--- title: "Database Observability pricing | Grafana Cloud documentation" description: "Learn how Database Observability bills for host hours, metrics, and logs, and how to estimate your usage." --- > For a curated documentation index, see [llms.txt](/llms.txt). For the complete documentation index, see [llms-full.txt](/llms-full.txt). # Database Observability pricing Database Observability has three billing components: a per-host hourly fee for each monitored database instance, metrics usage, and logs usage. Each is billed independently. For current rates, refer to the [pricing page](/pricing/#database-observability). ## How Database Observability is billed Expand table | Component | What it measures | Rate | |----------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------| | **Host hours** | Each connected database instance | [View pricing](/pricing/#database-observability) | | **Metrics** | Prometheus metrics from database exporters | [View pricing](/pricing/#metrics) | | **Logs** | Query samples, explain plans, schema details, and other log-based telemetry | [View pricing](/pricing/#logs) | Database Observability usage means gathering metrics and logs for database performance, such as query execution statistics, individual query samples with timing details, table schema and index information, query explain plans, and wait event data. Telemetry from other Grafana Cloud products running alongside your databases is billed separately. That includes an application monitored by Application Observability that connects to your database, a Kubernetes cluster monitored by Kubernetes Monitoring that hosts your database, and custom Prometheus metrics from your own exporters. ## Definitions **Host:** A single database instance. Each of the following counts as one host: - One self-managed MySQL or PostgreSQL server - One AWS RDS instance - Each Aurora instance within a cluster, so writer and reader instances are billed separately - One Google Cloud SQL instance - One Azure Database instance Multiple databases or schemas on the same instance count as **one host**. **Active series:** A unique combination of metric name and label values that received data in the last 30 minutes. ## How usage is calculated You’re billed for each hour that Grafana Alloy maintains a connection to your database instance. Billing follows connectivity, not query activity. Expand table | Scenario | Billed? | Reason | |------------------------------------------------------|--------------|--------------------------------------| | Database running, Alloy connected, queries executing | Yes | Alloy is connected | | Database running, Alloy connected, no query activity | Yes | Alloy is still connected | | Database stopped, for example an RDS instance paused | No | Alloy can’t connect, so no telemetry | | Aurora read replica active for 3 hours | 3 hours only | Billed for actual connection time | | Alloy shut down or disconnected | No | No connection means no telemetry | Metering is hourly rather than a monthly high-water mark, so ephemeral replicas and instances that scale in and out are billed only for the time they exist. ### Estimate your host hours Host hours are the number of active instances multiplied by the hours they’re monitored. This example assumes a 30-day month of 720 hours. Expand table | Environment | Database type | Instances | Active hours per month | Host hours | |-------------|---------------------------|----------------------|------------------------|------------| | Production | PostgreSQL (RDS) | 3 | 100% | 2,160 | | Production | MySQL (Aurora) | 1 writer + 2 readers | 100% | 2,160 | | Staging | PostgreSQL (self-managed) | 2 | 50% | 720 | | Development | MySQL (self-managed) | 1 | 10% | 72 | | **Total** | | **9** | | **5,112** | Your total monthly cost is host hours plus metrics and logs usage at standard Grafana Cloud rates. The host-hour portion is predictable from your instance count. Metrics and logs vary with your workload. ### What drives telemetry volume Metrics volume increases with more unique query patterns, since each normalized query creates distinct series, more databases or schemas per instance, and heavy use of table partitioning, since each partition is collected as a separate table. Logs volume increases with shorter collection intervals, more unique query patterns, larger schemas with more tables, and heavy table partitioning. > Warning > > Heavy use of table partitioning significantly increases telemetry volume. If your tables use extensive partitioning, for example 100 tables with 100 partitions each, [contact Grafana Cloud support](/profile/org#support) for custom sizing guidance. ## Special considerations ### How charges appear on your bill Host hours appear as a separate **Database Observability** line item. Metrics appear under **Grafana Cloud Metrics** and logs under **Grafana Cloud Logs**, the same line items used by metrics and logs from other Grafana Cloud services. If you have a Grafana Cloud flexible spend commitment, Database Observability charges burn down from your existing commitment and no contract amendment is required. On a pay-as-you-go plan, the charges appear as usage on your invoice. ### Retention Expand table | Telemetry type | Free tier | Pro tier | |-------------------------------|-----------|-----------| | Metrics | 14 days | 13 months | | Logs, including query samples | 14 days | 30 days | Extended retention is available on the Enterprise tier. ### Stop billing for an instance - **Stop monitoring the instance.** Remove it from your Alloy configuration and restart Alloy. - **Pause the database.** If you stop a managed instance or shut down a self-managed server, Alloy loses connectivity and billing stops automatically. - **Deactivate Database Observability.** Deactivate it from the **Manage App** tab on the Database Observability configuration page in your Grafana Cloud stack. ## View your usage 1. In your Grafana Cloud stack, go to **Cost Management and Billing > Usage**. 2. Review the **Database Observability** section for host hours, and the **Metrics** and **Logs** sections for telemetry. ## Related - [Database Observability pricing page](/pricing/#database-observability) - [Tune Alloy collection](/docs/grafana-cloud/observe-and-act/monitor-applications/database-observability/configure/tune-alloy-collection/) - [Telemetry reference](/docs/grafana-cloud/observe-and-act/monitor-applications/database-observability/reference/telemetry-reference/)