Netwrix Auditor Alternatives for AD and File Server Auditing

Netwrix Auditor is an on-premises change and access auditing tool for Active Directory, Entra ID, file servers and Microsoft 365, with add-ons for Exchange, SharePoint, SQL Server, Oracle, VMware, network devices and NAS platforms. It is alive under the same name. Netwrix's release forum lists version 10.9, which added State-in-Time reporting and risk assessment for Azure Files, and 10.9 Update 1 (build 10.9.16400) posted in September 2026.

Pricing is the usual trigger for a search. The Auditor page asks most buyers to request pricing, and self-service checkout is open only to organisations with up to 150 employees. Others want SaaS instead of servers, a tool that also manages permissions, or a vendor with a published price list. The picks start with the closest like-for-like auditors and move on to log management and data security platforms.

Some readers searching here actually need delegated AD administration rather than auditing. For that, see our Adaxes alternatives guide. Privacy tools such as Seers and PrivIQ are left out, since they do not audit AD changes.

Prices below are as of November 6, 2026. Our method is on How we review tools.

Quick comparison

ManageEngine ADAudit Plus

ADAudit Plus covers the same core ground as Auditor, AD changes, logons and file access, and it prints its prices. The ADAudit Plus price page lists Standard from $595 a year for 2 domain controllers up to $4,395 for 20, and Professional from $945 to $6,595.

Add-ons are priced separately: Windows file server auditing from $495 a year for 2 servers, NAS from $595 for 1, and an Azure AD tenant at $995 a year. A 30-day evaluation is offered, which is long enough to compare reports against Auditor's on the same domain.

Best for: Mid-sized Windows shops that want to price AD and file auditing without a sales call.

Pricing:

• Standard: $595 a year (2 DCs) to $4,395 (20 DCs)
• Professional: $945 a year (2 DCs) to $6,595 (20 DCs)
• File server add-on: $495 a year for 2 servers; NAS add-on from $595 a year
• Azure AD tenant: $995 a year; 30-day evaluation

Watch out for:

• The price table stops at 20 domain controllers and shows yearly terms only; bigger estates get a quote.
• Each extra source is its own add-on, so a mixed AD, file server, NAS and Entra estate adds up across four lines.

Official site: ManageEngine ADAudit Plus.

Lepide Data Security Platform

Lepide splits its platform into modules, including Auditor, Trust, Detect, Identify and Protect. The Lepide site lists AD, Windows file servers, Microsoft 365, Copilot, Exchange, SharePoint, SQL, Nutanix, Nasuni and Entra ID as covered sources, which is close to Auditor's list.

Copilot is on that list too, for teams that need to see what Microsoft's assistant touched. Lepide also gives away tools such as Account Lockout Examiner, Open Shares Report and an AD Risk Assessment, plus a free data risk assessment.

Best for: Teams that want Auditor-style coverage and Copilot activity from one vendor.

Pricing:

• No public price; custom quote
• Free data risk assessment and free standalone tools

Watch out for:

• No trial length is stated, so hands-on testing runs through a demo or assessment.
• Prices come by quote form only, which makes side-by-side budgeting with Netwrix slow.

Official site: Lepide Data Security Platform.

Quest Change Auditor

Quest's Change Auditor answers who changed what, when and from where across AD, Entra ID, Exchange, SQL Server and file systems, with real-time alerts. One feature Auditor users notice is that it can roll back some unwanted changes, according to an independent vendor review from June 2026.

Quest is owned by Clearlake Capital. Licensing is quote-based through Quest sales, usually perpetual or subscription with maintenance, and the product is built for on-premises deployment, much like Auditor.

Best for: Large AD estates that want alerting and partial rollback on top of change records.

Pricing:

• No public price; quote on request
• Perpetual or subscription, with maintenance

Watch out for:

• The same review calls it heavier than needed for teams that want a lightweight SaaS tool.
• It focuses on change auditing, not attack-path analysis or SaaS identity coverage.

Official site: Quest Change Auditor.

Netwrix 1Secure

Netwrix's own banner on the Auditor page reads "Looking for Auditor in the cloud? Try Netwrix 1Secure." It is the SaaS sibling: no on-premises server, and the Netwrix self-service page lists it from $22 per identity for organisations with up to 150 employees or 250 identities.

