Software · head to head
Ubiquiti UniFi vs Grafana
Ubiquiti UniFi
Software
Effortlessly manage 100+ APs in the same way you manage an individual AP
- 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: Ubiquiti UniFi product page states no licensing fees but publishes no hardware price; buyers must go to the Ubiquiti Store or an authorized distributor for a figure; Grafana the free tier retains metrics, logs and traces for 14 days only
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Ubiquiti UniFi and Grafana actually diverge.
| Attribute | Ubiquiti UniFi | Grafana |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | On request | Free |
| Pricing model | one-time | open-source |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Platforms | Web | Web, Api |
| Founded | Unknown | 2014 |
Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
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 Ubiquiti UniFi
Nothing recorded that Grafana does not also cover.
Only in Grafana
- Dashboard creation
- Alerting
- Data source integration
- Visualization plugins
- API
- Webhooks
- REST
- Web support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Ubiquiti UniFi
No use cases recorded yet. See the Ubiquiti UniFi review.
Grafana
- Dashboards and visualisation over metrics, logs and tracesnot Ubiquiti UniFi
- Running observability across infrastructure and applicationsnot Ubiquiti UniFi
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Ubiquiti UniFi
- Product page states no licensing fees but publishes no hardware price; buyers must go to the Ubiquiti Store or an authorized distributor for a figure
- Newest WiFi 7 access points such as the U7 Pro require compatible UniFi controller hardware or cloud console to manage centrally
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
Ubiquiti UniFi
On requestNo published plan breakdown. See the Ubiquiti UniFi review.
Grafana
Free- FreeFree
- Dashboard creation
- Alerting
- Data source integration
Which should you pick?
Choose Ubiquiti UniFi if
Nothing in the data separates Ubiquiti UniFi from Grafana on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.
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 Ubiquiti UniFi or Grafana better?
- Neither clearly leads. Ubiquiti UniFi 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, Ubiquiti UniFi or Grafana?
- Grafana has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Ubiquiti UniFi and Free for Grafana.
- Does Ubiquiti UniFi or Grafana run on more platforms?
- Ubiquiti UniFi runs on Web. Grafana runs on Web, Api.
- Can I use Grafana for free?
- Yes. Grafana has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Ubiquiti UniFi starts at On request.
- What can Ubiquiti UniFi do that Grafana cannot?
- Grafana covers Dashboard creation, Alerting, Data source integration, Visualization plugins.