When it comes to metrics collection, storage, and analysis, Prometheus and InfluxDB are two of the most widely used open-source solutions. But which one is right for your use case?
This guide compares:
✅ Data Collection Capabilities
✅ Storage and Query Performance
✅ Cost and Licensing
✅ Deployment Options (Cloud/On-Premise)
✅ Real-World Use Cases
1. Core Differences at a Glance
| Feature | Prometheus | InfluxDB |
|---|---|---|
| Data Model | Time-series (multi-dimensional) | Time-series (tag-based) |
| Primary Use Case | Monitoring & alerting | Metrics + event logging |
| Query Language | PromQL | Flux (InfluxQL deprecated) |
| Scalability | Pull-based (limited scaling) | Push-based (better for high scale) |
| License | Apache 2.0 | Open-source (TICK stack) / Commercial |
2. Data Collection & Storage
A. Prometheus
- Pull-based scraping (HTTP requests to targets)
- Local storage (TSDB) – Not ideal for long-term retention
- Supports service discovery (Kubernetes, Consul)
Best for:
✔ Cloud-native monitoring (K8s, microservices)
✔ Short-term metric storage (weeks)
B. InfluxDB
- Push-based ingestion (better for IoT, edge devices)
- High-performance storage engine (TSM, optimized for writes)
- Handles events + logs (unstructured data)
Best for:
✔ High-frequency metrics (IoT, sensor data)
✔ Long-term storage (years)
3. Performance Benchmarks
(Based on InfluxData Benchmarks and Prometheus Docs)
| Metric | Prometheus | InfluxDB |
|---|---|---|
| Write Speed | ~100K samples/sec (single node) | 1M+ samples/sec (clustered) |
| Query Latency (P99) | 500ms – 2s | <100ms (indexed queries) |
| Compression Ratio | 1.3x – 2x | 10x+ (better for long-term storage) |
Key Insight:
- Prometheus is lightweight but struggles with high-cardinality data.
- InfluxDB scales better for high-throughput writes and long-term retention.
4. Cost & Licensing
| Factor | Prometheus | InfluxDB |
|---|---|---|
| License | Open-source (Apache 2.0) | Open-source (v1.x) / Commercial (v2.x+) |
| Enterprise Pricing | Free (self-hosted) | $200+/month (InfluxDB Cloud) |
| Managed Services | Grafana Cloud (~$50/month) | InfluxDB Cloud (~$100/month) |
Example Costs:
- Prometheus + Grafana (self-hosted) → $0 (excluding infra)
- InfluxDB Cloud (50GB storage) → $200/month
5. Deployment Options
| Environment | Prometheus | InfluxDB |
|---|---|---|
| Public Cloud | ✅ (AWS, GCP, Azure) | ✅ (InfluxDB Cloud) |
| On-Premise | ✅ (Docker, K8s) | ✅ (InfluxDB OSS) |
| Hybrid | ✅ (Federated Prometheus) | ✅ (Edge + Cloud) |
Managed Options:
- Prometheus: Grafana Cloud, AWS Managed Prometheus
- InfluxDB: InfluxDB Cloud, Google Cloud’s managed TSDB
6. When to Use Each?
Choose Prometheus If:
✔ You need Kubernetes monitoring
✔ You prefer pull-based metrics
✔ You want a simple, free solution
Choose InfluxDB If:
✔ You collect high-frequency metrics (IoT, sensors)
✔ You need long-term storage & retention
✔ You handle event data alongside metrics
7. Big Companies Using Them
Prometheus Users
- SoundCloud (Original creator)
- Uber (Monitoring microservices)
- DigitalOcean (Cloud infrastructure metrics)
InfluxDB Users
- Tesla (Vehicle telemetry)
- Cisco (Network monitoring)
- IBM (IoT analytics)
Sources: CNCF Prometheus Case Studies, InfluxDB Customers
8. Key Takeaways
- Prometheus is best for cloud-native monitoring (K8s, microservices).
- InfluxDB is better for high-volume writes (IoT, sensor data).
- Prometheus is free, while InfluxDB has paid tiers for scaling.
- Hybrid approach? Some companies use Prometheus for real-time alerts + InfluxDB for long-term storage.
Which tool does your team use? Share your experience below! 🚀
In Tlatoanix, we can help you pick the proper tool for your business.
#Monitoring #Prometheus #InfluxDB #DevOps #TimeSeries #Tlatoanix
References
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