Methodology

o11y is shorthand for observability (o + 11 letters + y). O11y Watch is an independent tracker of what observability vendors give away for free and how that changes.

How data is collected

1. We save a text snapshot of each vendor’s public pricing page (73 pages today).
2. A person reads the page and records the free plan name and its stated limits, verbatim where possible. 70 vendors are verified so far; the rest are marked Unverified and every unknown is shown as unknown.
3. A weekly script (scripts/check.mjs) re-fetches each page and diffs it against the snapshot. Meaningful diffs are reviewed and logged in the change log.

What we don’t do

• We never estimate or invent numbers. If a page doesn’t state a limit, neither do we.
• “Gotchas” are derived mechanically from the recorded limits (e.g. single seat, short retention, per-GB overage), not from hearsay.
• Sponsors never influence data or rankings; sponsored placements are always labeled.

How O11y Watch makes money

• Affiliate links: some vendor pages show a “Try it” button. Where a vendor runs an affiliate program we may (now or later) earn a commission if you sign up through it, at no cost to you. Buttons are only shown on vendors with a program and are always disclosed next to the link. Whether a vendor pays us has no effect on data, gotchas, or “best free” picks.
• Sponsorships: labeled “Sponsored”, see Sponsor.
• Pro: an optional paid tier for faster alerts and exports, see Pro. The site, API and weekly newsletter stay free.

Corrections

Pricing pages change without notice. Always confirm on the linked source before you buy. Corrections process: coming soon.