What it does
VictoriaMetrics is a time-series metrics database and monitoring backend. Its single-node version is a self-contained binary with a built-in UI for querying and graphing metrics; the project also documents a horizontally scalable cluster distribution and a managed cloud offering. MetricsQL is PromQL-compatible, and the server can scrape Prometheus-compatible targets.
See a metric before configuring a full stack
The local quick start downloads one binary, starts it with self-scraping enabled, and opens the built-in vmui page to query the process metrics VictoriaMetrics collects about itself. The docs then show how to add node_exporter for host CPU, memory, disk, and network metrics. These commands are documentation examples, not commands run for this listing.
Single-node storage keeps data for one month by default and deletes older samples. If free disk space falls below the configured minimum, the server switches to read-only mode and stops accepting new data, so capacity and retention need monitoring. The Apache-2.0 community software is distinct from VictoriaMetrics Cloud, Enterprise, VictoriaLogs, and VictoriaTraces.
Strengths
- A single binary and built-in query UI make a local evaluation possible without extra components.
- Prometheus-compatible scraping and a PromQL-compatible query language fit existing metrics workflows.
- The project also offers a cluster distribution for horizontally scalable deployments.
Watch out for
- The single-node version deletes data older than its one-month default retention period unless configured otherwise.
- The server switches to read-only mode when free disk space falls below its configured minimum.
Best for
- Teams that need a Prometheus-compatible metrics store with a simple single-node entry path.
- Operations groups planning long-term metrics storage or a cluster backend.
Sources
- VictoriaMetrics: Simple, Reliable & Efficient Observability (Oct 25, 2026)
- VictoriaMetrics: Quick start (Oct 25, 2026)
- VictoriaMetrics: Single-node version (Oct 25, 2026)
- LICENSE | VictoriaMetrics/VictoriaMetrics (Oct 25, 2026)