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Prometheus alternatives: 5 apps ranked by verified data

Facts checked Oct 25, 2026AppBreakup editorialHow we rank

Common reasons people leave Prometheus: no built-in long-term or clustered storage, and metrics only, so logs and traces need other tools. We ranked 5 alternatives by how directly each one replaces Prometheus, then by reviews, real visits and how recently each app's facts were checked against its own website. VictoriaMetrics currently ranks first.

Quick comparison

#AppPricingOpen sourcePlatformsVerified factsScore
1VictoriaMetrics logoVictoriaMetricsOpen sourceYesSelf-hosted, Linux, macOS +14 of 466.5
2Grafana logoGrafanaOpen sourceYesWeb, Self-hosted4 of 462.6
3Zabbix logoZabbixOpen sourceYesSelf-hosted, Linux, Web4 of 459.6
4Netdata logoNetdataOpen sourceYesWeb, Self-hosted, Linux +24 of 457.2
5Datadog logoDatadogFree plan + paidNoWeb, iOS, Android4 of 455.3
  1. VictoriaMetrics logo

    1. VictoriaMetricsTop pick

    Best for: Teams outgrowing Prometheus who want cheaper long-term metrics storage

    Open sourceSelf-hostableSelf-hosted, Linux, macOS, Windows

    66.5

    score / 100

    Why switch from Prometheus

    Prometheus-compatible but uses less memory and disk, with built-in clustering.

    Pros

    • Uses far less memory and disk than many alternatives
    • Drop-in compatible with Prometheus and Grafana
    • Simple single-binary option, cluster when needed

    Cons

    • Some features are enterprise-only
    • MetricsQL extensions can reduce portability
    • Logs and traces products are newer
    Visit VictoriaMetrics Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.3100
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is VictoriaMetrics a good Prometheus alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    License
    Apache-2.0
    Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Cloud price
    From $200/month
    Checked Oct 25, 2026victoriametrics.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Cloud free trial
    30 days
    Checked Oct 25, 2026victoriametrics.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Editions
    Open source and enterprise
    Checked Oct 25, 2026victoriametrics.com(opens source in a new tab)
  2. Grafana logo

    2. Grafana

    Best for: Teams that want flexible dashboards over many data sources, self-hosted or as a managed cloud

    Open sourceSelf-hostableWeb, Self-hosted

    62.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from Prometheus

    Grafana Cloud runs a hosted, scalable Prometheus-compatible backend for you.

    Pros

    • Connects to almost any metrics, logs or SQL data source
    • Fully open-source stack you can self-host
    • Hosted cloud has a usable free tier

    Cons

    • Self-hosting Loki, Tempo and Mimir at scale is real work
    • Building good dashboards takes time and query knowledge
    • Cloud usage pricing has many meters to track
    Visit Grafana Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.387
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Grafana a good Prometheus alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    License
    AGPL-3.0
    Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Free tier
    10k metric series, 50 GB logs, 14-day retention
    Checked Oct 25, 2026grafana.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Pro plan
    From $19/month + usage
    Checked Oct 25, 2026grafana.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Logs on free tier
    50 GB/month
    Checked Oct 25, 2026grafana.com(opens source in a new tab)
  3. Zabbix logo

    3. Zabbix

    Best for: IT teams monitoring servers and network devices on-premises at scale without licence fees

    Open sourceSelf-hostableSelf-hosted, Linux, Web

    59.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from Prometheus

    Agent-based monitoring with a full web UI, better suited to traditional servers and networks.

    Pros

    • Free with no per-device licence fees
    • Huge template library for devices and services
    • Scales to large estates with proxies

    Cons

    • Dense interface with a steep learning curve
    • Less suited to ephemeral containers
    • Self-hosting the database and server is on you
    Visit Zabbix Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.377
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Zabbix a good Prometheus alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    License
    AGPL-3.0
    Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Licence change
    AGPLv3 from version 7.0
    Checked Oct 25, 2026zabbix.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Licence fees
    None
    Checked Oct 25, 2026zabbix.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Hosted option
    Zabbix Cloud
    Checked Oct 25, 2026zabbix.com(opens source in a new tab)
  4. Netdata logo

    4. Netdata

    Best for: Sysadmins and homelab users who want instant, detailed server metrics with no setup

    Open sourceSelf-hostableWeb, Self-hosted, Linux, macOS, Windows

    57.2

    score / 100

    Why switch from Prometheus

    Zero-configuration per-second metrics and dashboards out of the box.

