Log Ingestion Cost Calculator

Log platforms often charge for ingestion and for retained storage. This calculator uses a simple steady-state model so you can compare scenarios and retention policies.

Inputs

Ingest volume (GB / day)
Retention (days)
Ingest price ($ / GB)
Storage price ($ / GB-month)
Steady state assumes logs are kept for the full retention window.

Results

Estimated monthly total
$805.00
Monthly ingestion
1,520 GB
Ingest cost
$760.00
Stored volume (steady state)
1,500 GB
Storage cost
$45.00

Practical knobs

  • Reduce volume: drop debug logs, sample high-volume events, or move verbose logs to cheaper storage.
  • Shorten hot retention and archive cold data to object storage.
  • Index selectively: keep full logs, index only what you query.

Example scenario

  • 50 GB/day ingestion, 30-day retention, $0.50/GB ingest and $0.03/GB-month storage → estimate total monthly cost.

Included

  • Ingestion cost estimate from GB/day and $/GB.
  • Retention storage estimate via steady-state GB/day × retention days and $/GB-month pricing.

Not included

  • Indexing, compression differences, and tiered/query-specific charges (model separately).
  • Per-event pricing and specialized log classes.

How we calculate

  • Monthly ingestion GB ≈ GB/day × 30.4.
  • Ingest cost = monthly ingestion GB × ingest price per GB.
  • Stored volume (steady state) ≈ GB/day × retention days, then storage cost = stored GB × storage price per GB-month.

FAQ

Why is storage modeled as GB/day × retention?
In steady state with a fixed retention window, the retained dataset is roughly the last N days of logs.
What about compression and indexing?
Providers may bill on compressed size, ingested size, indexed subset, or scanned bytes. Enter prices that match your provider’s billing model.
Is 30.4 days accurate?
It’s an average month length. For a specific billing cycle, adjust by changing your GB/day or your per-GB assumptions.

Related tools

Log retention storage Log scan cost Metrics series cost Guide: log costs

Disclaimer

Educational use only. Not legal, financial, or professional advice. Results are estimates based on the inputs and assumptions shown on this page. Verify pricing and limits with your providers and documentation.

Last updated: 2026-01-06