The only monitoring platform with native ClickHouse support →

Market roundup

Database monitoring alternatives

Honest comparison of the main database monitoring tools on the market. What each does well, what each gets wrong, and which one fits your situation.

At a glance

ToolEnginesPricing model
Datadog Database MonitoringPostgreSQL, MySQL, SQL Server, Oracle$70/host/mo + $23/host/mo infrastructure prerequisite ($93/host/mo effective)
pganalyzePostgreSQL onlyPer-server, tiered by size (quote-based)
AWS Performance InsightsRDS & Aurora only (PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQL Server, Oracle, MariaDB)Free tier (7 days retention); paid tier for long-term retention
New Relic Database MonitoringPostgreSQL, MySQL, SQL Server, MongoDB, and moreUser-based + data-ingest model (GB ingested)
Self-hosted Prometheus + GrafanaAny (with the right exporter)Free software; infrastructure + engineering time are the real costs
BasiraPostgreSQL, ClickHouse (MySQL coming)Flat $29/database/mo — same for primaries, replicas, PG, and ClickHouse
#1

Datadog Database Monitoring

Database monitoring as part of a full observability platform

Engines

PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQL Server, Oracle

Pricing

$70/host/mo + $23/host/mo infrastructure prerequisite ($93/host/mo effective)

Strengths

  • ✓Full-stack correlation from APM traces down to slow queries
  • ✓Mature alerting platform with composite monitors, SLOs, anomaly detection
  • ✓Hundreds of integrations across the broader stack
  • ✓Trusted at large enterprise scale

Trade-offs

  • −Per-host pricing compounds quickly with read replicas and large fleets
  • −Requires the infra monitoring product as a prerequisite
  • −No native Database Monitoring for ClickHouse
  • −Significant learning surface for teams that don't need the full platform

Best for: Teams already invested in Datadog who value one pane of glass across the entire stack.

Deeper comparison →

#2

pganalyze

Mature, PostgreSQL-focused monitoring and advisor

Engines

PostgreSQL only

Pricing

Per-server, tiered by size (quote-based)

Strengths

  • ✓Deep PostgreSQL-specific features: index advisor, buffer cache analysis, query plan history
  • ✓Strong presence and credibility in the Postgres community
  • ✓Years of refinement on one engine

Trade-offs

  • −PostgreSQL only — no ClickHouse, MySQL, or other engines
  • −Pricing not listed publicly and scales with server size
  • −Setup is more configuration-heavy than agent-native alternatives

Best for: Teams running only PostgreSQL who need deep PG-specific analysis and can absorb per-server pricing.

Deeper comparison →

#3

AWS Performance Insights

Built-in RDS / Aurora monitoring

Engines

RDS & Aurora only (PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQL Server, Oracle, MariaDB)

Pricing

Free tier (7 days retention); paid tier for long-term retention

Strengths

  • ✓Built into RDS and Aurora — zero setup
  • ✓Wait-event analysis tied to AWS infrastructure metrics
  • ✓No extra agent to deploy

Trade-offs

  • −AWS-managed databases only — useless for self-managed or non-AWS deployments
  • −AWS announced that the current Performance Insights is being retired June 30, 2026
  • −No cross-account or cross-region view without building one yourself
  • −Limited query-level depth compared to purpose-built tools

Best for: Light-touch monitoring inside a single AWS account when you don't need deep analysis — but plan your exit before the 2026 retirement.

Deeper comparison →

#4

New Relic Database Monitoring

Database monitoring as part of a full observability platform

Engines

PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQL Server, MongoDB, and more

Pricing

User-based + data-ingest model (GB ingested)

Strengths

  • ✓Integrated with application APM and infrastructure monitoring
  • ✓Free tier for small usage
  • ✓Broad ecosystem of integrations

Trade-offs

  • −Data-ingest pricing is unpredictable — spikes during incidents increase cost
  • −Query-level depth lighter than tools dedicated to databases
  • −No first-class ClickHouse Database Monitoring

Best for: Teams already on New Relic who want consolidated billing across APM and database telemetry.

#5

Self-hosted Prometheus + Grafana

DIY monitoring with open-source exporters

Engines

Any (with the right exporter)

Pricing

Free software; infrastructure + engineering time are the real costs

Strengths

  • ✓Fully owned and controllable — no vendor lock-in
  • ✓Open ecosystem of exporters (postgres_exporter, clickhouse-exporter)
  • ✓Fits naturally into existing Kubernetes/Prometheus stacks

Trade-offs

  • −Query-level analysis (pg_stat_statements fingerprinting, top queries) takes meaningful engineering work
  • −Long-term retention of high-cardinality query data needs a dedicated TSDB or warehouse
  • −You maintain exporters, dashboards, and alert rules as engine versions evolve
  • −No built-in AI or optimization suggestions

Best for: Platform teams with deep observability expertise and the time to build and maintain custom pipelines.

#6

Basira

Purpose-built, agent-native database monitoring for PG + ClickHouse

Engines

PostgreSQL, ClickHouse (MySQL coming)

Pricing

Flat $29/database/mo — same for primaries, replicas, PG, and ClickHouse

Strengths

  • ✓First-class native ClickHouse monitoring (parts, merges, mutations)
  • ✓Predictable flat per-database pricing — no cardinality or ingest surprises
  • ✓API-first lifecycle — entire signup-to-monitoring flow is scriptable
  • ✓AI-assisted query optimization suggestions

Trade-offs

  • −No trace-to-query correlation with application APM
  • −Fewer integrations than full-stack platforms
  • −MySQL support is on the roadmap, not shipped

Best for: Teams that want dedicated database monitoring with multi-engine coverage, predictable pricing, and automation-friendly setup.

Which should you pick?

If you're already on Datadog / New Relic and happy

Adding the database module to your existing platform is usually the right call. The integration value is real, and ripping out observability tooling is disruptive.

If database monitoring is the primary need

A purpose-built tool will give you better query-level depth and predictable pricing. Basira if you run ClickHouse or want flat pricing; pganalyze if PostgreSQL is your only engine.

If you're on AWS Performance Insights

Start planning your migration. AWS is retiring the current Performance Insights on June 30, 2026. See the AWS PI migration guide.

If you're cost-sensitive

Flat per-database pricing wins at scale. More on this in our breakdown of why database monitoring costs spiral.

If you run ClickHouse

Your options narrow fast. Most tools treat ClickHouse as an infrastructure component. Basira offers native ClickHouse monitoring with part merges, mutations, and MergeTree-specific diagnostics.

Try Basira free

Run it alongside your current tool and see how the data compares. No credit card required.

Start Free Trial