Fastly vs Grafana: Full Comparison (2026)
Pricing, features, scores, and a clear verdict on which one is right for you.
The bottom line
Fastly positions itself as "real-time cdn and edge computing for high-performance apps" while Grafana goes after "operational dashboards for everyone" — so the right pick depends on which problem you're actually solving. They take different commercial approaches — Fastly uses a usage-based-based model and Grafana a freemium approach, which affects how costs scale as your team grows. Grafana lets you start for free, which means you can validate the fit before committing budget. Fastly requires a paid commitment upfront, so make sure it matches your workflow before signing.
At a glance
| Fastly | Grafana | |
|---|---|---|
| Our score | 76/100 | 88/100 |
| Starting price | $50/mo | Free |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Best for | Real-time CDN and edge computing for high-performance apps | Operational dashboards for everyone |
Pricing comparison
Calculate your cost
Feature comparison
core
| Feature | Fastly | Grafana |
|---|---|---|
| CDN | Yes | No |
| DDoS protection | Yes | No |
| Instant cache purge | Yes | No |
| WAF | Yes | No |
| Real-time analytics | Yes | No |
| Metrics dashboards | No | Yes |
| Alerting | No | Yes |
| Annotations | No | Yes |
| Plugins | No | Yes |
| Templating | No | Yes |
Ratings breakdown
What the data tells us
Key capabilities you'd miss
Choosing Fastly means going without Metrics dashboards, Alerting, Annotations (which Grafana offers). Choosing Grafana means losing CDN, DDoS protection, Instant cache purge. These are the features that typically drive the final decision — check whether your workflow depends on any of them before committing.
What company size tells you
Grafana (501-1000 employees) has the engineering bench to ship features across many fronts but may iterate slower on individual requests. Fastly (501-1,000 employees) typically ships faster on its core product but may lag on peripheral features. Consider which matters more for your roadmap.
Choose Fastly if...
- You're ready to invest from $50/mo
- You value powerful features over simplicity
- You need enterprise-grade capabilities
Choose Grafana if...
- You want a free tier to get started
- You value powerful features over simplicity
- Getting strong value for money is a priority
Frequently asked questions
Is Fastly or Grafana better?
Grafana scores 88/100 compared to Fastly's 76/100 on VendorVS. However, the best choice depends on your needs — Fastly excels at ease of use (6/10) while Grafana scores 7/10.
How much does Fastly cost compared to Grafana?
Fastly starts at $50/mo. Grafana starts at free (free tier available). Grafana is the more affordable option.
Does Fastly or Grafana have a free plan?
Grafana offers a free tier. Fastly does not — its cheapest plan starts at $50/mo.
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