This collection of content presents an overview of top SQL Server database auditing tools, with product page links for each of the tools and screenshots if available. If you noticed a tool we missed, please let us know in the comments below.

All database auditing tools are sorted by alphabetical order.

ApexSQL Audit
ApexSQL Log
ApexSQL Trigger
Change Auditor for SQL Server
Change Data Capture
EventLog Analyzer
LepideAuditor
LOGbinder for SQL Server
Log & Event Manager
Netwrix Auditor for SQL Server
PowerBroker Auditor
SecureSphere
Secure SQL Auditor™ (SQA)
SQL Compliance Manager
SQL Server Audit

ApexSQL Audit

Product page: ApexSQL Audit
Alexa ranking: 100,603
Status: Active
First release: Jun-2013
Last update: Jul-2018
Add-in support: No
Publisher: ApexSQL
License: Commercial license
Price: $1,699 per SQL Server instance
Free edition: No
Description: ApexSQL Audit is a SQL Server and database auditing and compliance tool with a wide range of features for auditing access, changes, and security on SQL Server instances, databases, and objects. It audits queries, DDL and DML operations, security events (authentication changes, permissions changes, and attempted logins), events on stored procedures and functions, and provides out-of-the-box compliance templates such as HIPAA, GDPR, PCI. ApexSQL Audit saves captured information in a centralized auditing repository and provides comprehensive reports.

ApexSQL Log

Product page: ApexSQL Log
Alexa ranking: 100,603
Status: Active
First release: Nov-2008
Last update: Nov-2017
Add-in support: No
Publisher: ApexSQL
License: Commercial license
Price: $1,999 per SQL Server instance
Free edition: No
Description: ApexSQL Log is an auditing and recovery tool for SQL Server databases that reads database transaction logs and audits, reverts, or replays data and object changes affecting the database. It restores updated or missing data and objects, and captures information on the user, application and host used to make each change.

ApexSQL Trigger

Product page: ApexSQL Trigger
Alexa ranking: 100,603
Status: Active
First release: Jan-2009
Last update: Jan-2018
Add-in support: No
Publisher: ApexSQL
License: Commercial license
Price: $1,299 per User
Free edition: No
Description: ApexSQL Trigger is an auditing tool for SQL Server databases which captures DML/DDL changes that have occurred including information on who made the change, which objects were affected by it, when it was made, as well as information on the SQL login, application, and host used to make the change.

Change Auditor for SQL Server

Product page: Change Auditor for SQL Server
Alexa ranking: 42,920
Status: Active
First release: Unknown
Last update: Unknown
Add-in support: No
Publisher: Quest
License: Commercial license
Price: Starts at €3,570 – Sold per enabled user account, minimum quantity 500 users
Free edition: No
Description: Change Auditor for SQL Server makes database auditing easy and secure. The tool tracks, audits, reports and alerts on changes to Microsoft® SQL Server® permissions, access, configurations and data in real time. Translate change events into simple terms to eliminate audit time and complexity.

Change Data Capture

Product page: Change Data Capture
Alexa ranking: 42
Status: Active
First release: 8/6/2008 (SQL 2008 release date)
Last update: 8/27/2018 (SQL 2017 cumulative update 10)
Add-in support: No
Publisher: Microsoft
License: N/A
Price: Free
Free edition: N/A
Description: Change data capture records insert, update, and delete activity that is applied to a SQL Server table. This makes the details of the changes available in an easily consumed relational format. Column information and the metadata that is required to apply the changes to a target environment is captured for the modified rows and stored in change tables that mirror the column structure of the tracked source tables. Table-valued functions are provided to allow systematic access to the change data by consumers.

EventLog Analyzer

Product page: EventLog Analyzer
Alexa ranking: 10,573
Status: Active
First release: Apr-2014
Last update: Jul-2018
Add-in support: No
Publisher: Manage Engine
License: Commercial license
Price: Start at $595
Free edition: Yes
Description: EventLog Analyzer is a comprehensive database activity monitoring tool that helps you monitor all database activities, accesses, and server account changes in your Microsoft SQL Server database.

LepideAuditor

Product page: LepideAuditor
Alexa ranking: 262,344
Status: Active
First release: Aug-2014
Last update: Jul-2018
Add-in support: No
Publisher: Lepide
License: Commercial license
Price: Unknown
Free edition: No
Description: Lepide’s SQL Server auditing solution tracks all changes made to SQL Server configurations, permissions, users, logins and more. You can also keep a close eye on the health of your SQL Server using LepideAuditor.

