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Database & Data Management · head to head

DynamoDB vs Grafana Cloud

DynamoDB logo

DynamoDB

Database & Data Management

Fast, flexible NoSQL database service for any scale

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Grafana Cloud logo

Grafana Cloud

Cloud & Infrastructure

Composable observability platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Grafana Cloud has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: DynamoDB noSQL-only; does not support complex relational queries or SQL joins; Grafana Cloud active Series (AS) billing model is difficult to predict and control; misconfiguration can cause sudden spikes and unexpected bills
  • They diverge on capability: DynamoDB covers Single-digit Millisecond Latency, Grafana Cloud covers Grafana Dashboards.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which DynamoDB and Grafana Cloud actually diverge.

Attributes where DynamoDB and Grafana Cloud differ
AttributeDynamoDBGrafana Cloud
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelusage-basedUnknown
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsAWSWeb (Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Safari), API
CategoryDatabase & Data ManagementCloud & Infrastructure
Founded20062014

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).

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 DynamoDB

  • Single-digit Millisecond Latency
  • Serverless
  • Auto-scaling
  • Global Tables
  • Point-in-time Recovery
  • Streams
  • Lambda
  • API Gateway

Only in Grafana Cloud

  • Grafana Dashboards
  • Prometheus Metrics
  • Loki Logs
  • Tempo Traces
  • Alerting
  • OnCall
  • Synthetic Monitoring
  • Incident Management

Both cover

  • Encryption
  • Web support

What people use each for

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

DynamoDB

  • High-scale, variable-workload applicationsnot Grafana Cloud
  • Mobile and IoT device backendsnot Grafana Cloud
  • Real-time analytics and dashboardsnot Grafana Cloud
  • Multi-region, globally distributed applicationsnot Grafana Cloud

Grafana Cloud

  • Infrastructure monitoringnot DynamoDB
  • Application monitoringnot DynamoDB
  • Log aggregationnot DynamoDB
  • Distributed tracingnot DynamoDB

Where each one falls short

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

DynamoDB

  • NoSQL-only; does not support complex relational queries or SQL joins
  • Limited query flexibility; requires thinking in terms of keys and indexes rather than ad-hoc queries

Grafana Cloud

  • Active Series (AS) billing model is difficult to predict and control; misconfiguration can cause sudden spikes and unexpected bills
  • Reduced control and customization compared to self-hosted Grafana instances
  • Data sovereignty concerns for organizations requiring on-premises data retention
  • Limited reporting types compared to traditional BI tools for compliance and audit requirements

Pricing, plan by plan

DynamoDB

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the DynamoDB review.

Grafana Cloud

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 10k active series (metrics)
    • 50GB logs/traces per month
    • 3 active users
  • Pro$19/month
    • Usage-based pricing beyond free tier
    • 8 USD per active visualization user
    • Included Grafana Alerting
  • Enterprise$25000/year
    • Minimum annual commitment
    • Full-service deployment options
    • Premium support

Which should you pick?

Choose DynamoDB if

  • You need single-digit millisecond latency.
  • You work on AWS.
  • You also want serverless.
DynamoDB review

Choose Grafana Cloud if

  • You need grafana dashboards.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web (Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Safari), API.
  • You also want prometheus metrics.
Grafana Cloud review

Questions people ask

Is DynamoDB or Grafana Cloud better?
Neither clearly leads. DynamoDB starts at On request and Grafana Cloud at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, DynamoDB or Grafana Cloud?
Grafana Cloud has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for DynamoDB and Free for Grafana Cloud.
Does DynamoDB or Grafana Cloud run on more platforms?
DynamoDB runs on AWS. Grafana Cloud runs on Web (Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Safari), API.
Can I use Grafana Cloud for free?
Yes. Grafana Cloud has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. DynamoDB starts at On request.
What is DynamoDB best used for?
DynamoDB is most often used for high-scale, variable-workload applications, mobile and iot device backends, real-time analytics and dashboards, multi-region, globally distributed applications. Of those, high-scale, variable-workload applications and mobile and iot device backends are not what Grafana Cloud is typically brought in for.
What can DynamoDB do that Grafana Cloud cannot?
DynamoDB covers Single-digit Millisecond Latency, Serverless, Auto-scaling, Global Tables. Grafana Cloud covers Grafana Dashboards, Prometheus Metrics, Loki Logs, Tempo Traces. Both handle Encryption, Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Grafana Cloud: What are the exact limits of Grafana Cloud's free tier?

Grafana Cloud free tier includes 10,000 active series for metrics, 50GB logs and traces per month, 3 active visualization users, and 14-day retention with community support. No credit card required.

Source
Grafana Cloud: How is Grafana Cloud billed, and what are the per-unit costs?

Grafana Cloud Pro tier starts at $19/month platform fee plus usage-based charges. Metrics cost $6.50 per 1,000 active series above free limits, logs and traces are charged per GB ingested, and visualization users are $8 per active user.

Source
Grafana Cloud: Can I use Grafana Cloud for open-source Grafana deployments?

Grafana Cloud is the managed cloud service version. Open-source Grafana is free and can be self-hosted indefinitely on your own infrastructure.

Source
Grafana Cloud: What observability signals does Grafana Cloud include?

Grafana Cloud includes metrics (via Mimir), logs (via Loki), traces (via Tempo), profiles, and synthetics, with unified querying and visualization across all signals.

Source
Grafana Cloud: Does Grafana Cloud include alerting and how is it priced?

Yes, Grafana Alerting is included at no additional charge across all tiers. Rule storage, evaluation, and notification delivery are covered by the platform fee with no per-alert or per-notification fees.

Source
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