Softwr

Networking · head to head

Prometheus vs Wiz

Prometheus logo

Prometheus

Networking

Open source monitoring and alerting toolkit for cloud native environments

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Wiz logo

Wiz

Cloud

Cloud and AI security platform unifying code, cloud, and runtime protection.

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Prometheus has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Prometheus not suitable for per-request billing as collected data lacks 100% accuracy; Wiz no public pricing; licensing requires a custom quote based on workloads and sensors.
  • They diverge on capability: Prometheus covers Multi-dimensional Data Model, Wiz covers Cloud security posture management.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Prometheus and Wiz actually diverge.

Attributes where Prometheus and Wiz differ
AttributePrometheusWiz
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelopen-sourcequote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsLinux, macOS, Windowsweb, api
CategoryNetworkingCloud
Founded2015Unknown

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

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 Wiz

  • Cloud security posture management
  • Code security (Wiz Code)
  • Runtime threat detection (Wiz Defend)
  • AI security agents
  • AI workload protection
  • Attack path analysis

What people use each for

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

Prometheus

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

Wiz

  • Identifying cloud misconfigurations across multi-cloud environmentsnot Prometheus
  • Securing code from IDE through CI/CD deploymentnot Prometheus
  • Detecting and responding to active threats at runtimenot Prometheus
  • Governing AI workloads and models in the cloudnot Prometheus
  • Prioritizing risk with cross-environment attack path analysisnot 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

Wiz

  • No public pricing; licensing requires a custom quote based on workloads and sensors.
  • Modular licensing across Cloud, Code, Defend, and Sensor products can complicate cost planning.
  • Full runtime protection value depends on deploying Wiz Sensor agents, adding operational overhead.
  • Primarily aimed at mid-to-large enterprises despite the smaller Wiz Go bundle.

Pricing, plan by plan

Prometheus

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

Wiz

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Wiz 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 Wiz if

  • You need cloud security posture management.
  • You work on web, api.
  • You also want code security (wiz code).
Wiz review

Questions people ask

Is Prometheus or Wiz better?
Neither clearly leads. Prometheus starts at Free and Wiz at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Prometheus or Wiz?
Prometheus has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Prometheus and On request for Wiz.
Does Prometheus or Wiz run on more platforms?
Prometheus runs on Linux, macOS, Windows. Wiz runs on web, api.
Can I use Prometheus for free?
Yes. Prometheus has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Wiz starts at On request.
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 Wiz is typically brought in for.
What can Prometheus do that Wiz cannot?
Prometheus covers Multi-dimensional Data Model, PromQL Query Language, Pull-based Collection, Service Discovery. Wiz covers Cloud security posture management, Code security (Wiz Code), Runtime threat detection (Wiz Defend), AI security agents.

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
Wiz: How much does Wiz cost?

Wiz does not publish standard pricing. The platform uses modular licensing based on workloads, active developers, log ingestion, or sensors. All pricing requires requesting a custom quote directly from the company.

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
Wiz: Does Wiz offer a free trial?

No free trial information is mentioned on Wiz's pricing page. Pricing is determined by custom quote based on organizational needs.

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
Wiz: What products does Wiz offer?

Wiz provides five modular licensing options: Wiz Cloud, Wiz Code, Wiz Defend, Wiz Sensor, and Wiz Go Bundle for SMBs, allowing organizations to scale based on specific security requirements.

Source
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