LOGbinder for SQL Server

Product page: LOGbinder for SQL Server
Alexa ranking: 2,582,377
Status: Active
First release: Oct-2014
Last update: Aug-2018
Add-in support: No
Publisher: LOGbinder
License: Commercial license
Price: Unknown
Free edition: No
Description: LOGbinder for SQL Server is a small, efficient Windows service that runs on any Windows server on your network. One instance of LOGbinder for SQL Server can process logs from many SQL Servers. LOGbinder for SQL Server can coexist with other LOGbinder products like LOGbinder for Exchange and LOGbinder for SharePoint.

Log & Event Manager

Product page: Log & Event Manager
Alexa ranking: 13,373
Status: Active
First release: Jul-2011
Last update: Jun-2018
Add-in support: No
Publisher: SolarWinds
License: Commercial license
Price: Starts at $4,364
Free edition: No
Description: Improve security and compliance with easy-to-use, affordable log management software. Detect suspicious activity, mitigate security threats, achieve auditable compliance and maintain continuous security.

Netwrix Auditor for SQL Server

Product page: Netwrix Auditor for SQL Server
Alexa ranking: 86,078
Status: Active
First release: Aug-2013
Last update: May-2018
Add-in support: No
Publisher: Netwrix
License: Commercial license
Price: Unknown
Free edition: No
Description: Netwrix Auditor for SQL Server provides actionable intelligence about all critical changes and logon events in your Microsoft SQL Server. Conduct regular SQL Server and database auditing to mitigate the risk of privilege abuse, prove IT compliance and ensure high availability of your databases.

PowerBroker Auditor

Product page: PowerBroker Auditor
Alexa ranking: 212,068
Status: Active
First release: Unknown
Last update: May-2018
Add-in support: No
Publisher: BeyondTrust
License: Commercial license
Price: Unknown
Free edition: No
Description: PowerBroker Auditor for SQL tracks and reports on Microsoft SQL Server configuration and database changes. The solution monitors the SQL Server environment in real-time and maintains a central audit log, tracking the “who, what, when and where” for changes, even revealing the exact SQL statement issued where applicable. A centralized, real-time audit database for reporting and alerting enables you to achieve compliance and enact tighter data security controls.

SecureSphere

Product page: SecureSphere
Alexa ranking: 95,085
Status: Active
First release: Unknown
Last update: Unknown
Add-in support: No
Publisher: Imperva
License: Commercial license
Price: Unknown
Free edition: No
Description: The Imperva SecureSphere platform includes database activity monitoring and a database firewall, database assessments and big data security products designed to protect databases, files and Web applications in physical and virtual environments.

Secure SQL Auditor™ (SQA)

Product page: Secure SQL Auditor
Alexa ranking: 5,486,634
Status: Active
First release: Unknown
Last update: Unknown
Add-in support: No
Publisher: Secure Bytes
License: Commercial license
Price: $559 – $699
Free edition: No
Description: Secure SQL Auditor™ (SQA) is a SQL security software that conducts security server & database auditing includes vulnerability assessment tools for SQL database server. It is a network based SQL security assessment tool capable of scanning multiple database servers.

SQL Compliance Manager

Product page: SQL Compliance Manager
Alexa ranking: 67,100
Status: Active
First release: Unknown
Last update: Unknown
Add-in support: No
Publisher: Idera
License: Commercial license
Price: $3,036
Free edition: No
Description: SQL Compliance Manager is a comprehensive auditing solution that uses policy-based algorithms to track changes to your SQL Server objects and data. SQL Compliance Manager gives you detailed visibility to determine who did “what”, “when”, “where”, and “how”, whether the event is initiated by privileged users or hackers.

SQL Server Audit

Product page: SQL Server Audit
Alexa ranking: 42
Status: Active
First release: 8/6/2008 (SQL 2008 release date)
Last update: 8/27/2018 (SQL 2017 cumulative update 10)
Add-in support: No
Publisher: Microsoft
License: N/A
Price: Free
Free edition: N/A
Description: SQL Server audit lets you create server audits, which can contain server audit specifications for server level events, and database audit specifications for database level events. Audited events can be written to the event logs or to audit files.

Did we miss any SQL Server database auditing tools? If so, please let us know the database auditing tool name, URL etc in the comments.