PagerDuty vs Grafana OnCall: Which is Better in 2026?
Choosing between PagerDuty and Grafana OnCall comes down to understanding what each tool does best. This comparison breaks down the key differences so you can make an informed decision based on your specific needs, not marketing claims.
Bottom line: PagerDuty wins this matchup. Our overall Incident Management pick is Better Uptime. Our free Incident Management pick is Uptime Kuma. Pick Grafana OnCall if you need a free tier to start with.
Short on time? Here's the quick answer
We've tested both tools. Here's who should pick what:
PagerDuty
Orchestrate incident detection, response, and reviews
Best for you if:
- • You want industry leader
- • You want many integrations
Grafana OnCall
On-call management for Grafana
Best for you if:
- • You want open source on-call
- • You want grafana integration
| At a Glance | PagerDuty | Grafana OnCall |
|---|---|---|
Starts at | FreeFree tier available | FreeFree tier available |
Best For | Incident Management | Incident Management |
Rating | 4.5/5 | 4.5/5 |
Free plan | Yes | Yes |
Choose PagerDuty or Grafana OnCall?
Choose PagerDuty if
Orchestrate incident detection, response, and reviews
- You want industry leader
- You want many integrations
Choose Grafana OnCall if
On-call management for Grafana
- You want open source on-call
- You want grafana integration
| Feature | PagerDuty | Grafana OnCall |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing Model | Freemium | Freemium |
| User Rating | ★4.5/5 1,192 reviews | ★4.5/5 150 reviews |
| Categories | Incident ManagementDevOps | Incident ManagementDevOps |
In-Depth Analysis
PagerDuty
Orchestrate incident detection, response, and reviews
PagerDuty's pricing starts generously with a Free tier for small teams, but quickly becomes expensive for growing organizations.
Watch out
Overage fees for international notifications
Strengths
- +Industry leader
- +Many integrations
- +AI features
Weaknesses
- -Expensive
- -Complex for small teams
Key features
Grafana OnCall
On-call management for Grafana
Grafana OnCall's pricing is quite competitive, especially with its generous Free tier offering 3 users.
Watch out
Pro tier requires $19/month Grafana Cloud base
Strengths
- +Open source on-call
- +Grafana integration
- +Good alerting
- +Self-hostable
- +PagerDuty alternative
Weaknesses
- -Newer product
- -Less features than PagerDuty
- -Documentation improving
- -Setup complexity
- -Enterprise features limited
Key features
Pricing: PagerDuty vs Grafana OnCall
| Plan | PagerDuty | Grafana OnCall |
|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 | $0 Free | Free Free |
| Tier 2 | $21/user/month Professional | $20 /user/month Pro |
| Tier 3 | $41/user/month Business | from $25K/year Enterprise |
| Tier 4 | Custom Enterprise | N/A |
Pricing verified from each vendor's public pricing page. Compare in detail on PagerDuty pricing and Grafana OnCall pricing.
Who Should Use What?
On a budget?
Both are freemium. Compare plans on their websites.
Go with: PagerDuty
Want the highest-rated option?
PagerDuty: 4.5/5 (1,192 reviews). Grafana OnCall: 4.5/5 (150 reviews).
Go with: PagerDuty
Value user reviews?
PagerDuty: 1,192 reviews (4.5/5). Grafana OnCall: 150 reviews (4.5/5).
Go with: PagerDuty
3 Questions to Help You Decide
What's your budget?
Both are freemium. Pricing won't help you decide here.
What's your use case?
Both are incident management tools. Compare their specific features to decide.
How important are ratings?
Both are rated 4.5/5.
Key Takeaways
PagerDuty
- Larger review base (1,192 reviews)
- Free tier available
- Our pick for this comparison
Grafana OnCall
- Choose if you want on-call management for Grafana
The Bottom Line
PagerDuty wins this matchup. Our overall Incident Management pick is Better Uptime. Our free Incident Management pick is Uptime Kuma.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is PagerDuty or Grafana OnCall better?
PagerDuty is rated in our evaluation. Both are freemium.
What are PagerDuty and Grafana OnCall used for?
PagerDuty: Orchestrate incident detection, response, and reviews. Grafana OnCall: On-call management for Grafana.
What does PagerDuty cost vs Grafana OnCall?
PagerDuty is freemium (free tier + paid plans). Grafana OnCall is freemium (free tier + paid plans). Visit their websites for detailed pricing.