name: farmOS FinOps Framework
description: FinOps considerations for farmOS API integrations. farmOS is open-source
  software with zero licensing costs for self-hosted deployments. Cost drivers are
  infrastructure (hosting), storage, and optional managed hosting subscriptions via
  Farmier. API usage itself carries no per-call charges.
version: '1.0'
framework: FinOps Framework 1.0 FOCUS-aligned
url: https://farmos.org/hosting/

costModel:
  type: open-source-self-hosted
  apiCallCost: 0
  licensingCost: 0
  notes: farmOS is licensed under GNU General Public License. There are no per-call
    API charges, no licensing fees, and no usage-based billing for the software itself.

deploymentOptions:
  - name: Self-Hosted
    costType: infrastructure-only
    directCost: 0
    infrastructureCost: variable
    description: Operator pays only for their own hosting infrastructure (VPS, cloud
      VM, on-premise server). No software licensing or API call costs.
    costDrivers:
      - Web server hosting (VPS, cloud VM, bare metal)
      - Database storage
      - Bandwidth and egress
      - SSL certificate (free via Let's Encrypt)
      - Backup storage
      - Engineering time for installation and maintenance
    estimatedMonthlyRange:
      low: 5
      high: 50
      currency: USD
      notes: Depends on cloud provider and instance size. A basic farmOS instance
        can run on a $5-10/month VPS.

  - name: Farmier Managed Hosting
    costType: subscription
    directCost: 75
    currency: USD
    billingCycle: annually
    description: Managed hosting service operated by Farmier (farmier.com), founded
      by the farmOS creator. Subscriptions support ongoing farmOS development.
    costDrivers:
      - Annual subscription fee ($75/year base)
      - Storage overage ($5 per 5 GB blocks beyond 1 GB base, billed monthly on
        max usage)
    storageOverage:
      baseIncluded: 1
      unit: GB
      overagePrice: 5
      overageBlock: 5
      overageUnit: GB
      overageBillingCycle: monthly
    estimatedAnnualRange:
      low: 75
      high: 200
      currency: USD
      notes: Depends on storage usage. Most small farms stay within base 1 GB.

optimization:
  recommendations:
    - name: Self-Host for Zero API Cost
      description: Self-hosting farmOS on a low-cost VPS eliminates all software
        costs. A $5-10/month VPS is sufficient for most single-farm deployments.
      savingsPotential: high
      effort: medium

    - name: Use Farmier for Operational Efficiency
      description: For farms without technical staff, Farmier's $75/year managed
        hosting offloads maintenance, backups, and updates, reducing total cost of
        ownership despite the subscription fee.
      savingsPotential: medium
      effort: low

    - name: Monitor Storage Growth
      description: On Farmier, storage overages at $5 per 5 GB can accumulate with
        photo-heavy record keeping. Compress images before upload and archive old
        media to control storage costs.
      savingsPotential: medium
      effort: low

    - name: OAuth Client Credentials for Automation
      description: Use Client Credentials grant for server-to-server integrations
        and automation scripts to avoid interactive OAuth flows. Reduces engineering
        complexity and maintenance overhead.
      savingsPotential: low
      effort: low

    - name: Local farmOS.py or farmOS.js for Batch Operations
      description: Use official SDKs for bulk data imports/exports rather than custom
        HTTP clients. Reduces development time and leverages maintained libraries
        with built-in retry and error handling.
      savingsPotential: medium
      effort: low

support:
  communityForum: https://farmos.discourse.group/
  openCollective: https://opencollective.com/farmos
  notes: farmOS development is supported by community donations via Open Collective
    and Farmier hosting subscriptions. No paid enterprise support tiers are currently
    offered by the core project.