kube-prometheus-stack
kube-prometheus-stack: A strong free metrics and alerting stack for self-hosted Kubernetes. Ranked #14 of 53 in Kubernetes Monitoring by our editors (7.8/10); pricing: Free plan; best for free self-hosted Kubernetes metrics and alerts.
At a glance
- Editor score7.8 / 10
- PricingFree plan
- Best forFree self-hosted Kubernetes metrics and alerts
- Free planYes
- Paid fromFree
- Control-plane monitoringYes
- Facts checked20 Sep 2026
Where it wins
- Combines Prometheus, Alertmanager, Grafana, and default Kubernetes rules
- Discovers workloads with ServiceMonitor and PodMonitor resources
- Supports control-plane scraping, retention settings, and replicas
Where it doesn't
- Focused on metrics and alerting rather than logs or distributed tracing
- Requires self-hosted Kubernetes operations and configuration
- Depends on kube-state-metrics and node-exporter components
Our verdict on kube-prometheus-stack
kube-prometheus-stack is an open-source Helm chart for platform and operations teams monitoring self-managed or managed Kubernetes environments. It installs and configures Prometheus Operator, Prometheus, Alertmanager, Grafana dashboards, alerting rules, kube-state-metrics, and node-exporter dependencies. The stack covers Kubernetes metrics collection, storage, alert routing, dashboard provisioning, workload discovery, and control-plane component scraping in one deployment. It is a practical fit for teams that want a free, self-hosted foundation for cluster observability without a vendor subscription.
Its strongest angle is breadth within metrics and alerting. ServiceMonitor and PodMonitor discovery support Kubernetes-native collection patterns, while default dashboards and recording and alerting rules provide an initial monitoring layer. Prometheus retention and replica settings are configurable, and the published default retention is 10 days. Grafana, Alertmanager, Helm, and Kubernetes are directly part of the surrounding ecosystem, making the chart suitable for teams already operating these components. Choose it when Kubernetes metrics, dashboards, and routed alerts are the priority.
The trade-off is scope. kube-prometheus-stack concentrates on metrics and alerting rather than logs or distributed tracing, so teams seeking a broader observability system should evaluate alternatives that cover those signals as well. It also remains self-hosted: installation, configuration, persistence, upgrades, and ongoing operations belong to the Kubernetes team. The result is a capable open-source monitoring base for technically equipped platform groups, but a less suitable choice for organizations seeking a fully managed service or a narrow, low-operations monitoring tool.
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kube-prometheus-stack pricing
kube-prometheus-stack fact sheet
| Free plan | Yes |
|---|---|
| Paid from | Free |
| Control-plane monitoring | Yes |
| Kubernetes logs | Not verified |
| Distributed tracing | Not verified |
| Alerting channels | Not verified |
| Managed Kubernetes support | Yes |
| Data retention | 10 days |
| Deployment | Self-hosted |
| Support | Community, Docs |
| Built for | Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise (editorial estimate) |
| Integrations | 7 integrations: Grafana, Prometheus, Alertmanager, kube-state-metrics, node-exporter, Helm … |
| Pricing | Free plan |
| Website | github.com |
| Facts checked | 20 Sep 2026 |
kube-prometheus-stack integrations
kube-prometheus-stack lists 7 integrations on its own site.
- Grafana
- Prometheus
- Alertmanager
- kube-state-metrics
- node-exporter
- Helm
- Kubernetes
Alternatives to kube-prometheus-stack
- Datadog Kubernetes MonitoringA broad Kubernetes observability platform for teams managing complex cloud-native environments.9.3
- PrometheusA strong open-source choice for Kubernetes metrics, with PromQL and flexible collection.9.1
- AppDynamics Kubernetes MonitoringA broad Kubernetes and OpenShift monitoring suite for enterprise operations teams.8.9
See all kube-prometheus-stack alternatives →
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Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
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