Plotly vs Grafana

Side-by-side from the Top 11 ranking of The 11 Best Data Visualization Tools. Last verified June 16, 2026.

The short answer

Plotly ranks higher on Top 11 (#9 vs #10) for Analysts and data teams turning raw data into charts, dashboards, and reports. Unrivaled control for complex, code-based visualizations.

At a glance

PlotlyGrafana
Top 11 rank#9 / The 11 Best Data Visualization Tools#10 / The 11 Best Data Visualization Tools
Score (out of 9.4)7.67.4
Best forCode-based scientific and custom chartsTime-series and observability dashboards
Pricing$$$ (Custom for Dash)$$ ($20 to $295+/mo)
HQMontreal, CanadaNew York, USA
Founded20132014

Plotly

Unrivaled control for complex, code-based visualizations.

plotly.com

See full entry in The 11 Best Data Visualization Tools

Grafana

The industry standard for visualizing time-series and log data.

grafana.com

See full entry in The 11 Best Data Visualization Tools

Methodology and scoring weights live at /methodology. No vendor pays for placement — see about.