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InfluxDB vs Palo Alto Networks

InfluxDB logo

InfluxDB

Software

Purpose-built time series database for metrics and events

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Palo Alto Networks logo

Palo Alto Networks

Software

Enterprise cybersecurity platform

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only InfluxDB has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: InfluxDB high-cardinality data causes memory pressure and performance degradation; Palo Alto Networks enterprise-focused pricing model
  • They diverge on capability: InfluxDB covers Time-series Storage, Palo Alto Networks covers Advanced threat prevention.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which InfluxDB and Palo Alto Networks actually diverge.

Attributes where InfluxDB and Palo Alto Networks differ
AttributeInfluxDBPalo Alto Networks
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelUnknownsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsCloud, Docker, Linux, macOS, Windows, AWS, Google Cloud, AzureCloud, On-premises, Hybrid
Founded20122005

Identical on both: 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 InfluxDB

  • Time-series Storage
  • Flux Query Language
  • High Write Throughput
  • Data Compression
  • Retention Policies
  • Continuous Queries
  • Built-in Dashboards
  • Telegraf

Only in Palo Alto Networks

  • Advanced threat prevention
  • Threat detection and response
  • Cloud security
  • Endpoint protection
  • Network security
  • API protection
  • Incident response
  • Threat intelligence

Both cover

  • Web support

What people use each for

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

InfluxDB

  • Monitoringnot Palo Alto Networks
  • IoT datanot Palo Alto Networks
  • Financial datanot Palo Alto Networks
  • Log analyticsnot Palo Alto Networks
  • Observabilitynot Palo Alto Networks

Palo Alto Networks

  • Enterprise network security and threat protectionnot InfluxDB
  • Cloud-native application protectionnot InfluxDB
  • Identity and access securitynot InfluxDB
  • Security operations and incident responsenot InfluxDB

Where each one falls short

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

InfluxDB

  • High-cardinality data causes memory pressure and performance degradation
  • No support for joins or transactions like relational databases
  • Queries limited to 72-hour window in InfluxDB 3 OSS Core
  • Clustering and authentication features absent from community version

Palo Alto Networks

  • Enterprise-focused pricing model
  • Complex implementation required

Pricing, plan by plan

InfluxDB

Free
  • Cloud Serverless FreeFree
    • 5 MB writes per 5 minutes
    • 300 MB queries per 5 minutes
    • 30 day retention
  • Cloud Serverless Usage-Based$null/mo
    • 0.0025 USD per MB ingested
    • 0.012 USD per 100 queries
    • 0.002 USD per GB-hour storage

Palo Alto Networks

On request
  • Enterprise$undefined/year
    • Threat prevention
    • Detection and response
    • Cloud security

Which should you pick?

Choose InfluxDB if

  • You need time-series storage.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Cloud, Docker, Linux, macOS, Windows, AWS, Google Cloud, Azure.
  • You also want flux query language.
InfluxDB review

Choose Palo Alto Networks if

  • You need advanced threat prevention.
  • You work on Cloud, On-premises, Hybrid.
  • You also want threat detection and response.
Palo Alto Networks review

Questions people ask

Is InfluxDB or Palo Alto Networks better?
Neither clearly leads. InfluxDB starts at Free and Palo Alto Networks at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, InfluxDB or Palo Alto Networks?
InfluxDB has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for InfluxDB and On request for Palo Alto Networks.
Does InfluxDB or Palo Alto Networks run on more platforms?
InfluxDB runs on Cloud, Docker, Linux, macOS, Windows, AWS, Google Cloud, Azure. Palo Alto Networks runs on Cloud, On-premises, Hybrid.
Can I use InfluxDB for free?
Yes. InfluxDB has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Palo Alto Networks starts at On request.
What is InfluxDB best used for?
InfluxDB is most often used for monitoring, iot data, financial data, log analytics. Of those, monitoring and iot data are not what Palo Alto Networks is typically brought in for.
What can InfluxDB do that Palo Alto Networks cannot?
InfluxDB covers Time-series Storage, Flux Query Language, High Write Throughput, Data Compression. Palo Alto Networks covers Advanced threat prevention, Threat detection and response, Cloud security, Endpoint protection. Both handle Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

InfluxDB: Is there a free tier and what are the limits?

InfluxDB 3 Core OSS is free forever for local development and prototyping. Cloud Serverless free tier includes 5 MB writes per 5 minutes, 300 MB queries per 5 minutes, 30 day retention, and 2 databases.

Source
InfluxDB: Can I self-host InfluxDB?

Yes, InfluxDB 3 Core is fully open source and can be self-hosted with no license required. InfluxDB 3 Enterprise is self-managed and includes a 30-day free trial.

Source
InfluxDB: What are the series cardinality limitations?

InfluxDB is sensitive to high-cardinality data. High cardinality increases RAM usage and can trigger out-of-memory errors, making it unsuitable for some workloads with many unique tag combinations.

Source
InfluxDB: Does InfluxDB support SQL queries?

InfluxDB has limited SQL support. Full SQL is available in InfluxDB 3, but earlier versions support only specific SQL commands and use InfluxQL as the primary query language.

Source
InfluxDB: Can I export my data from InfluxDB?

Yes, data can be exported from InfluxDB using query results. However, the process and supported formats depend on the version and deployment type you are using.

Source
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