Side by side
PoWA vs SQLGrease
Both stand on database monitoring. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.
Free plan LinuxSelf-hostedWeb
PoWA provides configurable PostgreSQL monitoring and tuning features, including remote collection and hypothetical index analysis. Account for its resource overhead, the remote-password limitation, and the snapshot delay when planning a deployment.
Visit PoWA Free trial WebWindows
SQLGrease provides detailed SQL Server diagnostics, plan management, and alerting across several supported database environments. Check retention, storage tiers, and required permissions against your monitoring setup.
Visit SQLGreaseThe facts
| PoWA | SQLGrease | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | A free trial |
| Open source | Not published | Not published |
| Runs on | Linux, Self-hosted, Web | Web, Windows |
| Lowest paid plan | Free or on request | Basic: $806 a year |
| Plans published | 1 | 3 |
| Maker | Not published | Not published |
| Website | powa.readthedocs.io | sqlgrease.com |
| On database monitoring | #11 of 40 | #36 of 40 |
PoWA: what it does well
- Monitors one instance or multiple remote instances
- Can include read-only standby servers
- Supports hypothetical index analysis with HypoPG
- Allows custom statistics extensions
- Free and self-hosted
What to know first
- Requires PostgreSQL 9.4 or newer and pg_stat_statements
- Can add performance overhead and disk usage
- Remote-mode saved passwords are stored in plain text
- Queries need two snapshots to appear
SQLGrease: what it does well
- Monitors multiple SQL Server instances
- Tracks waits, plans, locks, deadlocks, CPU, and IO
- Integrates with Query Store force and unforce commands
- Masks constants before data leaves the network
- 30-day trial requires no payment information
What to know first
- No free plan
- Starts at $79 a month
- Lite stores only two hours of history
- OS performance counters require sysadmin
Alternatives to PoWA Alternatives to SQLGrease The whole list