Grafana Labs vs Checkly
Both Grafana Labs and Checkly 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
Checkly
EU- Headquarters
- Berlin, DE
- Pricing
- Free
- Open Source
- Yes
Key Differences
- Grafana Labs offers a free tier, while checkly offers a free tier. The different pricing models mean you should evaluate which approach better fits your usage pattern.
- Data residency differs: Grafana Labs hosts data in EU, US, while Checkly 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. Checkly 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 4-year head start over Checkly (founded 2018). 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 Checkly provides Synthetic monitoring and API checks. Your choice depends on which capabilities matter most for your workflow.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Grafana Labs | Checkly |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Grafana Labs | Checkly |
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Free Tier | ||
| GDPR | ||
| ISO 27001 | ||
| Open Source | ||
| Headquarters | Stockholm, SE | Berlin, DE |
| Data Centers | EU, US | EU |
| Dashboards | ||
| Metrics (Prometheus/Graphite) | ||
| Logs (Loki) | ||
| Traces (Tempo) | ||
| Alerting | ||
| Data source plugins | ||
| Annotations | ||
| Teams | ||
| Explore view | ||
| Incident management | ||
| Synthetic monitoring | ||
| API checks | ||
| Browser checks (Playwright) | ||
| Monitoring as code | ||
| CLI | ||
| Private locations | ||
| Multi-location | ||
| Terraform provider |
Pricing Comparison
Grafana Labs
Freefree (open source) / cloud plans
Checkly
Freefreemium
Compliance Comparison
Grafana Labs
GDPRSOC 2DPA
Checkly
GDPRDPA
Get Started
Try Grafana Labs
Open source observability platform for metrics, logs, and traces
Visit Grafana LabsCategories
How to Choose
You need enterprise-grade support and stability
Choose Grafana Labs
You prefer a nimble provider with personalised support
Choose Checkly
Grafana Labs vs Checkly — FAQ
What is the main difference between Grafana Labs and Checkly?
Both Grafana Labs and Checkly are European monitoring & observability solutions with full GDPR compliance. The key differences lie in their approach: Grafana Labs uses free (open source) / cloud plans pricing while Checkly uses freemium. Grafana Labs is headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, while Checkly is based in Berlin, Germany. Your choice should depend on your specific requirements for features, pricing, and data residency.
Which is more affordable, Grafana Labs or Checkly?
Both Grafana Labs and Checkly 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 Checkly GDPR compliant?
Yes. Both Grafana Labs and Checkly 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.