specification: FinOps Framework
specificationVersion: '1.0'
schema: https://www.finops.org/framework/
provider: Stream
providerId: getstream
created: '2026-07-03'
modified: '2026-07-03'
reconciled: false
tags:
- Chat
- Activity Feeds
- Video
- Moderation
- FinOps
- Cost Management
- FOCUS
description: >-
  FinOps view of Stream spend. Stream is a usage-metered communications platform:
  Chat and Activity Feeds are billed primarily on Monthly Active Users (MAU),
  Video and Audio on participant minutes, and AI Moderation on moderated
  volume/credits. Because MAU counts any unique user who connects in a month,
  the dominant cost driver is active-user growth rather than raw API call
  volume; the second driver is Video participant minutes, which scale with call
  length, participant count, and resolution. A free (and larger Maker) allowance
  covers early usage before Standard usage-based billing and Enterprise contracts
  apply.
notes: >-
  Per-unit rates are not reconciled here; verify on the per-product pricing
  pages. Watch WebSocket connection hygiene (one connectUser per user session) -
  duplicate connections can inflate MAU-adjacent behavior and cost.
sources:
- https://getstream.io/chat/pricing/
- https://getstream.io/video/pricing/
- https://getstream.io/activity-feeds/pricing/
- 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: Stream
serviceCategory: Communication and Collaboration
billingModel:
  pricingCategory: Usage-Based
  billingFrequency: Monthly
  billingCurrency: USD
  chargeCategories:
  - Usage
  - Purchase
  - Adjustment
focusColumns:
  ServiceName: Stream
  ServiceCategory: Communication and Collaboration
  ProviderName: Stream
  PublisherName: Stream
  InvoiceIssuerName: Stream
  BillingCurrency: USD
  ChargeCategory: Usage
  PricingCategory: Usage-Based
meters:
- name: chat_mau
  description: Monthly active users connecting to Stream Chat, the primary Chat billing dimension.
  unit: users
  aggregation: unique_count
  dimensions:
  - application
  - environment
- name: feeds_mau_or_calls
  description: Activity Feeds usage, metered on monthly active users and/or API call volume.
  unit: users
  aggregation: unique_count
  dimensions:
  - application
- name: video_participant_minutes
  description: Audio/Video participant minutes, billed per 1,000 and varying by resolution and features.
  unit: minutes
  aggregation: sum
  dimensions:
  - application
  - resolution
  - call_type
- name: moderation_volume
  description: AI moderation usage, drawn against moderation credits.
  unit: items
  aggregation: sum
  dimensions:
  - application
principles:
- name: Visibility
  description: Track Chat MAU and Video participant minutes per application and environment; separate dev from production.
- name: Allocation
  description: Split apps/environments per team or product so MAU and minutes map to cost centers.
- name: Optimization
  description: Reuse a single WebSocket connection per user session; right-size video resolution; prune inactive users to control MAU; use the Maker allowance while eligible.
- name: Accountability
  description: Assign owners per application; review monthly MAU and participant-minute trends against tier allowances before overage.
maintainers:
- FN: Kin Lane
  email: kin@apievangelist.com