WhatsUp Gold
Progress® WhatsUp® Gold is a unified network monitoring platform designed for IT teams that need to manage infrastructure health, network performance, traffic analysis, and security from a single console.
Publisher review
Progress® WhatsUp® Gold is a unified network monitoring platform designed for IT teams that need to manage infrastructure health, network performance, traffic analysis, and security from a single console. Founded in 1995 and headquartered in Boston, MA, it targets small-to-medium businesses through large enterprises, supporting up to 25,000 devices per instance. The tool is especially suited for organizations looking to replace multiple point solutions with an integrated system that provides real-time visibility into servers, network devices, applications, and cloud resources. It offers a free trial and a free version, making it accessible for evaluation before commitment.
The platform works by automatically discovering devices and mapping network topology, then continuously monitoring availability, performance, and traffic flows. Key capabilities include NetFlow/IPFIX monitoring, application performance monitoring, certificate discovery and monitoring (automatically detecting SSL/TLS certificates to prevent outages), log management, virtualization monitoring, and configuration management. Advanced features like Network Traffic Analysis Plus (NTA+) and threat detection with encrypted traffic analysis provide deeper security insights. The 2025.0 release emphasizes proactive monitoring with enhanced certificate discovery and actionable insights. Scalability is handled via Distributed Mode and Scalability Pollers, with High Availability options for uptime.
In the network monitoring market, WhatsUp Gold competes directly with SolarWinds, PRTG, ManageEngine OpManager, and Site24x7. Progress positions it as a simpler alternative to SolarWinds, with a dedicated comparison page and an on-demand webinar titled 'Why Enterprises Are Choosing Progress WhatsUp Gold Over SolarWinds.' It holds a 4.5 out of 5 rating on Capterra, G2 Crowd, Gartner Peer Insights, and Software Advice, and a 4 out of 5 on Spiceworks. Its 30-year history and customer logos including Citi, HP, AT&T, Ford, and Nestlé indicate established enterprise credibility, though it lacks the market share of SolarWinds.
The honest trade-offs: While WhatsUp Gold offers out-of-the-box functionality, some users report that sensor-based licensing and noisy auto-discovery can cause initial configuration headaches. The Business tier starts at $1,229 per year for 50 devices with only 10/5 email support, which may feel limited for teams needing rapid phone support. The Enterprise Scale plan for 100k+ devices requires a custom quote, making large-scale deployments less transparent in pricing. Additionally, some users prefer SolarWinds due to perceived better support responsiveness, though Progress counters with 24/5 phone and email support on higher tiers.
How it works
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Unified Infrastructure Monitoring
Monitors servers, network devices, applications, and cloud resources from a single dashboard, minimizing the need for multiple tools.
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Advanced Network Performance Analytics
Tracks bandwidth utilization, latency, and traffic patterns using NetFlow/IPFIX monitoring for deep performance insights.
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Threat Detection and Response
Includes encrypted traffic analysis, threat hunting, and forensic analysis to detect unknown and insider threats.
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Certificate Discovery and Monitoring
Automatically detects and tracks SSL/TLS certificates to prevent outages caused by expired certificates.
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Scalability Pollers and High Availability
Supports up to 25,000 devices per instance with distributed polling and failover options for continuous monitoring.
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Log Management and Configuration Management
Centralizes log data and tracks configuration changes across network devices for compliance and troubleshooting.
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End-user Experience Monitoring
Measures application performance from the user's perspective to identify slowdowns before they impact productivity.
Strengths and trade-offs
Strengths
- Unified platform reduces tool sprawl by combining infrastructure, traffic, and threat monitoring in one console.
- Out-of-the-box functionality includes automatic discovery and topology mapping, minimizing setup time.
- Holds a 4.5 out of 5 rating on Capterra, G2 Crowd, Gartner Peer Insights, and Software Advice.
- Supports up to 25,000 devices per instance with distributed polling and high availability for enterprise-scale environments.
Trade-offs
- Sensor-based licensing and noisy auto-discovery can lead to unexpected costs or configuration overhead.
- Business tier at $1,229/year for 50 devices includes only 10/5 email support, no phone support.
- Enterprise Scale plan for 100k+ devices requires a custom quote, lacking transparent per-device pricing.
- Some users report preferring SolarWinds due to better support responsiveness, despite Progress offering 24/5 support on higher tiers.
Pricing context
Business: $1,229/year for 50 devices, single install, 10/5 email support. Enterprise: $2,049/year for 50 devices, up to 2 installs, 24/5 phone & email. Enterprise Plus: $3,469/year for 50 devices, up to 4 installs.
Enterprise Scale: custom quote for 100k+ devices. Add-on Network Detection & Response Lite from $866/year.
