Softwr

Networking · head to head

Prometheus vs Traefik

Prometheus logo

Prometheus

Networking

Open source monitoring and alerting toolkit for cloud native environments

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Traefik logo

Traefik

Networking

Modern cloud-native edge router and API gateway

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Prometheus not suitable for per-request billing as collected data lacks 100% accuracy; Traefik no transparent pricing displayed for Traefik Hub API Gateway or API Management products
  • They diverge on capability: Prometheus covers Multi-dimensional Data Model, Traefik covers API Gateway.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Prometheus and Traefik actually diverge.

Attributes where Prometheus and Traefik differ
AttributePrometheusTraefik
Pricing modelopen-sourcefreemium
PlatformsLinux, macOS, WindowsKubernetes, Docker, Cloud

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Networking), founded (2015).

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 Prometheus

  • Multi-dimensional Data Model
  • PromQL Query Language
  • Pull-based Collection
  • Service Discovery
  • Alerting Rules
  • Federation
  • Local Storage
  • Grafana

Only in Traefik

  • API Gateway
  • Load Balancing
  • SSL/TLS Termination
  • Docker
  • Consul
  • etcd

Both cover

  • Kubernetes
  • Linux support
  • Docker support
  • Kubernetes support

What people use each for

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

Prometheus

  • Monitoring and alerting systemnot Traefik
  • Time-series databasenot Traefik
  • Infrastructure metrics collectionnot Traefik

Traefik

  • API gateway for microservices architecturenot Prometheus
  • Kubernetes ingress controllernot Prometheus
  • Container and VM traffic routingnot Prometheus
  • Cloud-native application managementnot Prometheus

Where each one falls short

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

Prometheus

  • Not suitable for per-request billing as collected data lacks 100% accuracy
  • Hard limit on scrape body size; large responses cause scrape failure
  • Per-scrape sample limit enforced; exceeding limit marks targets as failed
  • Not designed for long-term durable storage; optimised for metrics collection

Traefik

  • No transparent pricing displayed for Traefik Hub API Gateway or API Management products
  • No subscription period specified for paid tiers
  • Traefik Hub products require contacting sales for pricing

Pricing, plan by plan

Prometheus

Free
  • Prometheus (Open Source)Free
    • 100% open source
    • Community-driven project
    • Apache 2 License

Traefik

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Traefik review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Prometheus if

  • You need multi-dimensional data model.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, macOS, Windows.
  • You also want promql query language.
Prometheus review

Choose Traefik if

  • You need api gateway.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Kubernetes, Docker, Cloud.
  • You also want load balancing.
Traefik review

Questions people ask

Is Prometheus or Traefik better?
Neither clearly leads. Prometheus starts at Free and Traefik at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Prometheus or Traefik?
Prometheus starts at Free and Traefik at Free.
Does Prometheus or Traefik run on more platforms?
Prometheus runs on Linux, macOS, Windows. Traefik runs on Kubernetes, Docker, Cloud.
Can I use Prometheus for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Prometheus best used for?
Prometheus is most often used for monitoring and alerting system, time-series database, infrastructure metrics collection. Of those, monitoring and alerting system and time-series database are not what Traefik is typically brought in for.
What can Prometheus do that Traefik cannot?
Prometheus covers Multi-dimensional Data Model, PromQL Query Language, Pull-based Collection, Service Discovery. Traefik covers API Gateway, Load Balancing, SSL/TLS Termination, Docker. Both handle Kubernetes, Linux support, Docker support, Kubernetes support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Prometheus: What does Prometheus cost?

Prometheus is completely free and open source. There are no pricing tiers or paid plans. The entire project is licensed under Apache 2 and hosted on GitHub.

Source
Traefik: Is Traefik Proxy free to use?

Yes, Traefik Proxy is completely free and open source. You can download and use it at no cost.

Source
Prometheus: Is Prometheus commercial software or free?

Prometheus is 100% open source and community-driven. It is a CNCF graduated project with no commercial restrictions or licensing fees.

Source
Traefik: What pricing model does Traefik use for its paid products?

Traefik Hub products (API Gateway and API Management) use quote-based pricing. Specific rates are not published on the pricing page; you must contact sales to request pricing.

Source
Prometheus: How is Prometheus licensed?

Prometheus is licensed under the Apache 2 License, which permits free use, modification, and distribution for commercial and non-commercial purposes.

Source
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