Can Prometheus and Grafana work together?

Yes, they are designed to complement each other. Prometheus collects and stores metrics, while Grafana visualizes them. This is the industry-standard monitoring stack. Grafana uses Prometheus as a data source via PromQL queries, creating a powerful monitoring solution. Most Kubernetes monitoring stacks use both together.

Do I need Grafana if I have Prometheus?

No, but it's highly recommended. Prometheus includes basic graphing capabilities, but Grafana provides superior dashboards, multi-source visualization, and user-friendly interfaces. For production environments with stakeholders needing insights, Grafana is essential. For backend-only monitoring and alerting, Prometheus alone suffices.

Can Grafana work without Prometheus?

Yes. Grafana supports 30+ data sources including Elasticsearch, InfluxDB, Datadog, CloudWatch, and others. You can use Grafana exclusively with any compatible data source. However, if you need metrics collection and storage, you'll need another system like Prometheus, InfluxDB, or a cloud provider's monitoring service.

Which has better alerting?

Prometheus has superior built-in alerting with Alertmanager, supporting 50+ notification channels (PagerDuty, Slack, email, etc.) and complex alert routing rules. Grafana can visualize alerts but cannot generate them natively; it relies on the underlying data source's alerting (like Prometheus). For pure alerting functionality, Prometheus wins.

What's the cost difference?

Prometheus is completely free with no commercial support tier. Grafana offers a free open-source version but charges $25-150+ per user/month for enterprise features (SSO, advanced RBAC, audit logs). For cost-sensitive projects, Prometheus with open-source Grafana totals $0; enterprise Grafana adds significant licensing costs.

Prometheus vs Grafana

Updated June 14, 2026

Prometheus

Open-source time-series database and monitoring system with built-in alerting.

DevOps teams, Kubernetes operators, and organizations needing a self-contained metrics backend with alerting capabilities.

Check Price

Grafana

Open-source visualization and dashboarding platform supporting 30+ data sources.

Teams with existing monitoring infrastructure, organizations needing multi-source dashboards, and non-technical stakeholders who require beautiful, intuitive visualizations.

Short Answer

Prometheus is a time-series database and metrics collection system designed for monitoring, while Grafana is a visualization and dashboarding platform that displays data from multiple sources including Prometheus. They are complementary tools often used together rather than competitors.

Our Verdict

AI-assisted

Prometheus and Grafana serve different purposes and are best used together: Prometheus excels as a dedicated metrics collection and storage engine with powerful alerting, ideal for organizations needing robust data retention and rule-based alerting. Grafana excels as a universal visualization layer, perfect for teams wanting beautiful dashboards across multiple data sources and non-technical stakeholders who need intuitive interfaces. Choose Prometheus if you need a lightweight, self-contained monitoring backend with built-in alerting; choose Grafana if you need flexible visualization and already have metrics infrastructure.

Was this verdict helpful?

Thanks — we'll use this to improve our verdicts.

Prometheus7.5

7.5Grafana

Track this comparison

Get notified when prices change, new specs ship, or our verdict updates.

Triggers: price change new spec verdict update

No spam. Stop anytime.

Key Differences at a Glance

🔹

Primary Function: Time-series database & metrics scraper vs Data visualization & dashboard platform

💾

Data Storage: Prometheus wins (Stores metrics locally (15 days default) vs No native storage; queries external sources)

📅

Query Language: Grafana wins (Supports 30+ data sources with native languages vs PromQL (specialized time-series queries))

See all 7 differences

Key Facts & Figures

Metric	Prometheus	Grafana	Diff
GitHub Stars (Community Adoption)(stars)	54,000+	62,000+	-13%
Data Sources Supported(plugins)	Remote storage endpoints only (~5 types)	190+ official datasources	-97%
Default Data Retention(days)	15 days	None (external source dependent)

Key Differences

Prometheus

Attribute

Grafana

Time-series database & metrics scraper

Primary Function

Data visualization & dashboard platform

Stores metrics locally (15 days default)🏆

Data Storage

No native storage; queries external sources

PromQL (specialized time-series queries)