Getting started with WhatsUp Gold
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Sign up for trial
Go to the Progress WhatsUp Gold website and click the free trial button. Fill in your business email and contact details to receive a download link and license key for a 30-day evaluation.
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Install and launch
Download the installer and run it on a Windows server. Follow the setup wizard to accept the license agreement, choose installation directory, and complete the installation. Launch the console after setup finishes.
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Configure auto-discovery
In the console, navigate to the Discovery section. Enter your network IP ranges or subnets, select SNMP credentials if applicable, and start the discovery process. Wait for the tool to map devices and topology automatically.
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Set up monitoring alerts
After discovery, review the list of detected devices. Define alert thresholds for critical metrics like CPU usage, memory, and interface errors. Configure notification methods such as email or SNMP traps for when thresholds are exceeded.
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View dashboard and reports
Open the main dashboard to see real-time status of all monitored devices. Customize widgets to display key performance indicators. Generate a report on network health or traffic patterns to share with your team.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is WhatsUp Gold used for?
WhatsUp Gold is a unified network monitoring platform that helps IT teams manage infrastructure health, network performance, traffic analysis, and security from a single console. It supports up to 25,000 devices per instance and targets small to large enterprises.
How much does WhatsUp Gold cost?
WhatsUp Gold pricing starts at $1,229 per year for 50 devices on the Business tier, which includes only email support. The Enterprise tier costs $2,049 per year for 50 devices with 24/5 phone and email support. Enterprise Scale requires a custom quote.
What are the key features of WhatsUp Gold?
Key features include unified infrastructure monitoring for servers and cloud resources, advanced network performance analytics with NetFlow/IPFIX, threat detection with encrypted traffic analysis, certificate discovery and monitoring, and scalability pollers supporting up to 25,000 devices per instance.
How does WhatsUp Gold compare to SolarWinds?
Progress positions WhatsUp Gold as a simpler alternative to SolarWinds, with a dedicated comparison page and webinar. While it holds a 4.5 rating on Capterra and G2, some users prefer SolarWinds for support responsiveness. WhatsUp Gold offers out-of-the-box functionality but has sensor-based licensing.
What is the device limit for WhatsUp Gold?
WhatsUp Gold supports up to 25,000 devices per instance. For larger deployments, the Enterprise Scale plan handles over 100,000 devices with a custom quote. Scalability is managed through Distributed Mode and Scalability Pollers, with High Availability options for uptime.
Does WhatsUp Gold offer a free trial?
Yes, WhatsUp Gold offers a free trial and a free version, making it accessible for evaluation before commitment. This allows IT teams to test its automatic discovery, topology mapping, and monitoring capabilities without upfront cost, helping assess fit for their environment.
Alternatives
How WhatsUp Gold compares
Direct head-to-head against 3 competitors. Picked by 7wData.
WhatsUp Gold
- Pricing
- Business: $1,229/year for 50 devices, single install, 10/5 email support. Enterprise: $2,049/year for 50 devices, up to 2 installs, 24/5 phone & email. Enterprise Plus: $3,469/year for 50 devices, up to 4 installs. Enterprise Scale: custom quote for 100k+ devices. Add-on Network Detection & Response Lite from $866/year.
- Target
- Progress® WhatsUp® Gold is a unified network monitoring platform designed for IT teams that need to manage infrastructure health, network performance, traffic analysis, and security
- Strength
- Unified platform reduces tool sprawl by combining infrastructure, traffic, and threat monitoring in one console.
- Watch for
- Sensor-based licensing and noisy auto-discovery can lead to unexpected costs or configuration overhead.
SolarWinds Observability
- Pricing
- Starts at $1,999/year for up to 100 elements; add-on modules cost extra.
- Target
- IT teams needing deep network performance and traffic analysis.
- Deployment
- On-premises, cloud, or hybrid.
- Strength
- NetFlow traffic analysis and broad protocol support for complex networks.
- Watch for
- High total cost with many add-on modules; complex initial setup.
ManageEngine OpManager
- Pricing
- Starts at $245/year for 10 devices; unlimited devices at $14,995/year.
- Target
- Midsize IT teams seeking feature-rich monitoring at a lower price.
- Deployment
- On-premises or cloud.
- Strength
- More built-in features at similar starting price, no feature gating.
- Watch for
- Performance can degrade in very large deployments; interface feels dated.
Paessler PRTG
- Pricing
- Free for up to 100 sensors; then starts at $1,750/year for 500 sensors.
- Target
- Small to midsize teams wanting easy setup and all-in-one monitoring.
- Deployment
- On-premises or cloud.
- Strength
- Quick setup with auto-discovery and preconfigured sensors.
- Watch for
- Custom sensor creation can be complex; scaling costs rise with sensor count.
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Sources
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