Estimate log volume and storage from message rate and retention.
Log volume is the product of rate, size and retention, and compression at rest cuts it dramatically because logs are highly repetitive. Retention is usually the easiest lever to pull. Structured logging increases per-message size but makes filtering and sampling practical, which usually reduces retained volume overall.
Log Message Size
Storage = message rate × size × 86,400 × retention days × (1 − compression)
Storage = message rate × size × 86,400 × retention days × (1 − compression) Log volume is the product of rate, size and retention, and compression at rest cuts it dramatically because logs are highly repetitive. Retention is usually the easiest lever to pull.
Structured logging increases per-message size but makes filtering and sampling practical, which usually reduces retained volume overall.
This calculator takes 5 inputs: Log messages per second, Average message size, Retention period, Compression saving at rest, Storage cost per GB per month. The pre-filled defaults are a realistic starting point — replace them with figures from your own environment for a result you can act on.