Query Language

Supports 30+ data sources with native languages🏆

Related Comparisons

Grafana vs Prometheus

software

Prometheus vs Thanos

software

Datadog vs Grafana

products

PagerDuty vs Grafana

software

Grafana vs Dynatrace

software

WordPress vs Wix

software

Slack vs Microsoft Teams

software

Canva vs Photoshop

software

Midjourney vs DALL-E

software

Figma vs Sketch

software

iPhone 17 vs Samsung Galaxy S26

technology

PS5 vs Xbox Series X

technology

Best Streaming Services in 2026: Top Picks for Every Budget & Interest

Navigating the crowded streaming landscape in 2026 can be overwhelming. We've tested and ranked the best streaming services that offer the most value, from Netflix's massive library to budget-friendly options like Tubi, helping you cut cable and find your perfect entertainment solution.

technology

Best Live TV Streaming Services & Plans for Spring 2026: Complete Buyer's Guide

Tired of overpaying for cable? Discover the best live TV streaming services and plans for Spring 2026, including YouTube TV's new genre-based packages starting at $55/month. Our comprehensive guide breaks down pricing, channels, and features to help you cut the cord.

Explore Entities

More Software

People Also Compare

Last updated: June 14, 2026AI generated

Primary Function

Prometheus

Time-series database & metrics scraper

Grafana

Data visualization & dashboard platform

Data Storage

Prometheus

Stores metrics locally (15 days default)🏆

Grafana

No native storage; queries external sources

Query Language

Prometheus

PromQL (specialized time-series queries)

Grafana

Supports 30+ data sources with native languages🏆

Setup Complexity

Prometheus

Requires configuration file & scrape targets

Grafana

Plug-and-play with pre-built dashboards🏆

Alerting Capabilities

Prometheus

Native alerting engine (Alertmanager)🏆

Grafana

Alert visualization only; depends on external sources

Dashboard Customization

Prometheus

Limited; basic graphs only

Grafana

Extensive with 100+ plugin types & templates🏆

Enterprise Support Pricing

Prometheus

$0 (open source); no commercial support tier🏆

Grafana

$25-150+ per user/month for enterprise

Full Comparison

Attribute	Prometheus	Grafana

GitHub Stars (Community Adoption)(stars)	54,000+	62,000+

Data Sources Supported(plugins)	Remote storage endpoints only (~5 types)	190+ official datasources
Supported Data Sources(count)	Scrape-based (any Prometheus-compatible exporter)	30+ native integrations
Supported Data Sources(count)	70+	—
Pre-built Integrations(count)	300+	—

Default Data Retention(days)	15 days	None (external source dependent)
Default Local Data Retention(days)	15 days	—

Memory Usage (Typical Instance)(MB)	50-150	200-500
Minimum RAM Requirements (Production)(GB)	2 GB	—
Query Latency (1 billion data points)(milliseconds)	150-300 ms	—
Memory Footprint (Minimal Setup)(MB)	~50 MB	~200 MB
Mean Time to Response (MTTR) Improvement(percent)	Not measured	—
Show 1 more attribute Alert Fatigue Reduction(percent) Alert grouping available —

Query Language Learning Curve(weeks)	1-2 (PromQL specific but consistent)	2-4 (depends on datasource type)

Built-in Alerting Capabilities(null)	Advanced (AlertManager with routing, grouping, silencing)	Basic (via connected datasources)
Multi-Cluster Query Support	No (federation workaround available)	—
Log Management	Requires Loki plugin	—
APM Capabilities	Plugin-based with limited support	—
On-Call Scheduling Features(null)	Requires integration (OnCall)	—
Show 3 more attributes Data Source Integrations(count) 800+ — AI-Powered Anomaly Detection Accuracy(percent) Not available — Alert Management Channels(count) 50+ —

Standalone Operation(null)	Yes—fully self-contained with TSDB	No—requires external datasource

Time to First Dashboard(minutes)	15-30 (local metrics immediately available)	30-60 (needs datasource setup)

Number of Required Components(components)	1 (single binary)	—
Setup Time (Kubernetes)(minutes)	10-15 minutes	—

Object Storage Cost (1 TB/month)(USD)	N/A (local storage only)	—
Base Pricing (Annual, 100 hosts)(USD)	$0 (self-hosted)	—

