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Logging · head to head

Azure Monitor vs Grafana Loki

Azure Monitor logo

Azure Monitor

Logging

Azure's Monitoring and Diagnostics Service

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Grafana Loki logo

Grafana Loki

Logging

Log Aggregation for Grafana Stack

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 Loki grafana Cloud Logs Pro plan includes only 30-day retention; retention beyond 30 days requires Enterprise plan with minimum $25,000 annual commitment
  • They diverge on capability: Azure Monitor covers Log collection, Grafana Loki covers Log aggregation.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Azure Monitor and Grafana Loki differ
AttributeAzure MonitorGrafana Loki
Pricing modelusage-basedfreemium
PlatformsWeb, ApiSelf-hosted (open source), Managed (Grafana Cloud Logs), Enterprise (self-managed with support)
Founded20102014

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

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 Loki

  • Log aggregation
  • Label-based indexing
  • LogQL language
  • Cost-effective

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 Loki
  • Alerting on metric thresholds and log queriesnot Grafana Loki
  • Application performance monitoring through Application Insightsnot Grafana Loki
  • Long-term log retention for compliancenot Grafana Loki
  • Querying operational data with KQLnot Grafana Loki

Grafana Loki

  • Cost-sensitive organisations deploying Kubernetes and Prometheus ecosystemsnot Azure Monitor
  • Teams needing index-free log aggregation for high-volume environmentsnot 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 Loki

  • Grafana Cloud Logs Pro plan includes only 30-day retention; retention beyond 30 days requires Enterprise plan with minimum $25,000 annual commitment
  • Open-source version requires self-hosting all infrastructure including storage and scaling

Pricing, plan by plan

Azure Monitor

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

Grafana Loki

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Grafana Loki review.

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 Loki if

  • You need log aggregation.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Self-hosted (open source), Managed (Grafana Cloud Logs), Enterprise (self-managed with support).
  • You also want label-based indexing.
Grafana Loki review

Questions people ask

Is Azure Monitor or Grafana Loki better?
Neither clearly leads. Azure Monitor starts at Free and Grafana Loki at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Azure Monitor or Grafana Loki?
Azure Monitor starts at Free and Grafana Loki at Free.
Does Azure Monitor or Grafana Loki run on more platforms?
Azure Monitor runs on Web, Api. Grafana Loki runs on Self-hosted (open source), Managed (Grafana Cloud Logs), Enterprise (self-managed with support).
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 Loki is typically brought in for.
What can Azure Monitor do that Grafana Loki cannot?
Azure Monitor covers Log collection, Metrics collection, Alerts and notifications, Custom dashboards. Grafana Loki covers Log aggregation, Label-based indexing, LogQL language, Cost-effective. Both handle API, Webhooks, REST, Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Azure Monitor: How does Azure Monitor billing work?

Billing is based on data volume ingested into Azure Monitor. Additional charges apply separately for alerts, notifications, web tests, and data export. Activity log and platform metrics are automatically collected with an Azure subscription.

Source
Grafana Loki: Is there a free tier for Grafana Cloud?

Yes, Grafana Cloud has a Free Forever plan at no cost with no registration required. The free tier is suitable for personal projects and early-stage startups.

Source
Azure Monitor: What savings are available with Azure Monitor?

Capacity reservations offer up to 36% savings compared to standard pay-as-you-go pricing when you commit to reserved capacity upfront.

Source
Grafana Loki: How long is data retained in Grafana's free plan?

The free tier retains metrics, logs, traces, and profiles for 14 days.

Source
Azure Monitor: Is there a free tier for Azure Monitor?

No dedicated free tier exists. Activity log and platform metrics are automatically collected with an Azure subscription, but detailed monitoring requires additional configuration and associated costs.

Source
Grafana Loki: What is the minimum cost for Grafana Enterprise?

Grafana Enterprise has a minimum annual commitment of 25,000 dollars.

Source
Grafana Loki: Do I need a credit card to use Grafana's free tier?

No, Grafana Cloud's Free Forever plan requires no credit card to get started.

Source
Grafana Loki: How is Grafana Cloud billed?

Grafana Cloud Pro starts at 19 dollars per month with usage-based charges on top. Billing is monthly based on your consumption. Grafana offers automatic volume discounts based on your spending.

Source
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