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BlueCat Integrity vs SolarWinds IPAM comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Categories and Ranking

BlueCat Integrity
Ranking in IP Address Management (IPAM) Tools
1st
Average Rating
8.8
Reviews Sentiment
7.4
Number of Reviews
23
Ranking in other categories
Managed DNS (4th), DDI (1st)
SolarWinds IPAM
Ranking in IP Address Management (IPAM) Tools
3rd
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
8.2
Number of Reviews
10
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of February 2025, in the IP Address Management (IPAM) Tools category, the mindshare of BlueCat Integrity is 13.4%, up from 11.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of SolarWinds IPAM is 16.1%, down from 26.8% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
IP Address Management (IPAM) Tools
 

Featured Reviews

Ryan Michael Patterson - PeerSpot reviewer
Provides a single pane of glass, a user-friendly GUI, and is extremely reliable
Currently, a significant portion of automation within our infrastructure relies on custom-written scripts. For instance, every time we require automated IP address space updates, we must develop the script ourselves. Looking forward, I would welcome pre-existing scripts readily deployable within our infrastructure to alleviate this burden. BlueCat currently meets our core needs, and we appreciate their service. However, we believe the platform could benefit from significant improvements, particularly in terms of ongoing maintenance and the implementation of new features. One crucial area for development is IPv6 support. As we transition to this newer networking protocol, we lack robust tools and functionalities tailored to IPv6 within BlueCat. Consequently, we'd like to see greater investment from BlueCat in building out their IPv6 feature set.
Hisham Sahid - PeerSpot reviewer
A stable and scalable tool meant for IP address management
I am unsure if SolarWinds IPAM is good for network management. I know that the tool can manage IP addresses. From any improvement perspective, SolarWinds IPAM should consider working on the area where the tool lacks, which is its network management capabilities. SolarWinds IPAM offers the functionalities it has promised to my company. There is nothing much that one can expect from a tool meant to manage IP addresses.

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"One of the better things about Integrity is that the underlying code it uses is an ISC DNS and DHCP. It's not like some of the other vendors that have created their own version of DNS."
"The most valuable feature is the IPAMs, which provide visibility into all the IP addresses on the network."
"The most significant advantage of BlueCat is its foundation on open-source software, specifically BIND and ISC DHCP."
"BlueCat saved us money in terms of a life-and-death scenario and the stress factors that surround that in a healthcare environment. We generally don't have downtime in our DATP environments anymore. The clinics and the hospitals can continue to operate and not be in that position to be down."
"DNS aliases, which we use extensively in our applications are a valuable feature."
"BlueCat Integrity's scalability and user-friendliness are the most valuable features."
"The most valuable aspect is its user-friendly interface. It is straightforward to use."
"Since implementing BlueCat, we have experienced fewer problems, anomalies, and strange issues."
"Its setup is simple. Its interface is simple. It's very easy to manage."
"I am impressed with the product's reports."
"I would recommend this solution for all companies that have to deal with a lot of networks."
"Scalability-wise, I rate the solution a ten out of ten."
"The most valuable feature of SolarWinds IPAM is its automated IP address management. Instead of working with Excel sheets, it's automated and saves a lot of time and effort. Additionally, it is adaptable, IT managers enjoy it, and it is high quality."
"The initial setup is straightforward. It takes about half a day, and it can be done by one engineer."
"The product is user-friendly and valuable."
"I like the option to keep all of the available and used IPAM addresses in the central organization."
 

