Grafana connects to data sources like Prometheus, InfluxDB, Elasticsearch, PostgreSQL, and cloud monitoring services, then lets you build dashboards from the data. Panels support graphs, tables, heatmaps, and single stats. Alerts can fire when metrics cross thresholds. The interface is responsive and dashboards can be shared or embedded.

It is the standard visualization layer in many observability stacks. System administrators use it to monitor servers and networks, developers use it to track application metrics, and businesses use it for operational dashboards. The open-source version is free to self-host, and Grafana Cloud offers a managed option with a free tier. If you have metrics and want to see them clearly, this is often the tool people reach for.