Loki vs Prometheus
Updated June 2026 · A structured head-to-head comparison.
Open-source metrics and alerting.
The verdict
Both Loki and Prometheus are credible monitoring tools, and the right pick comes down to your priorities.
Loki — Like Prometheus, but for logs.
Prometheus — Open-source metrics and alerting.
Loki vs Prometheus: side by side
| Dimension | Loki | Prometheus |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Pricing model | Open source | Open source |
| Best for | Devops Teams | Devops Teams, Developers |
| Platforms | Self Hosted | Self Hosted |
| Rating | 4.5/5 | 4.6/5 |
Loki key facts
- Vendor
- Grafana Labs
- Pricing
- Open source — Free
- Free tier
- Yes
- Platforms
- Self Hosted
- Best for
- Devops Teams
- Editor rating
- 4.5 / 5
- Founded
- 2018
- Headquarters
- Open source
Prometheus key facts
- Vendor
- CNCF
- Pricing
- Open source — Free
- Free tier
- Yes
- Platforms
- Self Hosted
- Best for
- Devops Teams, Developers
- Editor rating
- 4.6 / 5
- Founded
- 2012
- Headquarters
- Open source (CNCF)
Frequently asked questions
Is Loki better than Prometheus?
Neither is universally better — Prometheus edges ahead on overall rating, but the best choice depends on price, platforms, and your use case. See the side-by-side table above.
Is Loki or Prometheus cheaper?
Loki is the more affordable of the two to get started, at free. Loki starts at free; Prometheus starts at free.
Can Loki replace Prometheus?
Yes for most teams — both are monitoring tools with heavily overlapping features. The main trade-offs are pricing and platform support, covered in the comparison above.