    Pros

    • Works out of the box with automatic service detection
    • Per-second resolution metrics
    • Built-in anomaly detection and alerts

    Cons

    • Less suited to long-term retention and capacity planning
    • Many charts can feel overwhelming
    • Cloud free tier is limited to a few non-commercial nodes
    Visit Netdata Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.369
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Netdata a good Prometheus alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    License
    GPL-3.0
    Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Free tier
    Up to 5 nodes
    Checked Oct 25, 2026netdata.cloud(opens source in a new tab)
    Paid price
    From $4.50 per node
    Checked Oct 25, 2026netdata.cloud(opens source in a new tab)
    Homelab plan
    $90/year, unlimited nodes
    Checked Oct 25, 2026netdata.cloud(opens source in a new tab)
  5. Datadog logo

    5. Datadog

    Best for: Cloud-heavy teams that want metrics, traces, logs and alerts in one hosted product and can budget for it

    Free plan + paidWeb, iOS, Android

    55.3

    score / 100

    Why switch from Prometheus

    Hosted metrics with no servers to run, at a per-host cost.

    Pros

    • Very wide integration catalogue that works with little setup
    • Metrics, traces and logs are linked in one interface
    • Mature dashboards, monitors and on-call features

    Cons

    • Per-product, per-host pricing makes bills hard to forecast
    • Custom metrics and log volume get expensive quickly
    • No self-hosted option
    Visit Datadog Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.363
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Datadog a good Prometheus alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    Starting price
    $15 per host/month (Infrastructure Pro, annual)
    Checked Oct 25, 2026datadoghq.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Free tier
    Up to 5 hosts, 1-day metric retention
    Checked Oct 25, 2026datadoghq.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Free trial
    14 days
    Checked Oct 25, 2026datadoghq.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Integrations
    1,000+
    Checked Oct 25, 2026datadoghq.com(opens source in a new tab)

The best Prometheus alternative for…

The highest-ranked app in this list for each need.

VictoriaMetrics logo

Best Prometheus alternative for most people

VictoriaMetrics

Prometheus-compatible but uses less memory and disk, with built-in clustering.

Grafana logo

Best Prometheus alternative for a free option

Grafana

Grafana Cloud runs a hosted, scalable Prometheus-compatible backend for you.

Datadog logo

Best Prometheus alternative for a free plan you can upgrade

Datadog

Hosted metrics with no servers to run, at a per-host cost.

Zabbix logo

Best Prometheus alternative for open source

Zabbix

Agent-based monitoring with a full web UI, better suited to traditional servers and networks.

Netdata logo

Best Prometheus alternative for self-hosting

Netdata

Zero-configuration per-second metrics and dashboards out of the box.

VictoriaMetrics logo

Best Prometheus alternative for Mac

VictoriaMetrics

Prometheus-compatible but uses less memory and disk, with built-in clustering.

VictoriaMetrics logo

Best Prometheus alternative for Windows

VictoriaMetrics

Prometheus-compatible but uses less memory and disk, with built-in clustering.

VictoriaMetrics logo

Best Prometheus alternative for Linux

VictoriaMetrics

Prometheus-compatible but uses less memory and disk, with built-in clustering.

Datadog logo

Best Prometheus alternative for iPhone and Android

Datadog

Hosted metrics with no servers to run, at a per-host cost.

Grafana logo

Best Prometheus alternative for working in the browser

Grafana

Grafana Cloud runs a hosted, scalable Prometheus-compatible backend for you.

Prometheus alternatives: common questions

What is the best alternative to Prometheus?

VictoriaMetrics ranks first right now. Prometheus-compatible but uses less memory and disk, with built-in clustering. Grafana and Zabbix follow it in our ranking.

Is there a free alternative to Prometheus?

Yes. VictoriaMetrics (open source), Grafana (open source), Zabbix (open source) and Netdata (open source) have a free option. Check each app's verified facts for current plan limits.

Is there an open-source alternative to Prometheus?

Yes: VictoriaMetrics, Grafana, Zabbix and Netdata. VictoriaMetrics, Grafana and Zabbix can also be self-hosted.

Which Prometheus alternatives work on Linux?

VictoriaMetrics, Zabbix and Netdata run on Linux.

Why do people switch from Prometheus?

The complaints we hear most: no built-in long-term or clustered storage; metrics only, so logs and traces need other tools; basic UI, so you will want Grafana too.

How is this list ranked?

Every app is scored with the same published formula: how directly it replaces Prometheus, reviews (weighted by verification), visits from AppBreakup, how recently its facts were checked against its own website, and reader votes.