Cons

"While knowledge is a factor, both technical support and training need a significant overhaul."
"The ease of use is where I got to give a little knock on them. Once you start using the tool, it becomes very easy. It's actually quite easy to use. The problem that I run into is documentation. The documentation could be a little bit richer. Documentation has always been a little pet peeve for me with them."
"Usability needs to be better."
"Unfortunately, BlueCat Integrity doesn't support bulk Content Security Policy configuration."
"The integration has room for improvement."
"Adaptive DNS only supports AWS for network automation and cloud computing and would be improved if it also supported other options like Azure or Google Cloud."
"One crucial area for development is IPv6 support."
"While the product is IPAM, DNS, and DHCP, it does provide NTP functionality, but one of the things that they have yet to correct or catch up with is NTP authentication. There are new standards being pushed out and they are lagging a little bit in supporting them."
"SolarWinds IPAM offers premium support, but the customer has to pay more money, and then they will have minimal response times."
"Sometimes we have to wait for screens to load, so faster operations would be better."
"The product needs to improve its support. The response time is long and not very helpful."
"My understanding is that IPAM cannot be used for the AWS environment. I might be wrong, but that's what I believe it cannot do. On AWS, SolarWinds IPAM cannot do what it does on the on-prem side. They should explore how to make IPAM capable and scalable on AWS and Azure environments."
"The installation and storage could be improved."
"Some processes are a little bit bumpy. The solution needs a design refresh."
"From any improvement perspective, SolarWinds IPAM should consider working on the area where the tool lacks, which is its network management capabilities."
"I would like more updates."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"While BlueCat falls on the expensive side, its exceptional customer service and consistent quality justify the cost."
"Compared to other solutions, BlueCat Integrity offers a competitive price."
"BlueCat Integrity is more cost-effective than Infoblox."
"We paid around $5,000 per year for SolarWinds, and now we pay around $20,000 per year for BlueCat, but we have less downtime and fewer issues with DNS and DHCP."
"BlueCat Integrity is a little expensive, but it's worth the price because it offers the flexibility and features we need in our space. We have more than 25,000 employees, and it makes sense for a network of our size. It's required for us to be compliant in the defense industry. Given the restrictions we face, we must be able to easily show that we've complied with all the regulations."
"Overall, I would say that it is priced fairly, though perhaps a bit on the high side."
"Our licensing model with BlueCat Integrity is cheaper than Infoblox."
"Overall, it's a decent price for the product. There are other vendors that have support models and costs that are, sometimes, double what Bluecat charges."
"On a scale of one to five, where one is high and five is good, I would rate this solution as a four."
"The product is costly."
"The price of SolarWinds IPAM is good. After the second year, you have to pay additional for maintenance, because the first year is included with the license maintenance and support. It's from the second year on, you have to pay about 20% of the list price for maintenance and support."
"I would rate the product's pricing a six out of ten."
"It's on the costlier side. It's expensive."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
17%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Financial Services Firm
10%
Government
7%
Manufacturing Company
14%
Computer Software Company
11%
Government
10%
Healthcare Company
9%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about BlueCat Adaptive DNS?
This inherent stability, derived from its Linux-based architecture, provides a well-established and reliable platform.
What needs improvement with BlueCat Adaptive DNS?
The solution is too granular and sometimes complex to configure. We do not always need so many details. Simpler configurations with fewer details would be beneficial. The API aspect could be improv...
What is your primary use case for BlueCat Adaptive DNS?
In the past, we did not have a DDI system, so information was distributed in different places. As our environment became more complicated with on-campus, remote offices, and cloud setups, we wanted...
What do you like most about SolarWinds IPAM?
SolarWinds IPAM is a simple and user-friendly tool.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for SolarWinds IPAM?
The product is costly. It costs around $4000 to $5000 for 25000 IPs. It has options for purchasing either perpetual or subscription based licenses. There are no additional charges involved. For ren...
 

Also Known As

BlueCat Adaptive DNS, BlueCat Automation Manager, BlueCat DDI
SolarWinds IP Address Manager
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Computer Sciences Corporation
Andr. L. Riis AS, Air Rarotonga, REA Group, Air Rarotonga, Open Line, Monroe City Schools, CTV Inc.
Find out what your peers are saying about BlueCat Integrity vs. SolarWinds IPAM and other solutions. Updated: January 2025.
838,713 professionals have used our research since 2012.