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Google Cloud Logging
What it is
Google Cloud Logging is a cloud-based service for storing, searching, analyzing, and alerting on logs in real time. Logs Explorer provides queries, sorting, histogram visualizations, a field explorer, and saved queries. Log Analytics uses BigQuery for SQL analysis, and logs can also be queried in BigQuery alongside other business data. Google Cloud platform logs are ingested without setup, GKE workload logs are captured automatically, and the Ops Agent collects VM workload logs. The service connects with Cloud Monitoring, Error Reporting, and Cloud Trace, while Logs Router can send logs to external systems through Pub/Sub or archive them in Cloud Storage. Regional buckets keep and process workload logs in a selected region. Default retention is 30 days; keeping logs longer has a listed charge of $0.01 a month, billed monthly according to retention. The first 50 GiB per project per month of standard logging storage is free. Streaming non-vended network logs into bucket storage is listed at $0.50 a month as a one-time charge. A free plan and $300 in free credits for new Google Cloud customers are listed.
For and against
For
- Logs Explorer includes saved queries and visualizations
- Log Analytics supports SQL analysis through BigQuery
- Google Cloud platform logs need no setup
- Regional buckets support selected-region storage
- First 50 GiB/project/month of standard storage is free
Against
- Default log retention is 30 days
- Storage and retention can incur listed charges
- Audit-log access requires appropriate IAM permissions
The verdict
Google Cloud Logging combines log collection, investigation, analytics, and export in a managed cloud service. Review the retention terms and applicable storage charges, and confirm the IAM permissions needed for audit logs.
Who it suits
It suits teams that need cloud log search, analysis, alerting, and export. Teams handling audit logs should check IAM access requirements, and users should account for storage and extended-retention charges.
Plans and prices
Logging storage (non-vended network logs)
First 50 GiB/project/month free
Read 24 Sep 2026 · cloud.google.com
Logging retention beyond default period
Applies to logs retained more than 30 days
Read 24 Sep 2026 · cloud.google.com
Free allotment
Logging storage · project-level allowance
Read 14 Oct 2026 · cloud.google.com
Log Router
Destination services may charge separately
Read 14 Oct 2026 · cloud.google.com
Extended retention
Monthly retention billing · _Required bucket exempt
Read 14 Oct 2026 · cloud.google.com
Vended network-log storage
VPC Flow Logs, Firewall Rules Logging and Cloud NAT logs · no free allotment
Read 14 Oct 2026 · cloud.google.com
Logging storage
Indexing, querying and analysis · up to 30 days storage included
Read 14 Oct 2026 · cloud.google.com
Logs Router
Destination charges might apply to routed logs
Read 4 Oct 2026 · cloud.google.com
Log Analytics
No charge to upgrade a log bucket or issue SQL queries from the Log Analytics page
Read 4 Oct 2026 · cloud.google.com
On the record
- Access requirements
- Viewing audit logs requires appropriate IAM permissions, and the Logs Viewer role alone does not allow access to Data Access audit logs in the _Default bucket.docs.cloud.google.com · read 4 Oct 2026
- Agent installation
- The Ops Agent can be installed on Compute Engine VMs through the console, shell scripts or fleet policies.docs.cloud.google.com · read 14 Oct 2026
- API protocols
- Google documents both REST and gRPC interfaces for Cloud Logging.docs.cloud.google.com · read 14 Oct 2026
- Archive export
- Yescloud.google.com · read 24 Sep 2026
- Audit logging
- Cloud Audit Logs records administrative and data-access activity on a hardened audit trail that cannot be disabled by a rogue actor.cloud.google.com · read 14 Oct 2026
- Audit logs
- Cloud Audit Logs records administrative activity and resource access, and its log entries are immutable.docs.cloud.google.com · read 4 Oct 2026
- Audit retention
- The product page states that audit logs have 400 days of data retention at no additional cost.cloud.google.com · read 4 Oct 2026
- Capterra listing terms
- Capterra lists pricing as contact vendor, says a free trial is unavailable and says no free version is included.capterra.com · read 14 Oct 2026
- Collection scope
- It automatically collects Google Cloud resource logs and can receive application, on-premises and other-cloud logs.docs.cloud.google.com · read 14 Oct 2026
- Company founding and headquarters
- Gartner lists Google as founded in 1998 with headquarters in Mountain View, California.gartner.com · read 14 Oct 2026
- Deployment options
- cloudcloud.google.com · read 24 Sep 2026
- Developer licensing
- Google's Cloud Logging Python client repository is public and released under the Apache-2.0 license.github.com · read 14 Oct 2026
- Encryption
- Cloud Logging encrypts content at rest by default and supports customer-managed Cloud KMS keys for log buckets.docs.cloud.google.com · read 14 Oct 2026
- Error Reporting
- Error Reporting groups exceptions from logs into error groups and can notify users about new groups.cloud.google.com · read 14 Oct 2026
- Exports
- Logs Router can export logs, including to external systems through Pub/Sub, and logs can be archived in Cloud Storage.cloud.google.com · read 4 Oct 2026
- Free usage
- Cloud Logging includes a free allotment of the first 50 GiB per project per month for standard logging storage.cloud.google.com · read 4 Oct 2026
- Getting started credit
- The product page offers new Google Cloud customers $300 in free credits to spend on Cloud Logging.cloud.google.com · read 4 Oct 2026
- Integrations
- Official integrations include Cloud Monitoring, Error Reporting, Cloud Trace, Pub/Sub, Cloud Storage and BigQuery.cloud.google.com · read 14 Oct 2026
