Grafana Labs vs Better Stack
Both Grafana Labs and Better Stack are European-built, GDPR-compliant solutions in the monitoring & observability space. This comparison breaks down their features, pricing, compliance posture, and data residency so you can make an informed choice for your team.
Quick Overview
Grafana Labs
EU- Headquarters
- Stockholm, SE
- Pricing
- Free
- Open Source
- Yes
Better Stack
EU- Headquarters
- Prague, CZ
- Pricing
- Free
- Open Source
- No
Key Differences
- Grafana Labs offers a free tier, while better Stack offers a free tier. The different pricing models mean you should evaluate which approach better fits your usage pattern.
- Grafana Labs is open source, meaning you can audit the code, self-host, and avoid vendor lock-in. Better Stack is proprietary, which often means a more polished out-of-the-box experience and dedicated support, but less flexibility for customisation.
- Data residency differs: Grafana Labs hosts data in EU, US, while Better Stack hosts in EU. If your organisation requires data to stay in a specific EU country, this distinction matters for compliance.
- Grafana Labs holds SOC 2 certification, providing third-party assurance of its security practices. Better Stack does not currently hold these certifications, which may matter if your organisation requires them for vendor approval.
- Grafana Labs was founded in 2014, giving it a 7-year head start over Better Stack (founded 2021). More time in market often means a larger user community and more mature integrations, though newer entrants may offer more modern architectures.
- Each product has unique strengths: Grafana Labs offers Metrics (Prometheus/Graphite) and Logs (Loki), while Better Stack provides Uptime monitoring and Log management. Your choice depends on which capabilities matter most for your workflow.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Grafana Labs | Better Stack |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Grafana Labs | Better Stack |
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Free Tier | ||
| GDPR | ||
| ISO 27001 | ||
| Open Source | ||
| Headquarters | Stockholm, SE | Prague, CZ |
| Data Centers | EU, US | EU |
| Dashboards | ||
| Metrics (Prometheus/Graphite) | ||
| Logs (Loki) | ||
| Traces (Tempo) | ||
| Alerting | ||
| Data source plugins | ||
| Annotations | ||
| Teams | ||
| Explore view | ||
| Incident management | ||
| Uptime monitoring | ||
| Log management | ||
| Status pages | ||
| On-call scheduling | ||
| Integrations | ||
| API | ||
| Heartbeat monitoring |
Pricing Comparison
Grafana Labs
Freefree (open source) / cloud plans
Better Stack
Freefreemium
Compliance Comparison
Grafana Labs
GDPRSOC 2DPA
Better Stack
GDPRDPA
Get Started
Try Grafana Labs
Open source observability platform for metrics, logs, and traces
Visit Grafana LabsTry Better Stack
Czech all-in-one observability platform for uptime, logs, and incidents
Visit Better StackCategories
How to Choose
You need code transparency or self-hosting
Choose Grafana Labs
You want a fully managed, turnkey solution
Choose Better Stack
You need enterprise-grade support and stability
Choose Grafana Labs
You prefer a nimble provider with personalised support
Choose Better Stack
Grafana Labs vs Better Stack — FAQ
What is the main difference between Grafana Labs and Better Stack?
Both Grafana Labs and Better Stack are European monitoring & observability solutions with full GDPR compliance. The key differences lie in their approach: Grafana Labs is open source while Better Stack is proprietary, and Grafana Labs uses free (open source) / cloud plans pricing while Better Stack uses freemium. Grafana Labs is headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, while Better Stack is based in Prague, Czechia. Your choice should depend on your specific requirements for features, pricing, and data residency.
Which is more affordable, Grafana Labs or Better Stack?
Both Grafana Labs and Better Stack offer free tiers, so you can try either without cost. Pricing models differ (free (open source) / cloud plans vs. freemium), so compare based on your usage pattern rather than just the starting price.
Are both Grafana Labs and Better Stack GDPR compliant?
Yes. Both Grafana Labs and Better Stack are European companies that store data within the EU/EEA and offer Data Processing Agreements. Neither is subject to the US CLOUD Act or FISA surveillance. For GDPR purposes, either option eliminates the legal risks associated with using US-based services.