Percona Monitoring and Management

Overview

PMM brings dashboards, query analytics, and configuration insight to on-premises, cloud, and hybrid deployments. Its supported technologies include MySQL, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, Amazon RDS and Aurora, ProxySQL, and Percona XtraDB Cluster; its supported-database list also includes MariaDB and Valkey/Redis. That range suits teams that want visibility across several database technologies, rather than a monitor dedicated to one engine.

PMM Server provides a browser-accessible interface, and PMM Client connects to it over HTTPS using TLS encryption. Deployment choices include Docker, Podman, a virtual appliance, Kubernetes or OpenShift via Helm, and an AWS Marketplace instance. That flexibility helps teams fit PMM to existing operations, but it does not remove the need to provision and maintain a server. Percona has built open-source software since 2006; its Trust Center identifies GDPR, HIPAA, ISO 27001, and PCI badges, as well as annual third-party audits and penetration testing.

Key features

Query diagnostics and alerts

Query Analytics ranks queries by load and supports anomaly investigation, explain plans, and customizable dashboards across MySQL, MongoDB, and PostgreSQL. Query profiling, wait and lock analysis, and execution plans provide useful diagnostic depth for teams investigating database behavior. Percona Alerting supports more than 15 notification channels, giving teams a range of ways to route alerts.

Advisors and backups

Percona Advisors scan MySQL, MongoDB, and PostgreSQL databases for security gaps, misconfigurations, and performance problems, then provide recommendations. This is useful for teams that want actionable configuration guidance alongside monitoring, though the stated scan coverage is limited to those three database families. Backup and restore capabilities cover MongoDB and MySQL, with scheduled or on-demand backups and point-in-time recovery; PostgreSQL is not included in that backup coverage.

Pricing

PMM is free and open source. The PMM plan is free and includes database monitoring, management, and observability. That makes it a strong fit for teams able to run the software themselves; the price does not cover any separate costs for installation infrastructure.

Platforms

PMM supports API, Linux, self-hosted, and web environments, with a hybrid deployment model. The documented Docker setup recommends at least 2 CPU cores, 4 GB RAM, and 100 GB of disk, and requires x86-64-v2 CPU support. Docker installation also requires changing the default admin password at first login. These are concrete deployment considerations: teams should check host capacity and setup requirements before choosing PMM, especially for a constrained server environment.

Who it's for

PMM is a good match for database and infrastructure teams that need cross-environment visibility, detailed query diagnostics, and configuration recommendations without a software license charge. It is less suitable for teams that do not want to operate monitoring infrastructure, or that need its stated backup capabilities for PostgreSQL.

Pros and cons

• Pros: Free, open-source monitoring across a broad set of database technologies, including cloud offerings such as Amazon RDS and Aurora.
• Pros: Query ranking, anomaly investigation, explain plans, and wait and lock analysis give technical teams several ways to investigate database performance.
• Pros: Advisors and selected backup and recovery features extend PMM beyond dashboards and alerts.
• Cons: Self-hosting entails infrastructure costs and operational responsibility despite the free software price.
• Cons: The documented Docker setup has substantial resource recommendations and an x86-64-v2 CPU requirement.
• Cons: Backup and restore cover MongoDB and MySQL, not every supported database.

Alternatives

For a focused PostgreSQL option, pganalyze is a paid alternative with a Production plan at 149.00 USD per month. Teams seeking a free PostgreSQL-focused self-hosted tool can consider pgwatch, whose Open Source plan is free and supports PostgreSQL versions 14 and later. If the priority is a managed AWS database rather than a self-hosted monitoring tool, Amazon RDS is a paid service with a free tier; its legacy free tier may provide 750 hours per month for up to 12 months, while Free Tier credits for new sign-ups are valid for up to 12 months.

Site24x7 Database Monitoring is another paid option, with a Lite plan at 9.00 USD per month billed annually and limits of 2 servers and 5 websites. For teams seeking an alternative centered on API analytics, Atatus API Analytics uses custom pricing based on infrastructure size, data volume, and monitoring needs, and offers a 14-day free trial without a credit card. SolarWinds Database Performance Analyzer is a paid alternative with subscription or volume licensing and quote-based pricing. Teams looking for a database platform rather than monitoring software can consider MySQL, which offers a free Community Edition.

For broader comparisons, browse Database Performance Monitoring Software and Database Monitoring.

Verdict

Choose PMM if your technical team wants free, open-source monitoring with deep query diagnostics and recommendations across a varied database estate, and can provide the infrastructure to run it. Look elsewhere if avoiding self-hosted operational work matters more than licensing cost, or if you need backup coverage beyond MongoDB and MySQL.