Grafana stack (Mimir + Loki + Tempo) vs SigNoz
Self-host pick — both replace Datadog (Observability (metrics + logs + traces + APM)).
Both Grafana stack (Mimir + Loki + Tempo) and SigNoz self-host as a replacement for Datadog (Observability (metrics + logs + traces + APM)). Pick SigNoz if you want the lighter footprint — 20min docker-compose, $20 vps (4gb ram minimum) for a small fleet; clickhouse is the heavy part. Pick Grafana stack (Mimir + Loki + Tempo) if you need teams that want best-in-class composable observability and have an SRE who enjoys it — 1-2h to wire up the LGTM stack via docker-compose; multi-day to do it production-grade and $20-40 vps for a small setup; cost scales with retention (s3 / object store strongly recommended).
| Grafana stack (Mimir + Loki + Tempo)open-source | SigNozopen-source | |
|---|---|---|
| License | AGPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Setup time | 1-2h to wire up the LGTM stack via docker-compose; multi-day to do it production-grade | 20min docker-compose |
| Monthly cost | $20-40 VPS for a small setup; cost scales with retention (S3 / object store strongly recommended). | $20 VPS (4GB RAM minimum) for a small fleet; ClickHouse is the heavy part. |
| GitHub | grafana/grafana | SigNoz/signoz |
| Replaces | Datadog + 1 other | Datadog + 2 other |
Good fit for
Grafana stack (Mimir + Loki + Tempo)
Teams that want best-in-class composable observability and have an SRE who enjoys it.
Weak at:Operational burden is real — you are now responsible for keeping Mimir/Loki/Tempo healthy.
SigNoz
Teams already on (or willing to move to) OpenTelemetry that want unified traces + metrics + logs in one UI.
Weak at:RUM, synthetic monitoring, and the Datadog-style alerting DSL are missing or thinner.
Both also replace
- New Relic— APM / observability platform
In a terminal? npx -y github:SolvoHQ/os-alt-cli datadog prints Datadog's self-host options including both —
how the CLI works →
FAQ
Which is easier to self-host, Grafana stack (Mimir + Loki + Tempo) or SigNoz?
Grafana stack (Mimir + Loki + Tempo): 1-2h to wire up the LGTM stack via docker-compose; multi-day to do it production-grade. SigNoz: 20min docker-compose.
What does each cost to run?
Grafana stack (Mimir + Loki + Tempo): $20-40 VPS for a small setup; cost scales with retention (S3 / object store strongly recommended).. SigNoz: $20 VPS (4GB RAM minimum) for a small fleet; ClickHouse is the heavy part.. Both projects are free and open source.
Do Grafana stack (Mimir + Loki + Tempo) and SigNoz replace the same SaaS?
Yes — both are open-source alternatives to Datadog (and 1 other SaaS).