Pricing Overview
Observe takes a usage-based pricing approach anchored to data ingestion volume rather than per-host or per-seat licensing. This is a meaningful differentiator in the observability market, where costs can spiral as infrastructure scales. Observe charges per GB ingested, with rates varying by signal type: logs start at $0.49/GB, metrics at $0.01/GB, and traces at $0.59/GB. There is also a $0.00/GB tier for certain data types. Every plan includes compute, unlimited users, and either 30-day or 13-month retention depending on the commitment level. The platform is delivered as fully managed SaaS, so there are no infrastructure provisioning costs on your end. Observe claims up to 60% lower total cost of ownership compared to legacy observability platforms, largely driven by 10x compression on low-cost cloud storage via their open data lake architecture.
Plan Comparison
Observe structures pricing around data signal types rather than traditional tiered plans. Each signal type has its own per-GB ingestion rate, and all tiers include compute and unlimited users.
| Signal Type | Price per GB Ingested | Compute | Users | Retention Options |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Logs | $0.49/GB | Included | Unlimited | 30-day or 13-month |
| Metrics | $0.01/GB | Included | Unlimited | 30-day or 13-month |
| Traces | $0.59/GB | Included | Unlimited | 30-day or 13-month |
| Certain Data Types | $0.00/GB | Included | Unlimited | 30-day or 13-month |
This signal-based model means you pay proportionally to what you actually send. Teams that are log-heavy will see the bulk of their bill at the $0.49/GB rate, while teams focused on metrics collection benefit from the much lower $0.01/GB rate. The $0.00/GB tier is notable and worth exploring with Observe's sales team to understand which data qualifies. For enterprise agreements or high-volume commitments, Observe requires a custom quote through their sales team. The 13-month retention option is particularly valuable for teams needing long-term trend analysis without paying extra storage surcharges.
Hidden Costs and Considerations
Observe's pricing model is straightforward, but there are factors to watch. Data volume is the primary cost driver, so teams without strong control over telemetry pipelines could see bills grow quickly. We recommend implementing OpenTelemetry sampling strategies before ingestion to manage costs. The jump from 30-day to 13-month retention likely involves a higher commitment tier, so confirm the retention upgrade path during procurement. There are no per-user fees, which eliminates a common hidden cost in observability tooling.
Cost Estimates by Team Size
Since Observe prices by data volume rather than seats, cost scales with your infrastructure footprint, not headcount. Here are realistic estimates based on typical ingestion volumes.
| Team Size | Estimated Daily Ingestion | Monthly Log Cost ($0.49/GB) | Monthly Metric Cost ($0.01/GB) | Estimated Monthly Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solo developer (1) | ~5 GB logs, ~2 GB metrics | ~$73.50 | ~$0.60 | ~$74 |
| Small team (5) | ~50 GB logs, ~20 GB metrics | ~$735 | ~$6 | ~$741 |
| Mid-size team (20) | ~200 GB logs, ~80 GB metrics | ~$2,940 | ~$24 | ~$2,964 |
These estimates assume 30 days of ingestion at the listed per-GB rates. Actual costs will vary based on trace volume, data compression, and whether any ingested data qualifies for the $0.00/GB tier. The unlimited users policy means adding engineers to the platform costs nothing extra, which is a significant advantage as teams grow.
How Observe Pricing Compares
Observe competes directly with Datadog, New Relic, and Elastic Observability. The key distinction is Observe's pure volume-based model versus the per-host licensing that dominates this market.
| Tool | Pricing Model | Starting Price | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Observe | Per-GB ingested | $0.01/GB (metrics), $0.49/GB (logs) | Teams with high cardinality data who want predictable, scale-friendly costs |
| New Relic | Usage-based with free tier | $0.00 (free tier), $19/mo per host | Small teams wanting a free entry point with pay-as-you-grow flexibility |
| Datadog | Usage-based with free tier | $0.00 (free tier), $0.75/host/mo | Organizations already invested in the Datadog ecosystem needing broad integrations |
| Elastic Observability | Tiered subscription | $95/mo (Standard) | Teams already running Elasticsearch who want native observability integration |
Observe's unlimited-users policy and included compute are genuine advantages. Datadog and New Relic both charge per host, which penalizes teams running large Kubernetes clusters or microservice architectures. Elastic Observability starts at $95/month for the Standard tier and scales to $175/month for Enterprise, but requires Elasticsearch operational expertise. We see Observe as the strongest option for teams prioritizing cost predictability at scale, particularly those ingesting over 100 GB/day where per-host models become prohibitively expensive.