SigNoz vs OpenObserve
A comparison of SigNoz and OpenObserve built from values read directly from each provider's own documentation, with the source recorded against every figure.
The short answer
- Pick SigNoz if
- Teams that want per-GB billing without per-host or per-seat charges, and the option to run the same product themselves rather than being locked to the cloud version.
- Pick OpenObserve if
- Teams that want one bill they can predict — ingest, query, and retention included — with session replay and RUM in the same product rather than as separate purchases.
3 sourced criteria separate them:
- Pricing model
- SigNoz: Per GB ingested, with no per-user, per-host or custom-metric pricing — SigNoz states all three exclusions explicitly. Retention is a per-signal choice that changes the rate.
- OpenObserve: Two meters and nothing else: $0.50 per GB ingested and $0.01 per GB queried, with retention included rather than sold as a tier. OpenObserve frames it as no hidden tiers and no surprise bills.
- Retention window
- SigNoz: 15 days by default for logs and traces, selectable up to 30, 90, 180 days or 1 year at higher rates.
- OpenObserve: Included rather than priced: 15 months for metrics and 30 days for logs, traces, RUM and everything else, at no extra cost on pay-as-you-go.
- Ingest price per GB
- SigNoz: $0.30 per GB ingested for logs, and the same for traces. Retention is chosen per signal and priced with it.
- OpenObserve: $0.50 per GB ingested, quoted with a 30% annual-commitment discount already applied.
Pick the criteria you care about. The chart counts how many of them lean toward each provider — the same read as scanning the bars below, just totalled for the ones you chose.
SigNoz 0
OpenObserve 0
At a glance.
| Criterion | SigNoz | OpenObserve |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | ||
| Pricing model | Per GB ingested, with no per-user, per-host or custom-metric pricing — SigNoz states all three exclusions explicitly. Retention is a per-signal choice that changes the rate. | Two meters and nothing else: $0.50 per GB ingested and $0.01 per GB queried, with retention included rather than sold as a tier. OpenObserve frames it as no hidden tiers and no surprise bills. |
| Observability | ||
| Retention window | 15 days by default for logs and traces, selectable up to 30, 90, 180 days or 1 year at higher rates. | Included rather than priced: 15 months for metrics and 30 days for logs, traces, RUM and everything else, at no extra cost on pay-as-you-go. |
| Self-hostable | Supported | Supported |
| Ingest price per GB | $0.30 per GB ingested for logs, and the same for traces. Retention is chosen per signal and priced with it. | $0.50 per GB ingested, quoted with a 30% annual-commitment discount already applied. |
Where they differ.
Pricing model
- SigNoz
- Per GB ingested, with no per-user, per-host or custom-metric pricing — SigNoz states all three exclusions explicitly. Retention is a per-signal choice that changes the rate.
- OpenObserve
- Two meters and nothing else: $0.50 per GB ingested and $0.01 per GB queried, with retention included rather than sold as a tier. OpenObserve frames it as no hidden tiers and no surprise bills.
Sources (2) →Sources ↓
- Pricing — SigNoz ↗
“Simple Usage-based Predictable Observability Costs No user-based pricing No host-based pricing No special pricing for custom metrics”
Read 2026-09-06 · official pricing
- Pricing — OpenObserve ↗
“Pay-as-you-go from $0.50/GB ingested and $0.01/GB queried, with retention included. No hidden tiers, no surprise bills”
Read 2026-09-06 · official pricing
Retention window
15 days by default for logs and traces, selectable up to 30, 90, 180 days or 1 year at higher rates.
Included rather than priced: 15 months for metrics and 30 days for logs, traces, RUM and everything else, at no extra cost on pay-as-you-go.
Sources (2) →Sources ↓
- Pricing — SigNoz ↗
“Logs $ 0.3 /GB ingested 15 days retention 15 days retention 30 days retention 90 days retention 180 days retention 1 year retention”
Read 2026-09-06 · official pricing
- Pricing — OpenObserve ↗
“Included Retention Metrics 15 Months Non metrics (Logs, Traces and etc.) 30-Days [...] The Pay-as-you-Go plan includes the following default retention at no extra cost”
Read 2026-09-06 · official pricing
Ingest price per GB
- SigNoz
- $0.30 per GB ingested for logs, and the same for traces. Retention is chosen per signal and priced with it.
- OpenObserve
- $0.50 per GB ingested, quoted with a 30% annual-commitment discount already applied.
Sources (2) →Sources ↓
- Pricing — SigNoz ↗
“Logs $ 0.3 /GB ingested 15 days retention [...] Traces $ 0.3 /GB ingested 15 days retention”
Read 2026-09-06 · official pricing
- Pricing — OpenObserve ↗
“Ingestion $0.50 per GB* Query $0.01 per GB [...] *Includes 30% discount for annual commitment”
Read 2026-09-06 · official pricing
When these numbers change, hear about it. Sources are re-checked monthly; a repricing goes out as a short note.
Which should you choose?
Choose SigNoz if…
Teams that want per-GB billing without per-host or per-seat charges, and the option to run the same product themselves rather than being locked to the cloud version.
Editorial · Palash Bagchi · approved
Choose OpenObserve if…
Teams that want one bill they can predict — ingest, query, and retention included — with session replay and RUM in the same product rather than as separate purchases.
Editorial · Palash Bagchi · approved
Consider something else if…
- SigNoz: $0.30 per GB is six times OpenObserve's rate, so a high-volume log pipeline pays a large premium for the packaging.
- OpenObserve: Ingest is $0.50 per GB against Grafana Cloud's $0.050, so the simplicity costs an order of magnitude at volume.
Documented by only one.
These criteria are published by one provider and not the other. An absence here means we have not found a source, not that the feature is missing.
Questions this comparison answers.
Should I choose SigNoz or OpenObserve?
Pick SigNoz if Teams that want per-GB billing without per-host or per-seat charges, and the option to run the same product themselves rather than being locked to the cloud version.
Pick OpenObserve if Teams that want one bill they can predict — ingest, query, and retention included — with session replay and RUM in the same product rather than as separate purchases.