Sazabi vs Observe: Lakehouse Observability vs Issue Detection from Logs
Prices and facts checked on vendor pages on Nov 8, 2026.
Observe is a telemetry platform built on a Snowflake lakehouse, now sold as Observe by Snowflake. It suits teams that want one place for logs, metrics and traces, long retention, and a query language they can shape. Sazabi is AI-native observability and security for engineering teams that want production issues surfaced from logs without building the monitors first. Sazabi wrote this page. The Observe facts below come from Observe's pricing page and docs, checked November 8, 2026.
At a Glance
How Observe Works and Charges
Observe's pricing page lists three starting prices: logs at $0.49 per GiB, metrics at $0.008 per DPM, and traces at $0.59 per GiB. Each row says compute is included and users are unlimited. The page also lists unlimited alerts, dashboards and data sources, and "Unlimited retention for only $0.01 / GiB per month." Its FAQ explains that pricing is a subscription "based on a committed volume of uncompressed telemetry data ingested," and that "No overages" means it will not send an overage bill: if you go over your commitment, it works with you to right-size capacity. Multi-year and volume discounts are available through sales.
Retention needs a careful read. The pricing page shows 30-day retention for logs and traces and 13 months for metrics. The Datastreams docs say data is retained for 13 months by default, configurable up or down per Datastream. Confirm the figure in your quote.
The docs list two license types, ingest-based and usage-based, with different dashboards for watching each. In usage-based licenses, you manage Observe Compute Credits.
Setup follows a recommended path: install the Observe Agent, instrument apps to send to it, then build dashboards and monitors with OPAL, Observe's query language. You can also send OTLP over HTTP to your tenant endpoint, which accepts traces, metrics and logs in protobuf or JSON, with no gRPC. Deployment is regional, with eight listed regions, seven on AWS and one on GCP.
For AI, the docs describe an observability assistant that investigates incidents, debugs slow or error-prone services and summarizes insights through natural language, using Snowflake Cortex as the model gateway. Observe also has an MCP server that lets tools such as Cursor, Claude Code and Cortex Code investigate incidents and run queries as the authenticated user. A 14-day free trial needs no credit card.
How Sazabi Works and Charges
Sazabi has no dataset modeling step. You point an intake URL at your logs, connect GitHub and Slack, and Sazabi watches the stream for problems you did not write monitors for. When something breaks, it opens an issue with supporting records, investigates root cause, and posts to Slack or Linear. Your coding agent can then pick up the same context over MCP, CLI or API, and carry out the fix itself. Sazabi also scans connected repositories for vulnerabilities and files confirmed findings as issues.
Plans are Hobby $50, Startup $200 and Growth $1,000 per 30-day cycle. Each includes 200 GB ingested, 50 GB scanned, 20 issues and 500 AI credits. After that: $0.10 per GB ingested, $0.10 per GB scanned, $4 per issue and $0.01 per AI credit. Retention is 7, 30 or 90 days, and there is no yearly billing. See Sazabi pricing.
Key Differences for a Log-Centered Team
Billing on volume versus on outcomes. Observe prices ingest and promises no overage bill. You commit to a volume and size it. Sazabi meters ingest, scans, issues and AI credits, so the bill moves with activity. Observe lists $0.49 per GiB as a starting price, and Sazabi lists $0.10 per GB beyond 200 GB included, but the two prices cover different things. Observe's includes compute and unlimited users. Sazabi's separate scan and issue meters apply on top. Price your own volume in both.
Who builds the views. Observe expects you to shape data with Datasets, Worksheets and OPAL, with an assistant that helps write queries. Sazabi aims to remove that step: you ask, and it generates the dashboard.
Retention. If you need logs for a year or longer, Observe's $0.01 per GiB per month rate is the clearer fit. Sazabi tops out at 90 days on standard plans.
