Softwr

Networking · head to head

Grafana vs Traefik

Grafana logo

Grafana

Networking

Observability and Data Visualization

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: Grafana the free tier retains metrics, logs and traces for 14 days only; Traefik no transparent pricing displayed for Traefik Hub API Gateway or API Management products
  • They diverge on capability: Grafana covers Dashboard creation, Traefik covers API Gateway.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Grafana and Traefik actually diverge.

Attributes where Grafana and Traefik differ
AttributeGrafanaTraefik
Pricing modelusage-basedfreemium
PlatformsWeb, ApiKubernetes, Docker, Cloud
Founded20142015

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

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 Grafana

  • Dashboard creation
  • Alerting
  • Data source integration
  • Visualization plugins
  • API
  • Webhooks
  • REST
  • Web support

Only in Traefik

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

What people use each for

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

Grafana

  • Metrics visualization and monitoringnot Traefik
  • Log aggregation and analysisnot Traefik
  • Distributed traces managementnot Traefik
  • System performance profilingnot Traefik

Traefik

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

Where each one falls short

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

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

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

Grafana

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Limited usage across all services
    • 14-day retention for metrics, logs, traces, profiles
    • Community support only
  • Pro$19/month
    • Pay-as-you-go pricing with volume discounts
    • 13-month retention for metrics
    • 30-day retention for logs/traces/profiles
  • Enterprise$25000/year
    • Custom pricing based on annual volume
    • Premium support included
    • Custom retention options

Traefik

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Traefik review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Grafana if

  • You need dashboard creation.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Api.
  • You also want alerting.
Grafana 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 Grafana or Traefik better?
Neither clearly leads. Grafana 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, Grafana or Traefik?
Grafana starts at Free and Traefik at Free.
Does Grafana or Traefik run on more platforms?
Grafana runs on Web, Api. Traefik runs on Kubernetes, Docker, Cloud.
Can I use Grafana for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Grafana best used for?
Grafana is most often used for metrics visualization and monitoring, log aggregation and analysis, distributed traces management, system performance profiling. Of those, metrics visualization and monitoring and log aggregation and analysis are not what Traefik is typically brought in for.
What can Grafana do that Traefik cannot?
Grafana covers Dashboard creation, Alerting, Data source integration, Visualization plugins. Traefik covers API Gateway, Load Balancing, SSL/TLS Termination, Kubernetes.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Grafana: What is Grafana's pricing model?

Grafana offers a freemium model with a free tier, Pro tier starting at 19 USD/month with pay-as-you-go usage charges, and Enterprise plans starting at 25000 USD/year.

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
Grafana: How long is data retention for each plan?

Free tier provides 14-day retention for metrics, logs, traces, and profiles. Pro tier extends this to 13 months for metrics and 30 days for logs/traces/profiles. Enterprise offers custom retention options.

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
Grafana: What support is included in each tier?

Free tier includes community support only. Pro tier provides 8 times 5 email support. Enterprise includes premium 24/7 support.

Source
Grafana: Does Grafana offer volume discounts?

Yes, Grafana uses adaptive pricing with automatic volume discounts as usage scales, and provides cost-optimization tools to help eliminate spending on unused data.

Source
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