In the context of managing cloud environments, the decision between using open source or proprietary observability solutions is often influenced by the total cost of ownership (TCO), which extends beyond the initial price tags. Open source solutions might appear cost-effective with no upfront fees, while proprietary solutions are usually priced based on the scale of data collected. However, the true cost encompasses factors like infrastructure expenses and the labor required to manage and maintain the system. For instance, a hypothetical cloud environment generating 100 GB of log data daily, needing a seven-day retention for incident analysis, involves costs related to Amazon infrastructure and the time commitment of DevOps engineers, where each hour of their work is valued at $100. Additionally, aspects such as security features, compliance requirements, and the impact on staff productivity, where time spent on non-revenue-generating activities reduces business value, further complicate the cost analysis. Despite the complexities, understanding these cost components can lead to a more financially prudent design of an observability stack, taking into account both immediate and long-term financial implications.