Grafana is an open-source observability and data visualization platform written primarily in TypeScript that enables users to query, visualize, and alert on metrics regardless of their storage location. The platform supports integration with numerous data sources including Prometheus, Loki, Elasticsearch, InfluxDB, Postgres, MySQL, and many others, allowing users to mix different data sources within the same visualization. The core functionality centers on creating dynamic dashboards with template variables, exploring metrics through ad-hoc queries, searching and streaming logs, and defining visual alert rules that trigger notifications to systems like Slack, PagerDuty, and OpsGenie.
The visualization capabilities include fast client-side graphs with extensive customization options and panel plugins that offer multiple ways to represent metrics and logs. The platform's Explore feature enables users to switch between metrics and logs while preserving label filters, perform dynamic drilldowns, and compare different time ranges and queries side by side. Dynamic dashboards support reusable templates that appear as dropdown selectors, facilitating data-driven decision-making across teams.
The codebase is distributed under AGPL-3.0-only with Apache-2.0 exceptions documented separately, establishing clear licensing boundaries for commercial and open-source usage.
Grafana provides comprehensive documentation at grafana.com/docs and maintains an interactive demonstration environment at play.grafana.org for prospective users. The project actively encourages contributions through beginner-friendly issues, detailed developer guides, and style documentation accessible via a Storybook interface. Community engagement extends beyond code contributions through discussion forums, an official Slack team, and a regularly updated blog, creating multiple channels for users to learn, share experiences, and provide feedback on the platform's development trajectory.
