Tiered Log Storage Cost Calculator (Hot + Archive)

Many teams keep a short hot window for fast search, then move older logs to a cheaper cold/archive tier. This calculator estimates steady-state storage cost for a 2-tier model (hot + optional cold), including archive fraction and a compression factor if your vendor bills on stored size. Compare baseline vs peak volume if your logs spike.

Inputs

Logs produced (GB / day)
If you have measured ingestion, use it directly.
Events per second
Avg bytes per event
Sample real logs for a reliable average.
Hot retention (days)
Hot price ($ / GB-month)
Cold retention (additional days)
Cold retention is in addition to hot retention.
Cold price ($ / GB-month)
Archive fraction (0-1)
Archive fraction: 100%.
Cold compression ratio (0-1)
Compression ratio: 100%.

Results

Estimated monthly storage cost
$66.00
Total retained days (hot + cold)
104 days
Hot stored volume (steady state)
700 GB
Hot storage cost
$21.00
Cold stored volume (steady state)
4,500 GB
Cold storage cost
$45.00
Total stored volume (steady state)
5,200 GB

How to use this in a real estimate

  • Split logs into classes (access/app/audit) and decide what you actually need to retain long-term.
  • Keep a small hot window for troubleshooting and dashboards; archive only what you must.
  • Validate what the vendor bills for cold tiers (stored bytes vs ingested bytes, plus retrieval charges).

How to get your inputs

  • GB/day: use ingestion metrics for the top log sources.
  • Hot days: use the retention window you need for troubleshooting and dashboards.
  • Cold days: define extra archive days beyond the hot window.
  • Archive fraction: estimate the percent of logs you actually archive.
  • Compression ratio: use 1 unless your vendor bills cold storage on stored bytes.

Result interpretation

  • If cold storage dominates, review archive fraction and compression assumptions.
  • If hot storage dominates, shorten hot window or reduce ingestion volume.

Common mistakes

  • Archiving everything by default instead of a targeted subset.
  • Using hot retention days as the total retention window.
  • Ignoring retrieval or rehydration charges for cold tiers.

Scenario planning

Scenario GB/day Hot days Cold days
Baseline Expected Current policy Current archive
Peak High Same policy Same archive

Validate after changes

  • Confirm hot retention days and archive fraction in policy settings.
  • Validate stored GB billing rules (ingested vs stored bytes, compression).
  • Track retrieval or rehydration charges after access-heavy months.
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Example scenario

  • Hot: 14 days at $0.03/GB-month + Cold: 90 additional days at $0.01/GB-month (archive 100%).
  • Archive only audit logs (e.g., 20% of volume) instead of archiving everything.

Included

  • Hot retention storage cost (GB/day x hot days x $/GB-month).
  • Optional cold/archive storage cost for additional days.
  • Optional archive fraction and compression ratio.
  • Optional event-rate estimator for GB/day.
  • Baseline vs peak comparison for volume spikes.

Not included

  • Ingestion charges (use Log Ingestion calculator).
  • Scan/search charges (use Log Search Scan calculator).
  • Provider-specific minimums and retrieval charges for cold tiers.

How we calculate

  • Hot stored GB = GB/day x hot retention days.
  • Cold stored GB = GB/day x archive fraction x cold days x compression ratio.
  • Monthly storage cost = (hot stored GB x hot $/GB-month) + (cold stored GB x cold $/GB-month).
  • Use a peak scenario when incident logging increases volume.

FAQ

What does 'cold additional days' mean?
Cold retention is modeled as extra days beyond the hot window (e.g., 14 hot + 90 cold = 104 total days retained).
What is archive fraction?
Some teams archive only specific classes of logs (audit/security) instead of everything. Use a fraction to model that subset.
What is compression ratio?
If your vendor bills cold storage on compressed stored size, set a ratio under 1. If billing is based on ingested size, use 1.

Related tools

Single-tier retention storage Log ingestion cost Log scan/search cost Log cost (all line items) Guide: retention storage cost

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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: 2026-01-27