Grafana vs WorkOS — Pricing, Plans, and Verified Costs (2026)
Grafana starts at $19/mo. WorkOS starts at $125/mo. Grafana is $106/mo cheaper on the entry tier than WorkOS.
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.
- WorkOS (Unknown model) — WorkOS bills on a fixed plan from $125/mo, so the listed price is what you pay regardless of volume.
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.
Enterprise-ready authentication + user management, positioned as the alternative to building SSO/SCIM/directory sync from scratch. Distinctive per-connection pricing model — $125/mo per SSO connection (vs Clerk's bundled 1 free SSO on Pro). AuthKit free for first 1M users. Popular with B2B SaaS that need to close enterprise deals requiring SAML, SCIM, and audit logs — the "unlock enterprise revenue" tool.
All plans compared
| Tier role | Plan | Grafana monthly | Grafana annual | WorkOS monthly | WorkOS annual |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free / starter | Free / AuthKit Free | Free | Free | Free | Free |
| Entry paid | Pro / SSO | $19 | $19 | $125 | $125 |
| Mid tier | — / Directory Sync | — | — | $125 | $125 |
| Pro / power | — / Audit Logs | — | — | $125 | $125 |
| Enterprise | Enterprise / Custom Domains | Custom | Custom | $99 | $99 |
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.
WorkOS is worth it if… B2B SaaS companies (Series A-Series D) that need to add enterprise features (SSO, SCIM, audit logs, admin portal) to their product — particularly to close enterprise deals that require SAML/OIDC. Startup tier covers small SaaS; Enterprise for high-volume with custom pricing.
Bottom line: Similar positioning, closer to a preference call than a strategic one.
Choose Grafana over WorkOS 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 WorkOS if…
- You're comfortable with WorkOS's from $125/mo entry point.
- You match the profile WorkOS is built for: B2B SaaS companies (Series A-Series D) that need to add enterprise features (SSO, SCIM, audit logs, admin portal) to their product — particularly to close enterprise deals that require SAML/OIDC.
- You need a general-purpose developer & infrastructure option rather than a vertical-specific one.
At a glance
| Grafana | WorkOS | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Entry price | $19/mo | $125/mo |
| Enterprise available | Yes | Yes |
| Pricing model | 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.