Community Stars on GitHub(stars)	25,000+ stars	—
Community Size(millions of users)	500K+ users	—
Grafana/Dynatrace Community Size(thousands of members)	500K+ monthly active users	—

Community Dashboard Templates(count)	Limited (basic graphs)	3,000+ templates

Commercial Support Cost(USD/month)	Free (no commercial tier)	$25-150+ per user

Setup Time (Basic Production)(minutes)	30-60 minutes	15-30 minutes
Self-Hosting Support	Yes, full support	—
Open-Source Self-Hosted Availability(null)	Available (Apache 2.0)	—

Query Language Complexity(learning hours)	20-40 hours (PromQL)	2-5 hours (visual editor)

Built-in Alerting Rules(feature)	Yes (Alertmanager with 50+ integrations)	Visualization only (external routing required)

Starting Monthly Cost(USD)	Free (open-source)	—
Base Monthly Cost Per User(USD)	$69	—
Free Tier User Limit(users)	Unlimited users	—

Time to First Dashboard(minutes)	60-120	—
Initial Deployment Time(days)	14-28 days	—

Customer Retention Rate(percent)	94%	—

Supported Technologies (Languages/Frameworks)(count)	300+ via integrations	—

Required IT Staff for 10,000 hosts(FTE)	3-5 FTE	—

Prometheus

Grafana

GitHub Stars (Community Adoption)(stars)

54,000+

62,000+

Data Sources Supported(plugins)

Remote storage endpoints only (~5 types)

190+ official datasources

Supported Data Sources(count)

Scrape-based (any Prometheus-compatible exporter)

30+ native integrations

Supported Data Sources(count)

70+

—

Pre-built Integrations(count)

300+

—

Default Data Retention(days)

15 days

None (external source dependent)

Default Local Data Retention(days)

15 days

—

Memory Usage (Typical Instance)(MB)

50-150

200-500

Minimum RAM Requirements (Production)(GB)

2 GB

—

Query Latency (1 billion data points)(milliseconds)

150-300 ms

—

Memory Footprint (Minimal Setup)(MB)

~50 MB

~200 MB

Mean Time to Response (MTTR) Improvement(percent)

Not measured

—

Show 1 more attribute

Alert Fatigue Reduction(percent)

Alert grouping available

—

Query Language Learning Curve(weeks)

1-2 (PromQL specific but consistent)

2-4 (depends on datasource type)

Built-in Alerting Capabilities(null)

Advanced (AlertManager with routing, grouping, silencing)

Basic (via connected datasources)

Multi-Cluster Query Support

No (federation workaround available)

—

Log Management

Requires Loki plugin

—

APM Capabilities

Plugin-based with limited support

—

On-Call Scheduling Features(null)

Requires integration (OnCall)

—

Show 3 more attributes

Data Source Integrations(count)

800+

—

AI-Powered Anomaly Detection Accuracy(percent)

Not available

—

Alert Management Channels(count)

50+

—

Standalone Operation(null)

Yes—fully self-contained with TSDB

No—requires external datasource

Time to First Dashboard(minutes)

15-30 (local metrics immediately available)

30-60 (needs datasource setup)

Number of Required Components(components)

1 (single binary)

—

Setup Time (Kubernetes)(minutes)

10-15 minutes

—

Object Storage Cost (1 TB/month)(USD)

N/A (local storage only)

—

Base Pricing (Annual, 100 hosts)(USD)

$0 (self-hosted)

—

Community Stars on GitHub(stars)

25,000+ stars

—

Community Size(millions of users)

500K+ users

—

Grafana/Dynatrace Community Size(thousands of members)

500K+ monthly active users

—

Community Dashboard Templates(count)

Limited (basic graphs)

3,000+ templates

Commercial Support Cost(USD/month)

Free (no commercial tier)

$25-150+ per user

Setup Time (Basic Production)(minutes)

30-60 minutes

15-30 minutes

Self-Hosting Support

Yes, full support

—

Open-Source Self-Hosted Availability(null)

Available (Apache 2.0)

—

Query Language Complexity(learning hours)

20-40 hours (PromQL)

2-5 hours (visual editor)

Built-in Alerting Rules(feature)

Yes (Alertmanager with 50+ integrations)

Visualization only (external routing required)

