Grafana has become the go-to open-source platform for metrics visualization and observability dashboards. However, organizations often explore Grafana alternatives due to licensing concerns, feature requirements, or the need for an all-in-one observability solution. This guide compares the best Grafana alternatives in 2026, covering open-source, commercial, and specialized options.
Why Look for Grafana Alternatives?
Before diving into alternatives, let’s understand why teams consider switching from Grafana:
- Licensing Concerns: Grafana moved to AGPLv3 in 2021, which may conflict with some enterprise policies
- Complexity: Managing separate tools for metrics (Prometheus), logs (Loki), and traces (Tempo) adds operational overhead
- Learning Curve: PromQL and dashboard configuration require significant expertise
- Enterprise Features: Some advanced features require Grafana Enterprise licensing
- Unified Platform: Organizations want metrics, logs, traces, and alerting in a single tool
- Cost at Scale: While Grafana OSS is free, Grafana Cloud costs can escalate with data volume
Grafana Alternatives Comparison Table
| Tool | Type | Best For | Pricing Model | Open Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SigNoz | Full-Stack Observability | Unified metrics/logs/traces | Self-hosted free, Cloud paid | Yes (Apache 2.0) |
| Datadog | Full-Stack Observability | Enterprise with budget | Per host + data | No |
| New Relic | Full-Stack Observability | APM-focused teams | Per user + data ingest | No |
| Perses | Dashboard/Visualization | Prometheus users wanting OSS | Free | Yes (Apache 2.0) |
| Kibana | Log Visualization | ELK Stack users | Free (Basic), Paid (Enterprise) | Yes (Elastic License) |
| Splunk | Log Analytics & SIEM | Security and compliance | Data volume | No |
| Dynatrace | Full-Stack with AI | Automated root cause analysis | Per host | No |
| VictoriaMetrics | Metrics Storage | High-cardinality metrics | Self-hosted free, Cloud paid | Yes (Apache 2.0) |
| Zabbix | Infrastructure Monitoring | Network/server monitoring | Free | Yes (GPL) |
| Prometheus | Metrics Collection | Cloud-native metrics | Free | Yes (Apache 2.0) |
| Apache Superset | BI/Analytics | SQL-based analytics | Free | Yes (Apache 2.0) |
| Tableau | BI/Visualization | Business analytics | Per user | No |
| Power BI | BI/Analytics | Microsoft ecosystem | Per user | No |
| Chronograf | InfluxDB Visualization | InfluxDB users | Free | Yes (MIT) |
| Netdata | Real-time Monitoring | Quick setup, edge monitoring | Freemium | Yes (GPL) |
Best Open-Source Grafana Alternatives
SigNoz
SigNoz is a full-stack, open-source observability platform built natively on OpenTelemetry. It’s one of the strongest Grafana alternatives for teams wanting a unified solution.
Key Features:
- Unified metrics, logs, and traces in a single UI
- Native OpenTelemetry support
- ClickHouse-powered backend for fast queries
- Built-in APM with service maps
- Exception tracking and error monitoring
- Self-hosted or cloud options
Pros:
- True all-in-one observability (no separate Prometheus, Loki, Tempo)
- Apache 2.0 license (more permissive than Grafana’s AGPLv3)
- Lower operational complexity
- Correlation between metrics, logs, and traces
- Active development and community
Cons:
- Smaller ecosystem than Grafana
- Fewer data source integrations
- Less mature than established tools
Pricing: Free self-hosted, SigNoz Cloud starts at $199/month
Best For: Startups and teams wanting Datadog-like experience without vendor lock-in
Perses
Perses is a CNCF Sandbox project designed as a direct, open-source replacement for Grafana’s Prometheus visualization capabilities.
Key Features:
- Native Prometheus and PromQL support
- Dashboard-as-code with GitOps workflows
- Collaborative dashboard editing
- Apache 2.0 license
- CNCF project with active governance
Pros:
- Truly open source (Apache 2.0 vs Grafana’s AGPLv3)
- Purpose-built for Prometheus
- Modern architecture
- No licensing concerns for embedding
Cons:
- Still maturing (CNCF Sandbox)
- Limited data source support beyond Prometheus
- Smaller community than Grafana
Pricing: Free and open source
Best For: Teams using Prometheus who need permissive licensing
Kibana
Kibana is the visualization layer for the Elastic Stack (ELK), excelling at log analytics and search-based exploration.
Key Features:
- Powerful log search and analysis
- Machine learning anomaly detection
- Canvas for custom visualizations
- Maps for geospatial data
- Lens for drag-and-drop dashboard creation
- SIEM capabilities
Pros:
- Best-in-class for log visualization
- Tight Elasticsearch integration
- Strong security/SIEM features
- Large community and ecosystem
Cons:
- Requires Elasticsearch (can’t use standalone)
- Elastic License (not fully open source)
- Resource-intensive
- Metrics support not as strong as logs
Pricing: Free (Basic), Paid tiers for advanced features
Best For: Teams heavily invested in Elasticsearch for logs and security
VictoriaMetrics
VictoriaMetrics is a high-performance time-series database that can replace both Prometheus and its long-term storage (like Thanos or Cortex).
