Softwr

Networking · head to head

Grafana vs PRTG Network Monitor

Grafana logo

Grafana

Networking

Observability and Data Visualization

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
PRTG Network Monitor logo

PRTG Network Monitor

Networking

Infrastructure monitoring licensed by sensor count, not by device, which changes what a licence actually covers

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Grafana has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Grafana the free tier retains metrics, logs and traces for 14 days only; PRTG Network Monitor licensing by sensor rather than device means the real cost per device is unpredictable until sensor density is measured; a small network of complex devices can need a much larger tier than device count alone suggests
  • They diverge on capability: Grafana covers Dashboard creation, PRTG Network Monitor covers Sensor-based monitoring.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Grafana and PRTG Network Monitor actually diverge.

Attributes where Grafana and PRTG Network Monitor differ
AttributeGrafanaPRTG Network Monitor
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelusage-basedPer sensor tier, billed monthly on an annual contract
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, ApiWindows, Web, iOS, Android
Founded2014Unknown

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

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
  • API
  • Webhooks
  • REST
  • Web support

Only in PRTG Network Monitor

  • Sensor-based monitoring
  • Auto-discovery
  • Multiple monitoring technologies
  • Maps and dashboards
  • Cloud and hybrid deployment

What people use each for

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

Grafana

  • Metrics visualization and monitoringnot PRTG Network Monitor
  • Log aggregation and analysisnot PRTG Network Monitor
  • Distributed traces managementnot PRTG Network Monitor
  • System performance profilingnot PRTG Network Monitor

PRTG Network Monitor

  • An IT team wanting network, server and application monitoring in one product rather than assembling separate open source toolsnot Grafana
  • An organisation that wants a Windows-installable on-premises monitoring server with a polished UI out of the boxnot Grafana
  • A team sizing a monitoring purchase that needs to calculate sensor density per device carefully before committing to a tiernot Grafana
  • A company wanting hybrid on-premises and cloud monitoring from the same licence and dashboardnot 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

PRTG Network Monitor

  • Licensing by sensor rather than device means the real cost per device is unpredictable until sensor density is measured; a small network of complex devices can need a much larger tier than device count alone suggests
  • Different PRTG licence sizes cannot be combined on one server, so outgrowing a tier means a step change to the next tier rather than a smooth incremental add
  • It requires a Windows server for on-premises deployment, which is an added infrastructure and patching burden compared with a Linux-native open source alternative
  • Pricing is materially higher than open source options like Icinga or LibreNMS for comparable core monitoring capability, and the premium is for polish and support rather than unique functionality
  • The free tier (100 sensors) is limited enough that most real deployments quickly need a paid tier, so it functions more as a trial than a genuinely usable free offering
  • Custom sensor scripting and advanced configuration still require real monitoring expertise; the polished UI does not remove the underlying complexity of correctly instrumenting a large network

Pricing, plan by plan

Grafana

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Limited usage across all services
    • 14-day retention for metrics, logs, traces, profiles
    • Community support only
  • Pro$19/month
    • Pay-as-you-go pricing with volume discounts
    • 13-month retention for metrics
    • 30-day retention for logs/traces/profiles
  • Enterprise$25000/year
    • Custom pricing based on annual volume
    • Premium support included
    • Custom retention options

PRTG Network Monitor

On request
  • PRTG 500$200/month
    • Up to 500 sensors
  • PRTG 1000$358/month
    • Up to 1,000 sensors
  • PRTG 2500$742/month
    • Up to 2,500 sensors
  • PRTG 5000$1300/month
    • Up to 5,000 sensors

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 PRTG Network Monitor if

  • You need sensor-based monitoring.
  • You work on Windows, Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want auto-discovery.
PRTG Network Monitor review

Questions people ask

Is Grafana or PRTG Network Monitor better?
Neither clearly leads. Grafana starts at Free and PRTG Network Monitor at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Grafana or PRTG Network Monitor?
Grafana has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Grafana and On request for PRTG Network Monitor.
Does Grafana or PRTG Network Monitor run on more platforms?
Grafana runs on Web, Api. PRTG Network Monitor runs on Windows, Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use Grafana for free?
Yes. Grafana has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. PRTG Network Monitor starts at On request.
What is Grafana best used for?
Grafana is most often used for metrics visualization and monitoring, log aggregation and analysis, distributed traces management, system performance profiling. Of those, metrics visualization and monitoring and log aggregation and analysis are not what PRTG Network Monitor is typically brought in for.
What can Grafana do that PRTG Network Monitor cannot?
Grafana covers Dashboard creation, Alerting, Data source integration, Visualization plugins. PRTG Network Monitor covers Sensor-based monitoring, Auto-discovery, Multiple monitoring technologies, Maps and dashboards.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Grafana: What is Grafana's pricing model?

Grafana offers a freemium model with a free tier, Pro tier starting at 19 USD/month with pay-as-you-go usage charges, and Enterprise plans starting at 25000 USD/year.

Source
PRTG Network Monitor: Is PRTG licensed per device or per sensor?

Per sensor. Each individually monitored metric counts as one sensor, so a single device is typically several sensors.

Grafana: How long is data retention for each plan?

Free tier provides 14-day retention for metrics, logs, traces, and profiles. Pro tier extends this to 13 months for metrics and 30 days for logs/traces/profiles. Enterprise offers custom retention options.

Source
PRTG Network Monitor: Can I combine two PRTG licence tiers on one server?

No, Paessler states different license sizes cannot be combined on one PRTG installation.

Grafana: What support is included in each tier?

Free tier includes community support only. Pro tier provides 8 times 5 email support. Enterprise includes premium 24/7 support.

Source
PRTG Network Monitor: Is there a free tier?

Yes, PRTG offers a free tier limited to 100 sensors, which most production networks will exceed quickly.

Grafana: Does Grafana offer volume discounts?

Yes, Grafana uses adaptive pricing with automatic volume discounts as usage scales, and provides cost-optimization tools to help eliminate spending on unused data.

Source
Share

Related pages

More on Grafana

More on PRTG Network Monitor

Keep looking

Other head to heads