Starting Monthly Cost(USD)

Free (open-source)

—

Base Monthly Cost Per User(USD)

$69

—

Free Tier User Limit(users)

Unlimited users

—

Time to First Dashboard(minutes)

60-120

—

Initial Deployment Time(days)

14-28 days

—

Customer Retention Rate(percent)

94%

—

Supported Technologies (Languages/Frameworks)(count)

300+ via integrations

—

Required IT Staff for 10,000 hosts(FTE)

3-5 FTE

—

Full Comparison

Attribute	Prometheus	Grafana

GitHub Stars (Community Adoption)(stars)	54,000+	62,000+

Data Sources Supported(plugins)	Remote storage endpoints only (~5 types)	190+ official datasources
Supported Data Sources(count)	Scrape-based (any Prometheus-compatible exporter)	30+ native integrations
Supported Data Sources(count)	70+	—
Pre-built Integrations(count)	300+	—

Default Data Retention(days)	15 days	None (external source dependent)
Default Local Data Retention(days)	15 days	—

Memory Usage (Typical Instance)(MB)	50-150	200-500
Minimum RAM Requirements (Production)(GB)	2 GB	—
Query Latency (1 billion data points)(milliseconds)	150-300 ms	—
Memory Footprint (Minimal Setup)(MB)	~50 MB	~200 MB
Mean Time to Response (MTTR) Improvement(percent)	Not measured	—
Show 1 more attribute Alert Fatigue Reduction(percent) Alert grouping available —

Query Language Learning Curve(weeks)	1-2 (PromQL specific but consistent)	2-4 (depends on datasource type)

Built-in Alerting Capabilities(null)	Advanced (AlertManager with routing, grouping, silencing)	Basic (via connected datasources)
Multi-Cluster Query Support	No (federation workaround available)	—
Log Management	Requires Loki plugin	—
APM Capabilities	Plugin-based with limited support	—
On-Call Scheduling Features(null)	Requires integration (OnCall)	—
Show 3 more attributes Data Source Integrations(count) 800+ — AI-Powered Anomaly Detection Accuracy(percent) Not available — Alert Management Channels(count) 50+ —

Standalone Operation(null)	Yes—fully self-contained with TSDB	No—requires external datasource

Time to First Dashboard(minutes)	15-30 (local metrics immediately available)	30-60 (needs datasource setup)

Number of Required Components(components)	1 (single binary)	—
Setup Time (Kubernetes)(minutes)	10-15 minutes	—

Object Storage Cost (1 TB/month)(USD)	N/A (local storage only)	—
Base Pricing (Annual, 100 hosts)(USD)	$0 (self-hosted)	—

Community Stars on GitHub(stars)	25,000+ stars	—
Community Size(millions of users)	500K+ users	—
Grafana/Dynatrace Community Size(thousands of members)	500K+ monthly active users	—

Community Dashboard Templates(count)	Limited (basic graphs)	3,000+ templates

Commercial Support Cost(USD/month)	Free (no commercial tier)	$25-150+ per user

Setup Time (Basic Production)(minutes)	30-60 minutes	15-30 minutes
Self-Hosting Support	Yes, full support	—
Open-Source Self-Hosted Availability(null)	Available (Apache 2.0)	—

Query Language Complexity(learning hours)	20-40 hours (PromQL)	2-5 hours (visual editor)

Built-in Alerting Rules(feature)	Yes (Alertmanager with 50+ integrations)	Visualization only (external routing required)

Starting Monthly Cost(USD)	Free (open-source)	—
Base Monthly Cost Per User(USD)	$69	—
Free Tier User Limit(users)	Unlimited users	—

Time to First Dashboard(minutes)	60-120	—
Initial Deployment Time(days)	14-28 days	—

Customer Retention Rate(percent)	94%	—

Supported Technologies (Languages/Frameworks)(count)	300+ via integrations	—

Required IT Staff for 10,000 hosts(FTE)	3-5 FTE	—

Prometheus

Grafana

GitHub Stars (Community Adoption)(stars)

54,000+

62,000+

Data Sources Supported(plugins)

Remote storage endpoints only (~5 types)

190+ official datasources

Supported Data Sources(count)

Scrape-based (any Prometheus-compatible exporter)