That same page lists Auditor Essentials at $20 per enabled AD or Entra user, so the cloud route costs about the same per head. Netwrix also sells a 1Secure edition for managed service providers who audit several clients from one console, and offers a 14-day trial with full access.

Best for: Netwrix customers who want to stop running audit servers, and MSPs auditing many small tenants.

Pricing:

• Self-service: from $22 per identity, up to 250 identities
• Minimum one-year commitment; no monthly self-service plan
• Larger organisations: quote; 14-day trial

Watch out for:

• Self-service purchases include community access but not ticketed Netwrix support.
• It comes from the same vendor, so it will not fix problems with Netwrix licensing or support you are trying to leave.

Official site: Netwrix 1Secure.

ManageEngine EventLog Analyzer

EventLog Analyzer is licensed by log source rather than by domain controller, which suits estates where AD is only part of what you must log. It is priced by log source, and the EventLog Analyzer price page lists 10 sources at $795 a year or $2,386 perpetual, rising to 100 sources at $6,395 a year.

Cloud accounts start at $995 a year for one, and endpoints at $245 a year for 100. The perpetual option is something ADAudit Plus does not list, which helps buyers who prefer capital spend.

Best for: Security teams that need one log tool for AD plus other devices and cloud accounts.

Pricing:

• Log sources: 10 for $795 a year or $2,386 perpetual; 25 for $1,945 a year; 100 for $6,395 a year; 250 for $13,995 a year
• Cloud accounts: 1 for $995 a year
• Endpoints: 100 for $245 a year

Watch out for:

• Log sources, cloud accounts and endpoints are priced in three separate tables, so a mixed estate needs careful counting.
• It is a log management tool, so AD-specific change reports take more setup than in a dedicated auditor such as ADAudit Plus.

Official site: ManageEngine EventLog Analyzer.

Varonis

Varonis sells data security more than audit reports. Its product lines are the Data Security Platform, Atlas AI Security, next-generation database activity monitoring and Interceptor email security. Its coverage list includes Active Directory and Windows file shares, each tagged SaaS.

Ownership is changing. Proofpoint agreed to buy Varonis on October 15, 2026. The cash offer is $49.75 per share, roughly $6.3 billion, and the deal should close in the first half of 2027.

Best for: Enterprises that want data security across files, databases, AI tools and email, not only compliance reports.

Pricing:

• No public price; request a demo
• Also sold through AWS, Azure, Salesforce and Snowflake marketplaces

Watch out for:

• A pending acquisition can change pricing, packaging and roadmap. Ask for contract protections.
• Every product on the coverage page carries a SaaS tag, so confirm how on-premises sources connect.

Official site: Varonis.

SolarWinds Access Rights Manager

Auditor tells you who changed a permission. SolarWinds ARM also lets you grant and remove it. The ARM product page lists permission analysis across AD, file servers, SharePoint, Exchange, OneDrive and Teams, role-based provisioning templates, temporary access and a self-service portal, with GDPR, PCI DSS and HIPAA reports.

It offers a fully functional 30-day trial. SolarWinds itself has been private since Turn/River completed its purchase on April 16, 2025. If ARM itself is on your shortlist, the SolarWinds ARM alternatives page weighs it against other permission managers.

Best for: IT teams that want to fix excessive permissions, not only report on them.

Pricing:

• No public price; quote on request
• 30-day fully functional trial

Watch out for:

• Its change auditing is narrower than Auditor's list of SQL, Oracle, VMware and network device sources.
• No starting figure is shown on the product page, so budgets wait for a quote.

Official site: SolarWinds Access Rights Manager.

How to choose

When to stay with Netwrix Auditor

Keep Netwrix Auditor if you rely on its breadth: one console for AD, Entra ID, file servers, Microsoft 365, SQL Server, Oracle, VMware, network devices and NAS boxes from NetApp, Dell, Nutanix, Qumulo and Synology. Few rivals cover that many on-premises sources. Netwrix is still shipping releases, and the release forum shows a beta add-on for Pure Storage FlashArray file auditing from September 2026.

Frequently asked questions