Softwr

Networking · head to head

Grafana vs Ubiquiti UniFi

Grafana logo

Grafana

Networking

Observability and Data Visualization

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Ubiquiti UniFi logo

Ubiquiti UniFi

Networking

Effortlessly manage 100+ APs in the same way you manage an individual AP

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Grafana has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Grafana the free tier retains metrics, logs and traces for 14 days only; 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
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Grafana and Ubiquiti UniFi actually diverge.

Attributes where Grafana and Ubiquiti UniFi differ
AttributeGrafanaUbiquiti UniFi
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelusage-basedone-time
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, ApiWeb
Founded2014Unknown

Identical on both: 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 Ubiquiti UniFi

Nothing recorded that Grafana does not also cover.

What people use each for

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

Grafana

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

Ubiquiti UniFi

No use cases recorded yet. See the Ubiquiti UniFi review.

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

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

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

Ubiquiti UniFi

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Ubiquiti UniFi 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 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.

Ubiquiti UniFi review

Questions people ask

Is Grafana or Ubiquiti UniFi better?
Neither clearly leads. Grafana starts at Free and Ubiquiti UniFi at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Grafana or Ubiquiti UniFi?
Grafana has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Grafana and On request for Ubiquiti UniFi.
Does Grafana or Ubiquiti UniFi run on more platforms?
Grafana runs on Web, Api. Ubiquiti UniFi runs on Web.
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 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 Ubiquiti UniFi is typically brought in for.
What can Grafana do that Ubiquiti UniFi cannot?
Grafana covers Dashboard creation, Alerting, Data source integration, Visualization plugins.

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
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
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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