grafana
Grafana is an open-source observability and data visualization platform that connects to multiple data sources (Prometheus, Loki, Elasticsearch, InfluxDB, Postgres, etc.) to create dashboards, alerts, and log/metric exploration interfaces. It's widely adopted for monitoring infrastructure and application performance across organizations of all sizes.
Key facts
Objective fields from the source. Values we can't verify are shown as “Unknown” rather than guessed.
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Repository | grafana/grafana |
| Owner | grafana |
| Primary language | TypeScript |
| License | AGPL-3.0 — OSI-approved |
| Stars | 75.3k |
| Forks | 14.2k |
| Open issues | 3.5k |
| Latest release | v13.1.0 (2026-07-01) |
| Last updated | 2026-07-08 |
| Source | https://github.com/grafana/grafana |
What grafana is
Written primarily in TypeScript with Go components, Grafana provides a composable backend-agnostic visualization engine supporting mixed data sources per dashboard, dynamic templating, alerting pipelines, and panel plugin extensibility. It exposes query and notification APIs for programmatic dashboard and alert rule management.
Get the grafana source
Clone the repository and explore it locally.
git clone https://github.com/grafana/grafana.gitcd grafana# follow the project's README for install & configurationNeed it deployed, integrated, or customized instead? DEV.co ships production installs.
Best use cases
Implementation considerations
- Requires operational deployment (Docker, Kubernetes, or VM) with persistent storage for dashboards and configuration—not a hosted SaaS by default.
- Data source connectivity must be established and tuned (query performance, retention policies, authentication secrets) before dashboards become useful.
- Dashboard and alert rule design requires domain knowledge; teams should plan for training and initial template/runbook development.
- Plugin ecosystem is extensible but requires maintenance and vetting; third-party plugins introduce supply chain and security considerations.
- Authentication and multi-tenancy features vary by Grafana edition (OSS vs. Enterprise); clarify RBAC and team isolation requirements early.
When to avoid it — and what to weigh
- Closed-Source Compliance Requirements — AGPL-3.0 requires source code disclosure of modifications and linking. If your compliance policy forbids copyleft licenses or reciprocal obligations, this is unsuitable without a commercial license agreement.
- Proprietary Time-Series DB as Primary Store — Grafana queries *into* data sources; it does not replace your database. If you require a fully managed, proprietary solution with built-in storage, Datadog or New Relic may be better fits.
- Simple Metrics-Only Use Case with Minimal Config — If you need only a lightweight, serverless metrics endpoint without operational overhead, simpler solutions (e.g., hosted Prometheus, managed monitoring) may reduce maintenance burden.
- Strict Vendor Lock-In Preference — Grafana's plugin and dashboard ecosystem encourages vendor-neutral practices. If your strategy prioritizes lock-in to a single vendor's stack, this conflicts with Grafana's design philosophy.
License & commercial use
Distributed under AGPL-3.0-only. AGPL is a copyleft license: any modifications or derivative works must be made available under the same license, and the license extends to network services (SaaS deployments are considered modifications). LICENSING.md notes Apache-2.0 exceptions, suggesting some components may have dual licensing; review LICENSING.md for specifics.
AGPL-3.0 permits using Grafana unmodified in commercial operations. However, any modifications (including plugins bundled with your deployments) must be open-sourced under AGPL. If you plan to extend Grafana and keep modifications proprietary, you must obtain a commercial license from Grafana Labs. Requires legal review before deployment in proprietary environments.
DEV.co evaluation signals
Editorial assessment — not user reviews. Directional, with an explicit confidence level.
| Signal | Assessment |
|---|---|
| Maintenance | Active |
| Documentation | Strong |
| License clarity | Clear |
| Deployment complexity | Moderate |
| DEV.co fit | Strong |
| Assessment confidence | High |
Grafana stores and queries sensitive data (metrics, logs, traces). Consider: (1) Authentication/authorization scope (RBAC, SAML, OAuth, API tokens); (2) data source credentials and secret rotation; (3) plugin vetting and supply chain integrity; (4) network isolation of data sources from Grafana; (5) audit logging of dashboard and alert changes. No specific vulnerabilities stated in data; review security advisories and release notes for patches. AGPL means custom deployments are subject to source code availability requirements under law.
Alternatives to consider
Datadog
Proprietary SaaS with unified metrics, logs, APM, and alerting. Simpler operationally (no self-hosting), but vendor lock-in and higher egress costs if switching.
Prometheus + custom UI / Alertmanager
Lighter-weight open-source approach; Prometheus handles metrics only, Alertmanager routes alerts. Suitable for metrics-focused teams; less polished visualization and multi-source UX than Grafana.
ELK Stack (Elasticsearch, Logstash, Kibana)
Open-source; Kibana is a visualization layer for logs and metrics. Stronger for log analysis; weaker for metrics-only use cases and less flexible alerting than Grafana.
Build on grafana with DEV.co software developers
Grafana connects multiple data sources into a single visualization and alerting platform. Assess AGPL licensing requirements and operational complexity for your team. Contact us to plan a proof-of-concept deployment or explore managed Grafana Cloud options.
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grafana FAQ
Can I modify Grafana and keep changes private?
Does Grafana store my metrics and logs?
Is there a managed / SaaS version?
How do I provision dashboards and alerts as code?
Software development & web development with DEV.co
Need help beyond evaluating grafana? DEV.co is a software development agency offering software development services and web development for teams of every size. Our software developers and web developers build custom software, web applications, APIs, and open-source observability integrations — and maintain them long-term.
Ready to unify your observability stack?
Grafana connects multiple data sources into a single visualization and alerting platform. Assess AGPL licensing requirements and operational complexity for your team. Contact us to plan a proof-of-concept deployment or explore managed Grafana Cloud options.