30+ native integrations

Supported Data Sources(count)

70+

—

Pre-built Integrations(count)

300+

—

Default Data Retention(days)

15 days

None (external source dependent)

Default Local Data Retention(days)

15 days

—

Memory Usage (Typical Instance)(MB)

50-150

200-500

Minimum RAM Requirements (Production)(GB)

2 GB

—

Query Latency (1 billion data points)(milliseconds)

150-300 ms

—

Memory Footprint (Minimal Setup)(MB)

~50 MB

~200 MB

Mean Time to Response (MTTR) Improvement(percent)

Not measured

—

Show 1 more attribute

Alert Fatigue Reduction(percent)

Alert grouping available

—

Query Language Learning Curve(weeks)

1-2 (PromQL specific but consistent)

2-4 (depends on datasource type)

Built-in Alerting Capabilities(null)

Advanced (AlertManager with routing, grouping, silencing)

Basic (via connected datasources)

Multi-Cluster Query Support

No (federation workaround available)

—

Log Management

Requires Loki plugin

—

APM Capabilities

Plugin-based with limited support

—

On-Call Scheduling Features(null)

Requires integration (OnCall)

—

Show 3 more attributes

Data Source Integrations(count)

800+

—

AI-Powered Anomaly Detection Accuracy(percent)

Not available

—

Alert Management Channels(count)

50+

—

Standalone Operation(null)

Yes—fully self-contained with TSDB

No—requires external datasource

Time to First Dashboard(minutes)

15-30 (local metrics immediately available)

30-60 (needs datasource setup)

Number of Required Components(components)

1 (single binary)

—

Setup Time (Kubernetes)(minutes)

10-15 minutes

—

Object Storage Cost (1 TB/month)(USD)

N/A (local storage only)

—

Base Pricing (Annual, 100 hosts)(USD)

$0 (self-hosted)

—

Community Stars on GitHub(stars)

25,000+ stars

—

Community Size(millions of users)

500K+ users

—

Grafana/Dynatrace Community Size(thousands of members)

500K+ monthly active users

—

Community Dashboard Templates(count)

Limited (basic graphs)

3,000+ templates

Commercial Support Cost(USD/month)

Free (no commercial tier)

$25-150+ per user

Setup Time (Basic Production)(minutes)

30-60 minutes

15-30 minutes

Self-Hosting Support

Yes, full support

—

Open-Source Self-Hosted Availability(null)

Available (Apache 2.0)

—

Query Language Complexity(learning hours)

20-40 hours (PromQL)

2-5 hours (visual editor)

Built-in Alerting Rules(feature)

Yes (Alertmanager with 50+ integrations)

Visualization only (external routing required)

Starting Monthly Cost(USD)

Free (open-source)

—

Base Monthly Cost Per User(USD)

$69

—

Free Tier User Limit(users)

Unlimited users

—

Time to First Dashboard(minutes)

60-120

—

Initial Deployment Time(days)

14-28 days

—

Customer Retention Rate(percent)

94%

—

Supported Technologies (Languages/Frameworks)(count)

300+ via integrations

—

Required IT Staff for 10,000 hosts(FTE)

3-5 FTE

—

Prometheus vs Grafana

Prometheus

Grafana

Short Answer

Our Verdict

Track this comparison

Key Differences at a Glance

Key Facts & Figures

Key Differences

Related Comparisons

Related Articles

Explore Entities

More Software

People Also Compare

Full Comparison

Visual Comparison

Pros & Cons

Prometheus

Pros

Cons

Grafana

Pros

Cons

Frequently Asked Questions

Resources & Learn More

Where to Buy

Wikipedia

Videos

Full Comparison

Visual Comparison

Prometheus vs Grafana

Prometheus

Grafana

Short Answer

Our Verdict

🔔Track this comparison

Key Differences at a Glance

Key Facts & Figures

Key Differences

Related Comparisons

Related Articles

Explore Entities

More Software

People Also Compare

Full Comparison

Visual Comparison

Pros & Cons

Prometheus

Pros

Cons

Grafana

Pros

Cons

Frequently Asked Questions

Resources & Learn More

Where to Buy

Wikipedia

Videos

Full Comparison

Visual Comparison

Track this comparison