Who should use what?
Prometheus
Score: 8.9/10
Teams wanting powerful open-source metrics monitoring with PromQL
Free / Open Source
Grafana Mimir
Score: 8.7/10
Teams needing horizontally scalable Prometheus storage
Free / Cloud from $49/mo
Feature Showdown
Overall Score
Prometheus
Grafana Mimir
The Good & The Bad
Prometheus
Open-source monitoring and alerting toolkit
Strengths
- Powerful PromQL query language
- Excellent Kubernetes integration
- Active open-source community
- Pull-based model is firewall-friendly
Weaknesses
- Limited long-term storage by default
- No built-in dashboards (needs Grafana)
- High cardinality can be challenging
Grafana Mimir
Scalable long-term storage for Prometheus
Strengths
- Unlimited horizontal scalability
- 100% PromQL compatible
- Multi-tenant architecture
- Cost-effective long-term storage
Weaknesses
- Complex to self-host at scale
- Requires Kubernetes expertise
- Steeper learning curve than SaaS options
Pricing Breakdown
Prometheus
Free / Open Source
Pricing varies by data volume and features. Contact Prometheus for a custom quote based on your infrastructure needs.
Grafana Mimir
Free / Cloud from $49/mo
Pricing varies by data volume and features. Contact Grafana Mimir for a custom quote based on your infrastructure needs.
Our Recommendation
Winner
Prometheus
8.9/10 Overall Score
Both Prometheus and Grafana Mimir are excellent observability platforms. Prometheus edges ahead with a score of 8.9/10, particularly excelling in . Choose Prometheus if you prioritize these capabilities.