Grafana vs Splunk Observability Cloud — Pricing, Plans, and Verified Costs (2026)
Grafana starts at $19/mo. Splunk Observability Cloud uses custom pricing — request a quote to compare.
See price history: Grafana · Splunk Observability Cloud
How pricing works
These two tools don't price the same way, so the headline numbers below aren't directly comparable until you plug in your own volume.
- Grafana (Per Usage) — Grafana bills on usage — $19/mo Pro base + pay-per-metric/log/trace GB above free tier on top of a paid plan starting at $19/mo. The plan includes an allowance; anything beyond it is metered.
- Splunk Observability Cloud (Per Usage) — Splunk Observability Cloud bills purely on usage — Quote-based via sales — Entity, Ingest, or Workload pricing models. There is no fixed per-seat fee, so the monthly cost depends entirely on how much you consume.
Per-minute, per-credit and per-token rates exclude any downstream model, speech or telephony costs unless the vendor states otherwise.
Grafana Cloud packages open-source observability (Prometheus, Loki, Tempo, Pyroscope, k6) as a managed platform with unified metrics, logs, traces, profiles, and load testing. Free tier includes 14-day retention across all data types plus community support. Pro from $19/mo adds 13-month metrics retention + 30-day logs/traces/profiles + email support + pay-as-you-go usage above generous free allowances. Enterprise starts at $25K/year commit with premium support and Federal/BYO Cloud deployment.
Splunk Observability Cloud is Cisco-owned enterprise observability with three quote-based pricing models: Entity (per-host, predictable), Ingest (per data volume, unlimited searches), and Workload (aligned to search patterns). Includes Infrastructure Monitoring, APM, Digital Experience Analytics, Log Observer, and IT Service Intelligence in one platform. No public list prices — all deals go through sales. 14-day free trial available. Acquired by Cisco in 2024.
All plans compared
| Tier role | Plan | Grafana monthly | Grafana annual | Splunk Observability Cloud monthly | Splunk Observability Cloud annual |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free / starter | Free / — | Free | Free | — | — |
| Entry paid | Pro / — | $19 | $19 | — | — |
| Enterprise | Enterprise / — | Custom | Custom | — | — |
Tier names differ across vendors. Rows are aligned by tier role, not name. Full tier structures on each tool's page.
What each is best for
Grafana is worth it if… Grafana Cloud is ideal for engineering teams who want open-source observability without operating the stack themselves. Best if you're comfortable with usage-based pricing that scales with metric volume rather than per-host commits.
Splunk Observability Cloud is worth it if… Splunk Observability Cloud is ideal for large enterprises already running Splunk for security who want unified security + observability data in one platform. Best if you can absorb quote-based procurement and have Cisco as a strategic vendor.
Bottom line: Similar positioning, closer to a preference call than a strategic one.
Choose Grafana over Splunk Observability Cloud if…
Choose Grafana if…
- You want to pay only for actual usage (per usage, from $19/mo).
- You match the profile Grafana is built for: Grafana Cloud is ideal for engineering teams who want open-source observability without operating the stack themselves.
- You need a general-purpose developer & infrastructure option rather than a vertical-specific one.
Choose Splunk Observability Cloud if…
- You want to pay only for actual usage (per usage, a free entry tier).
- You match the profile Splunk Observability Cloud is built for: ideal for large enterprises already running Splunk for security who want unified security + observability data in one platform.
- You need a general-purpose developer & infrastructure option rather than a vertical-specific one.
At a glance
| Grafana | Splunk Observability Cloud | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | No |
| Entry price | $19/mo | Custom pricing |
| Enterprise available | Yes | Yes |
| Pricing model | Per Usage | Per Usage |
| Verification | Pricing under review | Pricing under review |
| Full pricing | View full pricing | View full pricing |
Pricing last verified September 27, 2026. Tracked daily.
Frequently asked questions
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Common questions about Grafana and Splunk Observability Cloud
- How much does Grafana cost in 2026?
- Does Grafana have a free plan?
- How often does Grafana change prices?
- What are the best Grafana alternatives in 2026?
- How much does Splunk Observability Cloud cost in 2026?
- Does Splunk Observability Cloud have a free plan?
- What are the best Splunk Observability Cloud alternatives in 2026?