Key Features:
- Drop-in Prometheus replacement
- PromQL and MetricsQL support
- Exceptional compression (up to 10x better than Prometheus)
- Single-node and cluster modes
- Lower resource consumption
Pros:
- Handles high-cardinality metrics better than Prometheus
- Significantly lower storage costs
- Fast query performance
- Easy migration from Prometheus
Cons:
- No built-in visualization (use with Grafana or alternatives)
- Primarily metrics-focused
- VictoriaLogs still maturing
Pricing: Free self-hosted, VictoriaMetrics Cloud available
Best For: Teams needing better Prometheus scalability and storage efficiency
Zabbix
Zabbix is an enterprise-class, open-source monitoring solution for networks, servers, and applications.
Key Features:
- Agent-based and agentless monitoring
- Auto-discovery of infrastructure
- Flexible alerting and escalations
- Template-based configuration
- Native network monitoring (SNMP, IPMI)
Pros:
- Comprehensive infrastructure monitoring
- No per-host licensing costs
- Strong for traditional IT environments
- Built-in alerting and reporting
Cons:
- Less suited for cloud-native/Kubernetes
- Dated UI compared to modern tools
- Configuration can be complex
- Not ideal for application metrics
Pricing: Free and open source
Best For: Traditional infrastructure and network monitoring
Netdata
Netdata provides real-time, per-second monitoring with zero configuration.
Key Features:
- Auto-detection of metrics
- Per-second granularity
- Lightweight agent
- Anomaly detection with ML
- Parent-child architecture for edge monitoring
Pros:
- Incredibly easy to set up
- Real-time visibility
- Low resource footprint
- Great for edge/IoT monitoring
Cons:
- Limited historical data retention (by design)
- Not ideal for long-term analytics
- Fewer integrations than Grafana
Pricing: Free self-hosted, Netdata Cloud free tier available
Best For: Real-time monitoring and quick visibility needs
Best Commercial Grafana Alternatives
Datadog
Datadog is the market leader in cloud monitoring, offering comprehensive observability with 800+ integrations.
Key Features:
- Infrastructure monitoring
- APM with distributed tracing
- Log management
- Real User Monitoring (RUM)
- Synthetic monitoring
- Security monitoring (SIEM)
- AIOps and anomaly detection
Pros:
- Best-in-class integrations ecosystem
- Unified platform for all observability needs
- Powerful AI/ML capabilities
- Excellent Kubernetes support
- Strong documentation and support
Cons:
- Expensive at scale
- Complex pricing model
- Vendor lock-in concerns
- High-watermark billing can cause bill spikes
Pricing:
- Infrastructure: $15/host/month (annual)
- APM: $31/host/month (annual)
- Logs: $0.10/GB ingested + $1.70/million events indexed
- Full-stack: Often $100-150+/host/month
Best For: Enterprises with budget for premium observability
New Relic
New Relic offers a unified observability platform with a user-friendly pricing model based on data ingest rather than hosts.
Key Features:
- Full-stack observability
- AI-powered insights (New Relic AI)
- APM with code-level visibility
- Infrastructure monitoring
- Browser and mobile monitoring
- Synthetic monitoring
- 100GB/month free tier
Pros:
- Generous free tier (100GB/month, 1 user)
- Transparent pricing based on data volume
- Strong APM capabilities
- Good for application-centric monitoring
- NRQL query language is powerful
Cons:
- User-based pricing adds up for large teams
- Can be complex to optimize data ingest
- Some features require higher tiers
Pricing:
- Free: 100GB/month, 1 full user
- Standard: $0.35/GB (after free tier)
- Pro: $0.50/GB with additional features
- Users: $49-$349/user/month depending on tier
Best For: Application-focused teams wanting predictable pricing
Splunk
Splunk is an enterprise platform excelling at log analytics, security (SIEM), and IT operations.
Key Features:
- Powerful search processing language (SPL)
- Security Information and Event Management (SIEM)
- IT Service Intelligence
- Machine learning toolkit
- Extensive app ecosystem
- Splunk Observability Cloud (formerly SignalFx)
Pros:
- Industry leader for log analytics
- Best-in-class for security use cases
- Handles massive data volumes
- Strong compliance and audit capabilities
- Extensive enterprise features
Cons:
- Expensive, especially for high data volumes
- Complex pricing model
- Steep learning curve
- Resource-intensive deployments
Pricing:
- Splunk Cloud: Starts ~$1,800/year
- Splunk Observability: $15-75/host/month
- Enterprise: Custom pricing (often $millions for large deployments)
Best For: Security teams and enterprises with compliance requirements
Dynatrace
Dynatrace is an AI-powered observability platform known for automated root cause analysis.
