{
    "name": "SIEM Ingest Cost Calculator",
    "url": "https://calculators.geekmidst.com/calculators/siem-ingest-cost-calculator",
    "markdown": "https://calculators.geekmidst.com/calculators/siem-ingest-cost-calculator.md",
    "category": "IT, networking & security",
    "description": "Estimate monthly and annual SIEM or log-analytics ingest cost from GB per day and your per-GB price, with a free daily allowance and fixed fees.",
    "summary": "Most usage-priced SIEM and log platforms charge per gigabyte ingested. Enter your daily volume and the price from your own contract; no vendor prices are assumed.",
    "also_called": [
        "Log ingestion cost calculator"
    ],
    "applies_to": "Worldwide",
    "last_updated": "2026-10-29",
    "computation": "Results are computed in the visitor’s browser on the HTML page. This API describes the calculator; it does not compute results.",
    "inputs": [
        {
            "name": "gb_day",
            "label": "Ingest per day",
            "type": "number",
            "default": "50",
            "unit": "GB"
        },
        {
            "name": "days",
            "label": "Days per month",
            "type": "number",
            "default": "30"
        },
        {
            "name": "price_gb",
            "label": "Price per GB ingested",
            "type": "number",
            "default": "2"
        },
        {
            "name": "free_gb_day",
            "label": "Free allowance per day",
            "type": "number",
            "default": "",
            "unit": "GB",
            "optional": true
        },
        {
            "name": "fixed",
            "label": "Fixed monthly fees",
            "type": "number",
            "default": "",
            "optional": true
        },
        {
            "name": "currency",
            "label": "Currency",
            "type": "currency",
            "default": "USD"
        }
    ],
    "outputs": [
        {
            "key": "monthly_cost",
            "label": "Monthly cost",
            "format": "currency"
        },
        {
            "key": "annual_cost",
            "label": "Annual cost",
            "format": "currency"
        },
        {
            "key": "ingest_cost",
            "label": "Ingest charges per month",
            "format": "currency"
        },
        {
            "key": "monthly_gb",
            "label": "GB ingested per month",
            "format": "number"
        },
        {
            "key": "billable_gb",
            "label": "Billable GB per month",
            "format": "number"
        },
        {
            "key": "effective_per_gb",
            "label": "Effective cost per GB",
            "format": "decimal4"
        }
    ],
    "formula": {
        "text": "Billable GB = max(0, GB/day − Free GB/day) × Days;  Monthly = Billable GB × Price + Fixed;  Annual = Monthly × 12",
        "variables": {
            "Price": "your per-GB ingest price",
            "Fixed": "monthly fees not tied to volume"
        }
    },
    "worked_example": {
        "inputs": {
            "gb_day": "50",
            "days": "30",
            "price_gb": "2",
            "free_gb_day": "5",
            "fixed": "500",
            "currency": "USD"
        },
        "steps": [
            "Billable = (50 − 5) × 30 = 1,350 GB.",
            "Ingest = 1,350 × $2 = $2,700; plus $500 fixed = $3,200 a month.",
            "Annual = 3,200 × 12 = $38,400; effective cost = 3,200 ÷ 1,500 GB = $2.1333 per GB."
        ],
        "result": "At 50 GB a day and $2 per GB with 5 GB a day free and $500 in fees, the SIEM costs $3,200 a month."
    },
    "interpretation": "Ingest is usually the biggest lever: filtering noisy sources before ingestion cuts cost directly. Compare commitment tiers by putting their effective per-GB price into the same calculation.",
    "assumptions": [
        "Daily volume is the same every day of the month.",
        "Prices are flat per GB; tiered or commitment pricing must be converted to an effective rate."
    ],
    "limitations": [
        "Retention beyond the included period, archive storage, search compute and taxes are not included unless you add them as fixed fees."
    ],
    "rules": null,
    "faqs": [
        {
            "question": "Why is no price filled in for my vendor?",
            "answer": "Prices vary by vendor, region, tier and contract, and change often. Enter the rate you actually pay."
        },
        {
            "question": "How do I estimate GB per day?",
            "answer": "Use the Log Retention Storage Calculator to convert events per second and event size into raw GB per day."
        }
    ],
    "sources": [],
    "related": [
        {
            "name": "Log Retention Storage Calculator",
            "url": "https://calculators.geekmidst.com/calculators/log-retention-storage-calculator"
        },
        {
            "name": "Cloud Egress Cost Calculator",
            "url": "https://calculators.geekmidst.com/calculators/cloud-egress-cost-calculator"
        },
        {
            "name": "Percentage Calculator",
            "url": "https://calculators.geekmidst.com/calculators/percentage-calculator"
        }
    ],
    "disclaimer": null,
    "publisher": "GM¹X CalcVerse"
}