specification: FinOps Framework
specificationVersion: '1.0'
schema: https://www.finops.org/framework/
provider: Badgr
providerId: badgr
created: '2026-07-05'
modified: '2026-07-05'
reconciled: false
tags:
- Digital Badges
- Open Badges
- Micro-Credentials
- Open Source
- FinOps
- Cost Management
- FOCUS
description: >-
  FinOps view of Badgr spend. Badgr has two cost profiles. Self-hosting the
  open-source badgr-server (GNU AGPL-3.0) carries no vendor invoice - the cost is
  your own compute, database, storage, and operations for running the service.
  The hosted product - Instructure Canvas Credentials / Parchment Digital Badges,
  formerly Badgr Free/Pro - is billed as an institutional subscription quoted by
  sales, driven by institution size, learner count, credential volume, and
  add-ons, rather than metered per API call. Free hosted issuing was retired at
  the end of 2025, so ongoing issuing generally implies a paid subscription.
notes: >-
  Hosted per-unit rates are not published; verify with Instructure / Parchment
  sales. For self-hosted deployments the dominant costs are infrastructure and
  operations, not a license fee. The API adds no separate charge on either model.
sources:
- https://badgr.com
- https://api.badgr.io/docs/v2/
- https://github.com/concentricsky/badgr-server
- 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: Instructure (Badgr / Canvas Credentials)
serviceCategory: Education and Credentialing
billingModel:
  pricingCategory: Subscription
  billingFrequency: Annual
  billingCurrency: USD
  chargeCategories:
  - Purchase
  - Usage
  - Adjustment
focusColumns:
  ServiceName: Badgr / Canvas Credentials
  ServiceCategory: Education and Credentialing
  ProviderName: Instructure
  PublisherName: Instructure
  InvoiceIssuerName: Instructure
  BillingCurrency: USD
  ChargeCategory: Purchase
  PricingCategory: Subscription
meters:
- name: subscription
  description: Institutional subscription to hosted Canvas Credentials / Parchment Digital Badges, quoted by size and volume.
  unit: subscription
  aggregation: sum
  dimensions:
  - account
  - institution
- name: credential_volume
  description: Number of badges/credentials issued, a driver of hosted subscription tier and quotes.
  unit: badges
  aggregation: sum
  dimensions:
  - account
  - issuer
- name: learners
  description: Number of learners/earners, a driver of hosted subscription pricing.
  unit: users
  aggregation: max
  dimensions:
  - account
- name: self_hosted_compute
  description: Infrastructure cost of running the self-hosted badgr-server (no Badgr invoice).
  unit: hours
  aggregation: sum
  dimensions:
  - deployment
principles:
- name: Visibility
  description: Track issued credential volume and active learners against the subscription tier; on self-hosted, monitor compute, database, and storage costs.
- name: Allocation
  description: Map issuers and badge programs to departments/cost centers so credential spend is attributable.
- name: Optimization
  description: Consolidate issuers, reuse BadgeClasses, and prune stale credentials; self-host the open-source server to trade subscription fees for owned infrastructure when volume justifies it.
- name: Accountability
  description: Assign owners per issuer/program and review credential volume and learner counts against the subscription each renewal.
maintainers:
- FN: Kin Lane
  email: kin@apievangelist.com