---
title: "Introduction to Grafana Alloy | Grafana Alloy documentation"
description: "Grafana Alloy simplifies telemetry collection by combining metrics, logs, traces, and profiles into one powerful, vendor-neutral collector"
---

> For a curated documentation index, see [llms.txt](/llms.txt). For the complete documentation index, see [llms-full.txt](/llms-full.txt).

# Introduction to Grafana Alloy

Grafana Alloy is an open source telemetry collector that simplifies how you gather and send observability data. It’s an [OpenTelemetry Collector distribution](https://opentelemetry.io/docs/collector/distributions/) with built-in Prometheus pipelines and native support for Loki, Pyroscope, and other observability backends.

Alloy collects metrics, logs, traces, and profiles in one unified solution. Instead of running separate collectors for each signal type, you configure a single tool that handles all your telemetry needs. This approach reduces operational complexity while giving you the flexibility to send data to any compatible backend, whether that’s Grafana Cloud, a self-managed Grafana stack, or other observability platforms.

Start your learning experience with Grafana Learning Paths

Grafana Learning Paths provide a clear, structured path that leads you from beginner concepts to advanced use cases. Learn about this Grafana feature on [Send logs to Grafana Cloud using Alloy](/docs/learning-journeys/send-logs-alloy-loki/).

[Start learning](/docs/learning-journeys/send-logs-alloy-loki/)

## Get started

- [Install](../set-up/install/) Alloy on your platform
- Learn core [concepts](../get-started/) including components, expressions, and pipelines
- Follow [tutorials](../tutorials/) for hands-on experience
- Explore [alloy-scenarios](https://github.com/grafana/alloy-scenarios) for real-world configuration examples
- Try the [Alloy for Beginners](https://github.com/grafana/Grafana-Alloy-for-Beginners) workshop for interactive, scenario-based learning
- Explore the [component reference](../reference/) to see available components

## Learn more

- [Why Alloy](./why-alloy/): Understand when Alloy is the right choice
- [How Alloy works](./how-alloy-works/): Learn about the architecture and key capabilities
- [Requirements and expectations](./requirements/): Review deployment considerations and constraints
- [Supported platforms](../set-up/supported-platforms/): Check platform compatibility
- [Estimate resource usage](../set-up/estimate-resource-usage/): Plan your deployment
- [Access and permissions](../access_permissions/): Hardening, identity, network exposure, and secrets
- [Migrate from other collectors](../set-up/migrate/): Move from OpenTelemetry Collector, Prometheus Agent, or Grafana Agent

## Frequently asked questions

Expand all

What is Grafana Alloy?

Grafana Alloy is an open source telemetry collector that simplifies how you gather and send telemetry. Alloy is a distribution of the OpenTelemetry Collector, an open source collector that receives, processes, and sends telemetry. Alloy also includes built-in support for Prometheus, a system for collecting metrics, and can send data to Loki (logs), Pyroscope (profiles), and other telemetry backends.

Do I need a separate collector for metrics, logs, traces, and profiles?

Not with Alloy. It’s designed to collect metrics, logs, traces, and profiles all in one tool, cutting down on the number of collectors you have to run and maintain. You can still route that data to Grafana Cloud, a self-managed stack, or other compatible backends.

How does Grafana Alloy work?

You build pipelines out of components which are small building blocks that each do one job, like receiving data, transforming it, or sending it to a backend. You connect components together in a configuration file. One component’s output feeds into another’s input. Alloy runs that configuration as a continuous pipeline, so data flows from source to backend without you managing separate tools for each step.