Network & Connectivity · head to head
Palo Alto Networks vs Grafana
Palo Alto Networks
Network & Connectivity
Enterprise cybersecurity platform
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Grafana has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Palo Alto Networks enterprise-focused pricing model; Grafana the free tier retains metrics, logs and traces for 14 days only
- They diverge on capability: Palo Alto Networks covers Advanced threat prevention, Grafana covers Dashboard creation.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Palo Alto Networks and Grafana actually diverge.
| Attribute | Palo Alto Networks | Grafana |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | On request | Free |
| Pricing model | subscription | open-source |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Platforms | Cloud, On-premises, Hybrid | Web, Api |
| Founded | 2005 | 2014 |
Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Network & Connectivity).
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 Palo Alto Networks
- Advanced threat prevention
- Threat detection and response
- Cloud security
- Endpoint protection
- Network security
- API protection
- Incident response
- Threat intelligence
Only in Grafana
- Dashboard creation
- Alerting
- Data source integration
- Visualization plugins
- API
- Webhooks
- REST
- Api support
Both cover
- Web support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Palo Alto Networks
- Enterprise network security and threat protectionnot Grafana
- Cloud-native application protectionnot Grafana
- Identity and access securitynot Grafana
- Security operations and incident responsenot Grafana
Grafana
- Dashboards and visualisation over metrics, logs and tracesnot Palo Alto Networks
- Running observability across infrastructure and applicationsnot Palo Alto Networks
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Palo Alto Networks
- Enterprise-focused pricing model
- Complex implementation required
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 $0.100 per GB retained
- Retaining data is an ongoing charge rather than a one off, so historical data costs every month it exists
Pricing, plan by plan
Palo Alto Networks
On request- Enterprise$undefined/year
- Threat prevention
- Detection and response
- Cloud security
Grafana
Free- FreeFree
- Dashboard creation
- Alerting
- Data source integration
Which should you pick?
Choose Palo Alto Networks if
- You need advanced threat prevention.
- You work on Cloud, On-premises, Hybrid.
- You also want threat detection and response.
Choose Grafana if
- You need dashboard creation.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Api.
- You also want alerting.
Questions people ask
- Is Palo Alto Networks or Grafana better?
- Neither clearly leads. Palo Alto Networks starts at On request and Grafana at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Palo Alto Networks or Grafana?
- Grafana has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Palo Alto Networks and Free for Grafana.
- Does Palo Alto Networks or Grafana run on more platforms?
- Palo Alto Networks runs on Cloud, On-premises, Hybrid. Grafana runs on Web, Api.
- Can I use Grafana for free?
- Yes. Grafana has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Palo Alto Networks starts at On request.
- What is Palo Alto Networks best used for?
- Palo Alto Networks is most often used for enterprise network security and threat protection, cloud-native application protection, identity and access security, security operations and incident response. Of those, enterprise network security and threat protection and cloud-native application protection are not what Grafana is typically brought in for.
- What can Palo Alto Networks do that Grafana cannot?
- Palo Alto Networks covers Advanced threat prevention, Threat detection and response, Cloud security, Endpoint protection. Grafana covers Dashboard creation, Alerting, Data source integration, Visualization plugins. Both handle Web support.