Prometheus Pricing
Plans and cost breakdown for 2026
Completely Free
Free and open source
by Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF) · Monitoring
Is Prometheus Worth It?
What You Get
- + Open source and free
- + Powerful query language (PromQL)
- + Excellent for cloud-native environments
- + Strong integration with Kubernetes
- + Active community and ecosystem
What to Watch Out For
- - Steep learning curve for PromQL
- - Limited long-term storage capabilities
- - No built-in authentication/authorization
- - Requires additional tools for comprehensive dashboards
Monitoring Pricing Comparison
| Tool | Pricing Model | Starting Price | Vendor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prometheus (this tool) | Free | Free and open source | Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF) |
| AppDynamics AI | Enterprise | APM from ~$33/agent (vCPU)/month | Cisco |
| Arize AI | Freemium | Free (Phoenix OSS); AX Pro $50/mo | Arize AI |
| Better Stack | Freemium | Free tier; paid plans from $29/month | Better Stack |
| Checkly | Freemium | Free Hobby tier; paid plans from $24/month (Starter) | Checkly |
| Chronosphere | Paid | Contact for pricing | Chronosphere |
| ContainIQ | Discontinued | No longer available | ContainIQ Inc. |
| Coralogix | Freemium | Free tier (5GB/month); Teams from $160/month (10GB); logs from $0.42/GB ingested (pipeline-based, from $0.02/GB) | Coralogix Ltd. |
| Cortex | Freemium | Free tier available, paid plans start at $25/developer/month | Cortex |
| Cribl | Freemium | Free up to 1 TB/day | Cribl |
| Dash0 | Freemium | 14-day free trial; consumption-based from a $50/month base subscription (includes 100M metric data points, 25M spans, 25M logs); no per-seat fees | Dash0 Inc. |
Pricing FAQ
How much does Prometheus cost?
Prometheus uses a free pricing model. Plans start at Free and open source.
Does Prometheus have a free plan?
Yes, Prometheus is completely free to use.
Is Prometheus worth the price?
Prometheus offers open source and free and powerful query language (promql). However, consider that steep learning curve for promql. Compare with alternatives to find the best value for your needs.
What are cheaper alternatives to Prometheus?
Check our alternatives page for Prometheus to find more affordable options in the Monitoring category.
Not sure about Prometheus?
Explore alternatives or compare with other tools.