specification: FinOps Framework
specificationVersion: '1.0'
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/
provider: Bifrost
providerId: bifrost
publisherName: Maxim AI (maximhq)
serviceCategory: AI Infrastructure / Gateway
created: '2026-05-04'
# Provenance stamped 2026-08-11: this artifact was written by the API Evangelist
# bulk sweep dated 2026-05-04, not harvested from the provider. See roadmap#35.
method: generated
modified: '2026-05-05'
reconciled: true
tags:
  - AI Gateway
  - LLM
  - Open Source
  - FinOps
  - FOCUS
description: 'FOCUS-aligned FinOps for Bifrost: dual-track shape — free Apache 2.0 OSS edition (zero
  license cost; operator pays infrastructure + upstream LLM costs) and a custom-priced Enterprise edition
  for governed deployments. Bifrost itself is not a billable service; it is a cost-governance layer in
  front of upstream AI providers.'
sources:
  - https://getbifrost.ai/pricing
  - https://docs.getbifrost.ai/
principles:
  - name: Visibility
    description: Use Bifrost's OpenTelemetry exports to attribute requests, tokens, and upstream-provider
      cost to virtual keys. The prompt repository and playground surface per-request cost.
  - name: Allocation
    description: Issue a virtual key per team/product/environment. Bifrost annotates every request with
      the key, enabling chargeback by team or cost center even though Bifrost itself is free.
  - name: Optimization
    description: Use semantic caching to avoid upstream calls, automatic fallbacks to route to cheaper
      providers/models, and adaptive load balancing (Enterprise) to redistribute load when an upstream
      becomes expensive or rate-limited.
  - name: Accountability
    description: Set per-virtual-key budgets so each consuming team has a hard cap on upstream spend.
      Audit logs (Enterprise) record who created keys and approved budget changes.
billingModel:
  pricingCategory: Open Source + Enterprise License
  billingFrequency: Annual
  billingCurrency: USD
  chargeCategories:
    - Purchase
    - Usage
    - Tax
    - Adjustment
  chargeFrequency: Recurring
focusColumns:
  ServiceName: Bifrost
  ServiceCategory: AI Infrastructure / Gateway
  ProviderName: Bifrost
  PublisherName: Maxim AI
  InvoiceIssuerName: Maxim AI
  PricingCategory: License + Pass-Through
  PricingUnit: license-year
  BillingCurrency: USD
  ChargeCategory: Purchase
meters:
  - name: enterprise_license
    description: Annual Enterprise license fee (custom-priced)
    unit: license-year
    aggregation: sum
    dimensions:
      - tenant
      - deployment_type
  - name: self_hosted_compute
    description: Compute cost to run Bifrost gateway nodes (operator's cloud bill)
    unit: instance-hour
    aggregation: sum
    dimensions:
      - region
      - instance_type
      - cluster
  - name: upstream_llm_tokens
    description: Token spend on upstream LLM providers, attributed to a virtual key
    unit: token
    aggregation: sum
    dimensions:
      - upstream_provider
      - model
      - virtual_key
      - team
  - name: upstream_llm_requests
    description: Request count to upstream LLM providers, attributed to a virtual key
    unit: request
    aggregation: sum
    dimensions:
      - upstream_provider
      - model
      - virtual_key
      - team
  - name: cache_hits
    description: Semantic-cache hits that avoided an upstream call (cost-savings meter)
    unit: request
    aggregation: count
    dimensions:
      - virtual_key
      - upstream_provider
apis:
  - name: Bifrost HTTP Gateway API
    baseURL: http://localhost:8080
    tags:
      - AI Gateway
      - LLM
      - OpenAI Compatible
      - REST
    serviceName: Bifrost HTTP Gateway API
    serviceCategory: API
  - name: Bifrost Go SDK
    baseURL: https://pkg.go.dev/github.com/maximhq/bifrost/core
    tags:
      - AI Gateway
      - Go
      - LLM
      - SDK
    serviceName: Bifrost Go SDK
    serviceCategory: API
  - name: Bifrost MCP Gateway
    baseURL: ''
    tags:
      - AI Agents
      - MCP
      - OAuth
      - Tool Execution
    serviceName: Bifrost MCP Gateway
    serviceCategory: API
unitEconomics:
  - name: Cost per Cached Request Avoided
    metric: upstream_savings / cache_hits
  - name: Cost per Virtual Key
    metric: (upstream_llm_cost + amortized_license) / active_virtual_keys
maintainers:
  - FN: Kin Lane
    email: kin@apievangelist.com