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Grafana vs Hetzner Cloud

Grafana logo

Grafana

Software

Observability and Data Visualization

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Hetzner Cloud logo

Hetzner Cloud

Software

Affordable cloud servers in Europe

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Grafana the free tier retains metrics, logs and traces for 14 days only; Hetzner Cloud cost-Optimized plans are shown as currently unavailable
  • They diverge on capability: Grafana covers Dashboard creation, Hetzner Cloud covers Cloud servers.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Grafana and Hetzner Cloud differ
AttributeGrafanaHetzner Cloud
Pricing modelopen-sourceusage-based
PlatformsWeb, ApiWeb, Api, Cli
Founded20141997

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 Grafana

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

Only in Hetzner Cloud

  • Cloud servers
  • Block storage
  • Object storage
  • Load balancers
  • Networks
  • Firewalls
  • Floating IPs
  • Backups

Both cover

  • API
  • Web support
  • Api support

What people use each for

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

Grafana

  • Dashboards and visualisation over metrics, logs and tracesnot Hetzner Cloud
  • Running observability across infrastructure and applicationsnot Hetzner Cloud

Hetzner Cloud

  • Low-cost virtual servers for development and testingnot Grafana
  • European hosting with data held in Germany or Finlandnot Grafana
  • Workloads with heavy egress, where included traffic mattersnot Grafana
  • Self-hosting applications away from the hyperscalersnot Grafana

Where each one falls short

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

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

Hetzner Cloud

  • Cost-Optimized plans are shown as currently unavailable
  • The shared-resource tiers are positioned for variable usage and development rather than sustained production workloads
  • Regions are limited to Germany, Finland, the United States and Singapore, so latency to other markets is a real constraint
  • The uptime guarantee is 99.9 percent, below what the large hyperscalers offer on comparable services
  • Support is 24/7 by email, without a phone channel

Pricing, plan by plan

Grafana

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

Hetzner Cloud

Free
  • CX11$3.29/month
    • 1 vCPU
    • 1GB RAM
    • 25GB SSD
  • CX21$6.59/month
    • 2 vCPU
    • 4GB RAM
    • 40GB SSD

Which should you pick?

Choose Grafana if

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

Choose Hetzner Cloud if

  • You need cloud servers.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Api, Cli.
  • You also want block storage.
Hetzner Cloud review

Questions people ask

Is Grafana or Hetzner Cloud better?
Neither clearly leads. Grafana starts at Free and Hetzner Cloud at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Grafana or Hetzner Cloud?
Grafana starts at Free and Hetzner Cloud at Free.
Does Grafana or Hetzner Cloud run on more platforms?
Grafana runs on Web, Api. Hetzner Cloud runs on Web, Api, Cli.
Can I use Grafana for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Grafana best used for?
Grafana is most often used for dashboards and visualisation over metrics, logs and traces, running observability across infrastructure and applications. Of those, dashboards and visualisation over metrics, logs and traces and running observability across infrastructure and applications are not what Hetzner Cloud is typically brought in for.
What can Grafana do that Hetzner Cloud cannot?
Grafana covers Dashboard creation, Alerting, Data source integration, Visualization plugins. Hetzner Cloud covers Cloud servers, Block storage, Object storage, Load balancers. Both handle API, Web support, Api support.
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