Key Features:
- Davis AI for automatic problem detection
- Full-stack monitoring
- Automatic instrumentation (OneAgent)
- Real user monitoring
- Cloud automation
- Application security
Pros:
- Superior AI/ML capabilities
- Automatic instrumentation reduces setup time
- Excellent root cause analysis
- Strong for complex microservices architectures
- Good Kubernetes support
Cons:
- Premium pricing
- Can be overwhelming with features
- Less flexibility than open-source options
Pricing: Custom pricing, typically $25-70/host/month
Best For: Enterprises wanting AI-driven automated observability
BI and Analytics Alternatives
For teams using Grafana primarily for business analytics rather than infrastructure monitoring, these tools may be better suited:
Apache Superset
Apache Superset is an open-source data visualization and BI platform.
Key Features:
- SQL-based data exploration
- 40+ visualization types
- Dashboard creation
- SQL Lab for ad-hoc queries
- Role-based access control
Pros:
- Free and open source
- SQL-native (familiar for analysts)
- Connects to many databases
- Active Apache project
Cons:
- Not designed for time-series metrics
- Requires database connections (not Prometheus)
- Less real-time focused
Pricing: Free and open source
Best For: SQL-based business analytics
Tableau
Tableau is a leading enterprise BI and visualization platform.
Key Features:
- Drag-and-drop visualization
- Natural language queries
- Advanced analytics
- Tableau Server/Cloud deployment
- Mobile support
Pros:
- Industry-leading visualization capabilities
- Handles complex analytics
- Strong for non-technical users
- Extensive training resources
Cons:
- Expensive licensing
- Not designed for real-time metrics
- Overkill for infrastructure monitoring
Pricing: $15-75/user/month depending on tier
Best For: Business intelligence and data analytics teams
Power BI
Microsoft Power BI integrates deeply with the Microsoft ecosystem.
Key Features:
- Azure integration
- Natural language Q&A
- AI-powered insights
- Real-time dashboards
- Microsoft 365 integration
Pros:
- Excellent for Microsoft shops
- Competitive pricing
- Strong AI capabilities
- Easy sharing via Microsoft ecosystem
Cons:
- Best with Microsoft data sources
- Not suited for DevOps metrics
- Desktop app Windows-only
Pricing: Free (Desktop), $10-20/user/month (Pro/Premium)
Best For: Organizations using Microsoft Azure and Microsoft 365
Grafana Alternatives by Use Case
For Kubernetes Monitoring
- Datadog - Best commercial option with excellent K8s integration
- SigNoz - Best open-source unified solution
- Grafana + Prometheus - Proven open-source stack
For Log Management
- Splunk - Enterprise leader
- Kibana + Elasticsearch - Open-source standard
- Datadog Logs - Unified with metrics
For APM (Application Performance)
- New Relic - Strong APM heritage
- Dynatrace - AI-powered insights
- SigNoz - Open-source APM
For Budget-Conscious Teams
- SigNoz - Full observability, self-hosted free
- Grafana + Prometheus + Loki - Proven free stack
- Zabbix - Traditional monitoring
For Security/Compliance
- Splunk - SIEM leader
- Datadog Security - Unified security monitoring
- Elastic Security - Open-source SIEM
Pricing Comparison
Here’s a realistic cost comparison for monitoring 100 hosts with full observability:
| Solution | Monthly Cost (100 hosts) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Grafana OSS + Prometheus + Loki | $0 + infrastructure | Self-managed, requires expertise |
| SigNoz Cloud | ~$500-1,500 | Based on data volume |
| New Relic | ~$400-2,000 | Depends on data ingest and users |
| Datadog | ~$3,000-8,000 | Full stack with APM, logs |
| Dynatrace | ~$5,000-10,000 | Full platform |
| Splunk Cloud | ~$5,000-15,000+ | Depends on data volume |
Note: Actual costs vary significantly based on data volume, retention, and features used.
When to Stick with Grafana
Despite the alternatives, Grafana remains an excellent choice when:
- You need maximum flexibility in data source connections
- Your team knows PromQL and Grafana’s ecosystem
- You’re already invested in the Prometheus/Loki/Tempo stack
- You want the largest community and plugin ecosystem
- Dashboard customization is a priority
- Budget is limited and you can self-manage
For organizations happy with Grafana but needing help optimizing their setup, our Grafana consulting services provide architecture design, dashboard strategy, and performance optimization.
Conclusion
The best Grafana alternative depends on your specific requirements:
- Want unified observability with open source? → SigNoz
- Need enterprise features with budget? → Datadog or New Relic
- Focused on logs and security? → Splunk or Kibana
- Need Prometheus visualization with permissive license? → Perses
- Want AI-powered automation? → Dynatrace
- Need business intelligence? → Tableau or Apache Superset
For most cloud-native teams, Grafana paired with Prometheus remains a solid choice. However, if operational simplicity and unified observability matter more than flexibility, tools like SigNoz or commercial platforms offer compelling alternatives.
Need Help Choosing?
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