Grafana vs Prometheus: Which MCP should you use?
Grafana
Open-source observability dashboards
Prometheus
Open-source time-series metrics
TL;DR
Not competitors — they're paired. Prometheus is the time-series database and scraper. Grafana is the dashboarding UI. You run both: Prometheus collects and stores metrics, Grafana visualizes them. Grafana also supports Loki (logs), Tempo (traces), Elasticsearch, and 100+ other data sources.
Pick Grafana
Pick Grafana for dashboards, alerts, and multi-source visualization.
Pick Prometheus
Pick Prometheus for time-series scraping, storage, and the query engine (PromQL).
Feature-by-feature comparison
| Feature | 📊Grafana | 🔥Prometheus | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Role | Visualization + alerting | TSDB + scraper | Tie |
| Query language | Uses PromQL/LogQL/SQL | PromQL (native) | Tie |
| Storage | None (read-through) | Yes (local TSDB) | B |
| Data source breadth | 100+ sources | Metrics-only | A |
| Dashboarding | Industry standard | Basic built-in UI | A |
| Alerting | Grafana Alerting | Alertmanager | Tie |
| Long-term storage | Via Mimir/Thanos/Cortex | Local 15d default | Tie |
| OSS license | AGPLv3 | Apache 2.0 | B |
Role
TieGrafana
Visualization + alerting
Prometheus
TSDB + scraper
Query language
TieGrafana
Uses PromQL/LogQL/SQL
Prometheus
PromQL (native)
Storage
BGrafana
None (read-through)
Prometheus
Yes (local TSDB)
Data source breadth
AGrafana
100+ sources
Prometheus
Metrics-only
Dashboarding
AGrafana
Industry standard
Prometheus
Basic built-in UI
Alerting
TieGrafana
Grafana Alerting
Prometheus
Alertmanager
Long-term storage
TieGrafana
Via Mimir/Thanos/Cortex
Prometheus
Local 15d default
OSS license
BGrafana
AGPLv3
Prometheus
Apache 2.0
Best for
Grafana
- Data source breadth: 100+ sources
- Dashboarding: Industry standard
Best for
Prometheus
- Storage: Yes (local TSDB)
- OSS license: Apache 2.0
Migration path
Not a migration — they're a stack. Install Prometheus, expose /metrics from your apps, add Grafana, connect Prometheus as a data source, import community dashboards. Upgrade path: add Mimir for long-term Prometheus storage, Loki for logs, Tempo for traces — same Grafana UI across them.
Frequently asked questions
What is the main difference between Grafana and Prometheus?
Not competitors — they're paired. Prometheus is the time-series database and scraper. Grafana is the dashboarding UI. You run both: Prometheus collects and stores metrics, Grafana visualizes them. Grafana also supports Loki (logs), Tempo (traces), Elasticsearch, and 100+ other data sources. In short: Grafana — Open-source observability dashboards. Prometheus — Open-source time-series metrics.
When should I pick Grafana over Prometheus?
Pick Grafana for dashboards, alerts, and multi-source visualization.
When should I pick Prometheus over Grafana?
Pick Prometheus for time-series scraping, storage, and the query engine (PromQL).
Can I migrate from one to the other?
Not a migration — they're a stack. Install Prometheus, expose /metrics from your apps, add Grafana, connect Prometheus as a data source, import community dashboards. Upgrade path: add Mimir for long-term Prometheus storage, Loki for logs, Tempo for traces — same Grafana UI across them.
Do Grafana and Prometheus both work with MCP-compatible AI agents?
Yes. Both have MCP servers installable via MCPizy (mcpizy install grafana and mcpizy install prometheus). They work identically across Claude Code, Claude Desktop, Cursor, Windsurf, and any other MCP-compatible client. You can install both side by side and route queries in your agent's prompt.
More Monitoring & Observability comparisons
Sentry vs Datadog
Sentry is a developer-first error + performance tracker — excellent for 'why did this deploy break?'. Datadog is a full-stack observability platform — infra metrics, APM, logs, RUM, security, and ~30 more products. Most teams use Sentry for app errors and Datadog (or competitors) for infra.
Grafana vs Datadog
Grafana is the open-source dashboard king, paired with Prometheus/Loki/Tempo (the LGTM stack). Datadog is the polished managed alternative — faster to deploy, easier to use, much more expensive. Grafana LGTM wins on cost and flexibility; Datadog wins on time-to-value and enterprise support.
Sentry vs Rollbar
Both are error-tracking services. Sentry has broader features (performance monitoring, session replay, profiling, release tracking, feedback widgets) and bigger developer mindshare. Rollbar is simpler, competitively priced, and good enough for most teams that only want errors.
Install both with MCPizy
Not sure? Run both side by side — swap between them in your AI agent with a single config line.