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Compliance Log Retention

Meet SOC 2 and HIPAA log retention requirements with plan-based retention tiers from 7 to 90 days.

>_ the problem

Your company is pursuing SOC 2 certification, or a healthcare client just asked if you're HIPAA compliant. Either way, the auditor wants to see that you retain application logs for a defined period, that logs are searchable and tamper-evident, and that you have a documented logging policy. You've been logging to stdout and letting your hosting provider handle retention, which is to say, you have no idea where your logs go or how long they last. Kubernetes pods get recycled, serverless function logs expire after a few days in CloudWatch, and nobody on your team has thought about log retention as a compliance requirement until now. You need a logging solution with clearly defined retention periods that you can point to in an audit, without standing up your own infrastructure or negotiating an enterprise contract.

>_ why traditional tools fall short

  • $Cloud provider default log retention is often undefined or inconsistent across services, making it impossible to guarantee compliance to an auditor.
  • $Enterprise compliance logging solutions require six-figure contracts, dedicated implementation teams, and months of setup.
  • $Self-hosted solutions put the burden of data retention, backup, and disaster recovery on your team, adding compliance risk rather than reducing it.
  • $Many logging platforms bury retention configuration in complex settings, making it difficult to verify and document your retention policy for auditors.

>_ how logmonitor solves this

Tiered Retention

Choose the retention window that matches your compliance requirements: 7 days on Starter, 30 days on Pro, or 90 days on Scale. Clearly defined, easily documented for auditors.

Structured, Searchable Logs

All logs are stored with timestamps, severity levels, and structured metadata. Auditors can verify that logs are complete, searchable, and consistently formatted.

Zero Clutter

Clean log output means compliance reviews are straightforward. No parsing raw text files or decoding proprietary formats to prove your logs contain the required information.

Predictable Pricing

Plan-based pricing means your compliance logging cost is a fixed line item in your budget. No surprise charges as log volume grows during an audit period.

>_ quick setup

app.js · javascript
import { logmonitor } from 'logmonitor-js';
logmonitor.init({ apiKey: 'your-api-key' });
// The SDK auto-patches console.log/info/warn/error/debug
// Logs are only sent in production (process.env.NODE_ENV === 'production')
console.log('App started', { version: '1.0.0' });

>_ pricing for this use case

Choose retention based on your compliance requirements: 7 days on the Starter plan at $9/mo, 30 days on Pro at $19/mo, or 90 days on Scale at $99/mo. Most SOC 2 and HIPAA requirements are met with 30 or 90-day retention.

View all plans →

>_ frequently asked questions

$ Does LogMonitor meet SOC 2 log retention requirements?

LogMonitor provides defined retention periods (7, 30, or 90 days depending on plan) with searchable, timestamped, structured logs. These characteristics align with SOC 2 logging requirements. Consult your auditor for your specific control requirements.

$ Can I extend retention beyond 90 days?

The Scale plan offers the maximum retention of 90 days. For longer retention needs, you can export logs via the HTTP API to your own long-term storage before they expire. This hybrid approach lets you satisfy extended retention requirements.

$ Are logs tamper-proof in LogMonitor?

Once ingested, logs in LogMonitor are immutable. They cannot be edited or deleted by users during the retention period. This provides a reliable audit trail that can satisfy compliance reviewers.

$ Can I generate audit reports from LogMonitor?

You can search and filter logs by any metadata field including user ID, action type, resource, and time range. This makes it straightforward to pull the specific log entries an auditor requests. Logs can also be accessed via the HTTP API for automated report generation.

$ How does LogMonitor handle sensitive data in logs?

LogMonitor stores whatever data you send it. It is your responsibility to avoid logging sensitive information like passwords, social security numbers, or raw credit card numbers. Use structured metadata to log event types and identifiers rather than raw sensitive payloads.

$ What happens to my logs if I change plans?

Upgrading to a higher plan extends your retention window going forward. Downgrading will shorten retention for new logs. Existing logs are retained for the duration specified by the plan under which they were ingested.

>_ related pages

>_ about logmonitor

LogMonitor.io is a log observability platform built for developers who want simple, fast, affordable log monitoring without enterprise complexity. Stream production logs from your users' devices in real-time with native Flutter and React SDKs. Set up in under 5 minutes, with plans starting at $9/month. No dashboards to configure, no query languages to learn — just your logs, live.

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