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Cloud · head to head

Porter vs Thanos

Porter logo

Porter

Cloud

Effortless app infrastructure, your own cloud

From
$6/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Thanos logo

Thanos

Cloud

Highly available Prometheus with long-term object storage

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Thanos has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Porter pricing based on vCPU and memory can be expensive for small projects; Thanos several components — sidecar, store, querier, compactor, ruler — each with its own configuration and failure modes
  • They diverge on capability: Porter covers Rapid deployment, Thanos covers Global query.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 29 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Porter and Thanos actually diverge.

Attributes where Porter and Thanos differ
AttributePorterThanos
Starting price$6/monthFree
Pricing modelUnknownOpen source, no licence fee
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsAWS, GCP, AzureKubernetes, Linux, Docker

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

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 Porter

  • Rapid deployment
  • Multi-cloud support
  • Framework agnostic
  • DevOps automation
  • Enterprise compliance
  • Cost optimization

Only in Thanos

  • Global query
  • Object storage retention
  • Deduplication
  • Downsampling

What people use each for

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

Porter

  • Deploying Next.js applications with serverless backendsnot Thanos
  • Scaling microservices across multiple cloud providersnot Thanos
  • Running applications without dedicated DevOps staffnot Thanos

Thanos

  • Querying metrics across many clusters or regions from one placenot Porter
  • Retaining metrics for years without local disk growthnot Porter
  • Removing the gap that appears when a single Prometheus instance restartsnot Porter

Where each one falls short

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

Porter

  • Pricing based on vCPU and memory can be expensive for small projects
  • Vendor lock-in to Porter platform despite multi-cloud support
  • Limited customization for complex infrastructure requirements

Thanos

  • Several components — sidecar, store, querier, compactor, ruler — each with its own configuration and failure modes
  • The compactor is a common source of operational trouble and must not run twice against the same bucket
  • Query latency over object storage is meaningfully higher than local Prometheus
  • Object storage costs and API request charges become real at high volume

Pricing, plan by plan

Porter

$6/month
  • Standard$undefined/usage
    • RAM: $6 per month per GB
    • vCPU: $13 per month per vCPU
    • Unlimited applications
  • Enterprise$undefined/custom
    • Volume discounts available
    • All Standard features
    • Premium support

Thanos

Free
  • ThanosFree
    • Full functionality
    • No usage limits
    • Community support

Which should you pick?

Choose Porter if

  • You need rapid deployment.
  • You work on AWS, GCP, Azure.
  • You also want multi-cloud support.
Porter review

Choose Thanos if

  • You need global query.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Kubernetes, Linux, Docker.
  • You also want object storage retention.
Thanos review

Questions people ask

Is Porter or Thanos better?
Neither clearly leads. Porter starts at $6/month and Thanos at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Porter or Thanos?
Thanos has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $6/month for Porter and Free for Thanos.
Does Porter or Thanos run on more platforms?
Porter runs on AWS, GCP, Azure. Thanos runs on Kubernetes, Linux, Docker.
Can I use Thanos for free?
Yes. Thanos has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Porter starts at $6/month.
What is Porter best used for?
Porter is most often used for deploying next.js applications with serverless backends, scaling microservices across multiple cloud providers, running applications without dedicated devops staff. Of those, deploying next.js applications with serverless backends and scaling microservices across multiple cloud providers are not what Thanos is typically brought in for.
What can Porter do that Thanos cannot?
Porter covers Rapid deployment, Multi-cloud support, Framework agnostic, DevOps automation. Thanos covers Global query, Object storage retention, Deduplication, Downsampling.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Porter: How is Porter priced?

Porter uses pay-as-you-go pricing: $6 per month per GB of RAM and $13 per month per vCPU. You only pay for the resources your applications use, not cloud instance capacity.

Source
Thanos: Is Thanos free?

Yes, open source and CNCF-incubating. Costs are the object storage it uses.

Porter: Does Porter include cloud provider costs?

Porter pricing excludes underlying cloud provider costs (AWS, Azure, GCP), though cloud credits can offset those expenses.

Source
Thanos: Does Thanos replace Prometheus?

No. It runs alongside existing Prometheus servers, adding global query, deduplication and long-term storage.

Porter: Do startups get special pricing?

Yes, nonprofits receive 50% off standard rates, and startups may qualify for special pricing programs.

Source
Thanos: Thanos or VictoriaMetrics?

Thanos layers onto Prometheus using object storage and is the more established multi-cluster answer. VictoriaMetrics is a separate store aiming at lower resource use and fewer moving parts.

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