Ownership of stored data. Observe's Iceberg option stores tables in your S3 bucket, but it is invite-only private preview. Sazabi's BYOC runs the log pipeline in your AWS account under an enterprise agreement, while the dashboard and agent stay in Sazabi's cloud.
Compliance. Sazabi holds SOC 2 Type II, SOC 1, ISO 27001 and ISO 27017 certifications. Anyone who signs an NDA, customer or not, can request the SOC 2 Type II report and ISO 27001 audit reports from the Sazabi Trust Center. HIPAA safeguards are available on select plans. We did not verify Observe's attestations from the pages above, so ask Observe for current reports.
When to Pick Observe
- You want logs, metrics, traces and APM in one lakehouse with unlimited users, alerts and dashboards.
- You need retention beyond 90 days and want a published rate for it.
- Your team is comfortable writing OPAL or using an assistant to write it for you.
- You want a Snowflake-based lakehouse as the store for your telemetry.
- You want the data in open Iceberg tables you own, and can join the private preview.
When to Pick Sazabi
- You want issues surfaced from logs on day one, without building datasets or monitors.
- You want your coding agent to receive the root cause and carry out the fix.
- You prefer plan prices you can read per 30 days, with meters for overage.
- Your logs matter for 7 to 90 days, and you do not need APM or infrastructure monitoring in the same tool.
Trying Sazabi Alongside Observe
Observe's OpenTelemetry endpoint takes OTLP over HTTP, and so does Sazabi. If your logs already pass through an OpenTelemetry Collector, add an otlphttp/sazabi exporter beside the Observe one, using Sazabi's OpenTelemetry Collector guide. The OpenTelemetry integration page covers SDK setups.
Send one noisy service to both for two weeks, then compare. Look at which incidents each surfaced without a prewritten monitor, how much setup each needed, and what the usage would cost at your real volume.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Observe now part of Snowflake?
Observe now goes by Observe by Snowflake. Its pricing page is hosted on snowflake.com, and the docs describe a Snowflake lakehouse and Snowflake Cortex models, so check which contract entity you are buying from.
What does Observe charge for logs?
Its pricing page says logs start at $0.49 per GiB, with compute included, unlimited users and 30-day retention. Pricing is a subscription based on a committed volume of uncompressed data ingested.
Can Sazabi and Observe receive the same logs?
Yes, if you run an OpenTelemetry Collector. Both accept OTLP over HTTP, so you can add an otlphttp exporter for each and send the same stream to both while you compare.
Does Sazabi have a query language like OPAL?
Sazabi supports plain-language questions and structured log search, and it builds dashboards from what you ask. It does not require you to model datasets before you can query.
Sources
- Observe by Snowflake price list (logs, metrics, traces), included items, FAQ on committed volume and no overages. The observeinc.com/pricing address redirects here (accessed Nov 8, 2026)
- Product scope, recommended Observe Agent setup, OPAL query language, log management features (accessed Nov 8, 2026)
- The assistant for incident investigation in natural language, its models and where it appears (accessed Nov 8, 2026)
- MCP server for coding tools, OAuth and permission model (accessed Nov 8, 2026)
- OTLP/HTTP endpoint, supported signals, request limits, no gRPC (accessed Nov 8, 2026)
- Default 13-month retention and Datastream limits (accessed Nov 8, 2026)
- Ingest-based and usage-based license types, credit tools (accessed Nov 8, 2026)
- Deployment regions and shared responsibility model (accessed Nov 8, 2026)
- Iceberg tables in your own S3 bucket (private preview) (accessed Nov 8, 2026)
- 14-day free trial terms (accessed Nov 8, 2026)
- Sazabi plan prices, included usage, overage rates and retention (accessed Nov 8, 2026)
- BYOC availability on AWS under an enterprise agreement (accessed Nov 8, 2026)
- Adding Sazabi as an extra OTLP/HTTP exporter in an OpenTelemetry Collector (accessed Nov 8, 2026)