentless monitoring from a centralized diagnostic server and raises alarms for performance deviations. Its tools include incident playback, health checks, workload analysis, deadlock detection, root cause analysis, query profiling, wait and lock analysis, and execution plans. SQL Optimizer integration identifies long-running queries and suboptimal code for further tuning. Users can define thresholds, create counters, and configure rule-based actions to run once or repeatedly. One screen can monitor SQL Server, Windows, and virtualization infrastructure. Supported databases listed are Microsoft SQL Server, Azure SQL Database, Oracle Database, and IBM DB2; SQL Azure is specifically supported by Spotlight on SQL Server. The Diagnostic Server requires a SQL Server account with the sysadmin role, while Windows performance counters use WMI queries. Windows is a listed platform, deployment is self-hosted, and pricing is available on request. Quest offers an on-premises trial, but no duration is stated. Spotlight Cloud reached end of life on December 31, 2024.