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Head-to-head · Database Monitoring

Quest Spotlight vs Splunk Database Monitoring

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 4 checks side by side
Higher score Quest Spotlight #6 in Database Monitoring 8.6/10 Pricing on request ✓ 3 of 3 features Visit Quest
Splunk Database Monitoring #8 in Database Monitoring 8.4/10 Pricing on request · 14-day trial Free trial✓ 3 of 3 features Visit Splunk

Quest Spotlight leads on 0 checks, Splunk Database Monitoring on 0, and 4 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 4 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreQuest Spotlight · 8.6/10
  • Free trialonly Splunk Database Monitoring

Quest Spotlight scores higher on our rubric for database monitoring: 8.6 against 8.4 out of 10; our editors rank them #6 and #8.

On deployment model, Splunk Database Monitoring gives you Hybrid where Quest Spotlight offers Self-hosted.

Quest Spotlight is the better fit for SQL Server-focused Windows monitoring. Splunk Database Monitoring is the better fit for splunk users correlating database and application data.

  • Quest Spotlight fits best

    SQL Server-focused Windows monitoring

  • Splunk Database Monitoring fits best

    Splunk users correlating database and application data

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Side by side

Feature Quest Spotlight 8.6/10 Visit ↗ Splunk Database Monitoring 8.4/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 8.6 8.4
Ranking #6 in Database Monitoring #8 in Database Monitoring
Best for SQL Server-focused Windows monitoring Splunk users correlating database and application data
Pricing model Paid Paid
Starting price Pricing on request Pricing on request · 14-day trial
Free plan — —
Free trial — 14 days
Deployment Self-hosted Cloud
Platforms Windows Web
Support Docs, Tickets Tickets, Phone, Community, Docs
Integrations 2 integrations 3 integrations
Built for Mid-market, Enterprise Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Quest Spotlight 3/3 · Splunk Database Monitoring 3/3
Query profiling ✓ ✓
Wait and lock analysis ✓ ✓
Execution plans ✓ ✓
Specs
Supported databases Microsoft SQL Server; Spotlight also has separate editions for Oracle, DB2 and other platforms Microsoft SQL Server, MySQL, Oracle Database, PostgreSQL
Deployment model Self-hosted Hybrid
Data retention Not checked yet Not checked yet
Our review
Pros
  • Agentless monitoring with workload, wait-stat, and deadlock analysis
  • Historical incident playback, trending, and automated performance alerts
  • Query tuning integration, execution plans, and replication monitoring
  • Detailed query, execution-plan, wait-state, and blocking analysis
  • Correlates database behavior with traces and host resource metrics
  • Generative AI recommendations for complex SQL queries
Cons
  • Windows-only deployment narrows its platform fit
  • Pricing requires contacting sales
  • Self-hosted deployment is not suited to cloud-only teams
  • No free plan is available
  • Supports four database engines
  • Normalized queries and samples have 15-day retention
Our verdict

Quest Spotlight is a database performance monitoring and diagnostics product family for database administrators. The current Spotlight on SQL Server Enterprise plan is designed for SQL Server environments and provides 24x7 agentless…

Read the review →

Splunk Database Monitoring is a cloud service within Splunk Observability Cloud for DevOps, ITOps, and SRE teams that need database performance visibility alongside application and infrastructure data. It focuses on Microsoft SQL Server,…

Read the review →
  1. Quest SpotlightDatabase Monitoring 8.6Pricing on request
  2. Splunk Database MonitoringDatabase Monitoring 8.4Pricing on request · 14-day trial

Strengths and trade-offs

  • Quest Spotlight — where it wins

    • Agentless monitoring with workload, wait-stat, and deadlock analysis
    • Historical incident playback, trending, and automated performance alerts
    • Query tuning integration, execution plans, and replication monitoring

    Where it doesn't

    • Windows-only deployment narrows its platform fit
    • Pricing requires contacting sales
    • Self-hosted deployment is not suited to cloud-only teams

  • Splunk Database Monitoring — where it wins

    • Detailed query, execution-plan, wait-state, and blocking analysis
    • Correlates database behavior with traces and host resource metrics
    • Generative AI recommendations for complex SQL queries

    Where it doesn't

    • No free plan is available
    • Supports four database engines
    • Normalized queries and samples have 15-day retention
  • Quest Spotlight8.6/10 · Pricing on request

    A mature, SQL Server-focused monitor with deep diagnostics and self-hosted deployment.

    Visit QuestFull verdict →
  • Splunk Database Monitoring8.4/10 · Pricing on request · 14-day trial

    A focused cloud service for correlating database, application, and infrastructure performance.

    Visit SplunkFull verdict →

More comparisons

All database monitoring comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update