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Software · head to head

Azure Monitor vs Grafana

Azure Monitor logo

Azure Monitor

Software

Azure's Monitoring and Diagnostics Service

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Grafana logo

Grafana

Software

Observability and Data Visualization

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Azure Monitor billed per GB ingested across three separate log plans, Auxiliary, Basic and Analytics, so the plan chosen changes the rate as much as the volume does; Grafana the free tier retains metrics, logs and traces for 14 days only
  • They diverge on capability: Azure Monitor covers Log collection, Grafana covers Dashboard creation.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Azure Monitor and Grafana actually diverge.

Attributes where Azure Monitor and Grafana differ
AttributeAzure MonitorGrafana
Pricing modelusage-basedopen-source
Founded20102014

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), platforms (Web, Api), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Azure Monitor

  • Log collection
  • Metrics collection
  • Alerts and notifications
  • Custom dashboards

Only in Grafana

  • Dashboard creation
  • Alerting
  • Data source integration
  • Visualization plugins

Both cover

  • API
  • Webhooks
  • REST
  • Web support
  • Api support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Azure Monitor

  • Collecting logs and metrics from Azure resourcesnot Grafana
  • Alerting on metric thresholds and log queriesnot Grafana
  • Application performance monitoring through Application Insightsnot Grafana
  • Long-term log retention for compliancenot Grafana
  • Querying operational data with KQLnot Grafana

Grafana

  • Dashboards and visualisation over metrics, logs and tracesnot Azure Monitor
  • Running observability across infrastructure and applicationsnot Azure Monitor

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Azure Monitor

  • Billed per GB ingested across three separate log plans, Auxiliary, Basic and Analytics, so the plan chosen changes the rate as much as the volume does
  • Only the first 5 GB a month of Analytics logs is free per billing account
  • Retention beyond the base period is charged per GB per month, up to 2 years interactive and 12 years long term
  • Log queries and search jobs are billed per GB scanned, so investigating an incident costs money
  • Alert rules are billed per time series for metrics and by execution frequency for logs
  • The pricing page shows placeholders rather than rates until a region and currency are chosen

Grafana

  • The free tier retains metrics, logs and traces for 14 days only
  • Free is capped at 10,000 active metric series and 50 GB each of logs and traces a month
  • The Pro plan carries a $19 a month platform fee before any usage charges
  • Logs and traces are billed on three separate meters, at $0.050 per GB processed, $0.400 per GB written and $0.100 per GB retained
  • Retaining data is an ongoing charge rather than a one off, so historical data costs every month it exists

Pricing, plan by plan

Azure Monitor

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Log collection
    • Metrics collection
    • Alerts and notifications

Grafana

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Dashboard creation
    • Alerting
    • Data source integration

Which should you pick?

Choose Azure Monitor if

  • You need log collection.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Api.
  • You also want metrics collection.
Azure Monitor review

Choose Grafana if

  • You need dashboard creation.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Api.
  • You also want alerting.
Grafana review

Questions people ask

Is Azure Monitor or Grafana better?
Neither clearly leads. Azure Monitor starts at Free and Grafana at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Azure Monitor or Grafana?
Azure Monitor starts at Free and Grafana at Free.
Does Azure Monitor or Grafana run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, Api, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Azure Monitor for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Azure Monitor best used for?
Azure Monitor is most often used for collecting logs and metrics from azure resources, alerting on metric thresholds and log queries, application performance monitoring through application insights, long-term log retention for compliance. Of those, collecting logs and metrics from azure resources and alerting on metric thresholds and log queries are not what Grafana is typically brought in for.
What can Azure Monitor do that Grafana cannot?
Azure Monitor covers Log collection, Metrics collection, Alerts and notifications, Custom dashboards. Grafana covers Dashboard creation, Alerting, Data source integration, Visualization plugins. Both handle API, Webhooks, REST, Web support.
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