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SolarWinds Observability Self-Hosted brings network, server, application, and infrastructure monitoring into an environment you manage. Formerly known as Hybrid Cloud Observability, it runs on the SolarWinds Platform and can be deployed on-premises or on supported cloud infrastructure under your control.
Selecting an Observability Self-Hosted license involves three decisions: required capabilities, licensed node capacity, and deployment scale. Start with your monitoring inventory, then compare the tiers and confirm any additional entitlements before approving an order.
- Feature tiers: Essentials, Advanced, and Premier.
- License model: Node-based, term subscription; current public offers use multi-year contracts billed annually.
- Enterprise scale: Available from 500 nodes; required above 1,500 nodes.
- Activation: Online or offline through SolarWinds License Manager.
- Quotation inputs: Node types, capacity, tier, installation layout, contract term, and existing licenses.
Request Observability Self-Hosted Pricing: Send your device and server inventory, required monitoring capabilities, current SolarWinds version, and planned deployment. Include existing license details for renewals or conversions.
Share your node inventory, required capabilities, and deployment plans for a SolarWinds Observability Self-Hosted quotation.
Which Observability Self-Hosted License Do You Need?
Choose the capability tier first, then assess node capacity and Enterprise requirements. Enterprise is a scale option for each tier, rather than a fourth feature tier.
| Your Requirement | Option to Evaluate | What to Confirm Before Ordering |
|---|---|---|
| Core network, server, application, and log monitoring | Essentials | Node capacity and required monitoring scope |
| Flow analysis, network configuration, virtualization, and server configuration monitoring | Advanced | Required capabilities, supported release, and cloud-connected feature prerequisites |
| Advanced capabilities plus storage and web performance monitoring | Premier | Included entitlements and applicable value-based resource weights |
| Additional polling engines, HA, lab licensing, and multi-instance oversight at enterprise scale | Enterprise option for the selected tier | Node threshold, architecture, and included scalability components |
Review our SolarWinds licensing portfolio for other products. If you are comparing existing individual modules, use the SolarWinds NPM license and SolarWinds NCM license pages to identify your current monitoring scope before requesting conversion terms.
How Observability Self-Hosted Licenses Are Counted
Count monitored nodes according to the selected tier’s rules. Under the documented model, ping-only ICMP nodes do not consume capacity, but adding application monitoring, configuration profiles, interfaces, or other services can make them count. Monitored IP addresses in IPAM do not consume the node-based capacity.
Premier offers value-based licensing, so some entity types consume a fraction of a node license. Separate physical devices, virtual machines, containers, and wireless resources in your inventory; do not apply one counting rule to every resource. Confirm the current weights against your proposed entitlement.
Flexible licensing allows node allocations across multiple installations using one license. Record the capacity assigned to each instance so the combined allocation matches the purchased entitlement.
Ordering Guide and Deployment Example
Your bill of materials should identify the tier, node capacity, Standard or Enterprise scale, contract dates, and separately required products or services. Use the supplier-confirmed part numbers in the quotation; product names and historical module codes are not substitutes for verified ordering SKUs.
Example: A 600-Node Distributed Environment
Suppose an organization monitors 600 physical network devices and servers across two sites. It needs flow analysis, configuration monitoring, and additional polling capacity.
- Evaluate Advanced for the required capabilities.
- Evaluate the Enterprise option for included polling and scale requirements.
- Allocate the 600-node entitlement between installations where applicable.
- Confirm growth capacity, HA requirements, and implementation services.
This is a planning example. Final sizing must account for actual resource types, polling load, and the approved architecture.
Prepare These Details for License Selection
Provide node counts by resource type, monitored applications, site layout, existing modules, platform version, and connectivity restrictions. Include subscription dates and Customer Portal ownership details for renewals or conversions.
Observability Self-Hosted Pricing & Quote
As of October 2026, SolarWinds publishes starting prices of US$8 for Essentials, US$14 for Advanced, and US$17.50 for Premier per node per month. These are vendor starting prices for multi-year contracts billed annually, not standalone monthly billing or a GoLicense quotation.
The actual order depends on capacity, tier, Enterprise requirements, term, and conversion eligibility. Confirm currency, taxes, implementation services, support, and any separately licensed integrations in the offer. Ask for the annual payable amount and total contract commitment.
SEM and ARM integration support does not include those products’ licenses. Review your existing entitlements before adding them to an order. Our How to Buy guide explains the quotation and order-confirmation process.
Buying, Delivery and Activation with GoLicense
1. Confirm the Licensing Scope
Submit your inventory and architecture. Confirm the tier, node allocation, contract dates, delivery method, expected timeframe, and activation assistance in the quotation.
2. Confirm Customer Portal Ownership
Identify the organization and administrator that should control the entitlement. For an existing deployment, confirm the portal account and current license inventory before processing a renewal or conversion.
3. Receive and Verify the License
Check the supplied entitlement against the order. Verify the product, tier, node capacity, and subscription dates. Activation keys are available through the SolarWinds Customer Portal under Licenses > Manage Licenses.
4. Activate and Validate
In the Platform Web Console, open Settings > All Settings > License Manager. Select Observability Self-Hosted, click Activate, enter the activation key, and allocate the required nodes to that installation.
After activation, confirm the displayed tier and capacity. Discover the intended nodes, verify polling and credentials, then test dashboards and an alert workflow before completing acceptance.
Offline Activation and Restricted Networks
For a disconnected installation, start activation in License Manager and copy its Machine ID. From an internet-connected system, use the Customer Portal’s manual activation workflow to generate a .LIC file, then transfer and upload it to the target installation.
Offline activation does not make cloud-connected features available without connectivity. Platform Connect requires internet access; assess connected AI features separately. For license moves, plan the deactivation and reactivation sequence before making changes.
Before You Order: Prerequisites and Common Mistakes
Pre-Order Checklist
- Confirm the tier and licensed resource inventory.
- Review server, database, storage, and port requirements for the target release.
- Document polling capacity, HA, and site connectivity.
- Confirm monitoring credentials and permissions.
- Identify Customer Portal and activation ownership.
- Review existing licenses and the proposed conversion path.
Common Buying and Activation Issues
Confusing Self-Hosted with SaaS: Confirm who hosts and operates the platform and which cloud entitlements are included.
Ignoring Enterprise thresholds: A deployment above 1,500 nodes requires Enterprise licensing.
Counting every resource equally: Apply the selected tier’s rules, particularly for Premier value-based licensing.
Assuming offline feature parity: Confirm which capabilities depend on Platform Connect before purchasing for a restricted network.
Renewing too late: The documented model stops polling new data when the subscription expires. Plan renewal before the contract end date.
Ready to order? Send your monitoring requirements and request an Observability Self-Hosted quote.