specification: FinOps Framework
specificationVersion: '1.0'
schema: https://www.finops.org/framework/
provider: Algorand
providerId: algorand
created: '2026-06-13'
modified: '2026-06-13'
reconciled: true
tags:
  - Blockchain
  - Proof-of-Stake
  - FinOps
  - FOCUS
  - DeFi
description: >-
  FOCUS-aligned FinOps for Algorand API consumption. The Algorand daemons (Algod, Indexer, KMD) are
  open-source and free to self-host; operational costs arise from infrastructure (compute, storage,
  bandwidth) rather than per-call charges. For teams using managed Nodely endpoints, costs are
  subscription-based (flat monthly fee) rather than metered per request, with the free tier at $0
  and commercial tiers starting at $256/month. On-chain transaction fees are separate and minimal
  (~0.001 ALGO per transaction, ~$0.0002 at typical prices).
sources:
  - https://nodely.io/
  - https://nodely.io/docs/free/start/
  - https://dev.algorand.co/concepts/transactions/fees/
  - https://focus.finops.org/focus-specification/v1-3/
alignedWith:
  framework: FinOps Foundation Framework
  frameworkUrl: https://www.finops.org/framework/
  dataSpec: FOCUS
  dataSpecVersion: '1.3'
  dataSpecUrl: https://focus.finops.org/focus-specification/v1-3/
publisherName: Algorand Foundation / Nodely
serviceCategory: Blockchain
billingModel:
  pricingCategory: Subscription
  billingFrequency: Monthly
  billingCurrency: USD
  chargeCategories:
    - Purchase
    - Usage
    - Adjustment
focusColumns:
  ServiceName: Algorand REST API
  ServiceCategory: Blockchain
  ProviderName: Algorand / Nodely
  PublisherName: Algorand Foundation / Nodely
  InvoiceIssuerName: Nodely
  BillingCurrency: USD
  ChargeCategory: Purchase
  PricingCategory: Subscription
  PricingUnit: month
meters:
  - name: api_subscription_month
    description: >-
      Monthly flat subscription fee for managed Nodely Algorand API access (Unlimited or Business SLA tier).
      Free tier is $0 and requires no key.
    unit: month
    aggregation: count
    dimensions:
      - plan
      - billing_period
  - name: api_requests
    description: >-
      Total API requests made to Algod or Indexer endpoints. Not directly billed on any tier but governs
      rate-limit enforcement. Tracked for capacity planning and quota monitoring.
    unit: request
    aggregation: sum
    dimensions:
      - endpoint
      - network
      - tier
  - name: onchain_transaction_fee_algo
    description: >-
      Algorand network transaction fees paid in ALGO. Minimum fee is 0.001 ALGO per transaction
      (1000 microALGO). Fees increase with transaction size (1000 microALGO per 512 bytes over base).
    unit: ALGO
    aggregation: sum
    dimensions:
      - transaction_type
      - network
  - name: self_hosted_compute
    description: >-
      Monthly cloud compute cost for self-hosted Algod/Indexer nodes (EC2, GCP, Azure equivalent).
      Archival nodes require substantial disk (multi-TB NVMe) and moderate CPU/RAM.
    unit: instance-month
    aggregation: sum
    dimensions:
      - instance_type
      - region
      - network
  - name: self_hosted_storage_gb
    description: >-
      Monthly storage cost for self-hosted Algorand archival nodes. Mainnet archival storage
      exceeds several TB and grows continuously with chain growth.
    unit: GB-month
    aggregation: sum
    dimensions:
      - storage_type
      - region
      - network
principles:
  - name: Visibility
    description: >-
      Track API request volumes through Nodely dashboard metrics and application-level logging.
      Monitor on-chain ALGO fee spend per application using the Indexer transaction history API,
      filtering by sender address and transaction type.
  - name: Allocation
    description: >-
      Assign separate Nodely API keys per team or application to attribute costs to consuming
      projects. For on-chain fees, tag sender accounts by cost center and query via Indexer.
  - name: Optimization
    description: >-
      Use AlgoKit LocalNet for development and testing to eliminate API costs. Route read-only
      queries through the free Nodely tier during development and switch to commercial keys only
      for production workloads. Batch transactions into atomic groups to minimize per-transaction
      fees and reduce Algod submission calls.
  - name: Accountability
    description: >-
      Designate an engineering owner for API key management and monthly Nodely subscription
      renewal. Review on-chain fee trends quarterly; unusually high fees may indicate smart
      contract loops or inefficient transaction batching.
maintainers:
  - FN: Kin Lane
    email: kin@apievangelist.com