specification: FinOps Framework
specificationVersion: '1.0'
schema: https://www.finops.org/framework/
provider: listmonk
providerId: listmonk
created: '2026-06-25'
modified: '2026-06-25'
reconciled: true
tags:
- Email
- Newsletter
- Mailing List
- Open Source
- Self-Hosted
- FinOps
- Cost Management
- FOCUS
description: >-
  FinOps view of running listmonk. The software itself is free and open-source
  (AGPLv3) with no license or per-message fee from the project. Total cost of
  ownership is therefore driven entirely by self-hosting infrastructure
  (compute, the PostgreSQL database, object storage for media, bandwidth) and
  by the third-party SMTP / email-delivery provider used for outbound sends,
  which typically bills per-thousand or per-million emails. There is no
  listmonk invoice to reconcile; costs appear on cloud-infrastructure and
  email-provider bills.
notes: >-
  Because listmonk has no vendor billing, FinOps practice focuses on the
  underlying hosting provider and email transport provider. Right-size the
  server and database, watch object-storage and egress for media, and choose
  an SMTP provider tier matched to send volume.
sources:
- https://listmonk.app
- https://github.com/knadh/listmonk
- 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: Self-Hosted (Infrastructure + Email Provider)
serviceCategory: Email and Messaging
billingModel:
  pricingCategory: Open Source / Self-Hosted
  billingFrequency: Monthly
  billingCurrency: USD
  chargeCategories:
  - Usage
  - Purchase
focusColumns:
  ServiceName: listmonk
  ServiceCategory: Email and Messaging
  ProviderName: Self-Hosted
  PublisherName: listmonk (knadh)
  InvoiceIssuerName: Infrastructure / Email Provider
  BillingCurrency: USD
  ChargeCategory: Usage
  PricingCategory: Open Source / Self-Hosted
meters:
- name: compute_hours
  description: Server / container hours running the listmonk binary, billed by the hosting provider.
  unit: hours
  aggregation: sum
  dimensions:
  - account
  - host
- name: database_hours
  description: PostgreSQL database hours / instance cost backing listmonk.
  unit: hours
  aggregation: sum
  dimensions:
  - account
  - host
- name: object_storage
  description: Storage (local disk or S3-compatible) for uploaded media files.
  unit: gigabytes
  aggregation: sum
  dimensions:
  - account
  - bucket
- name: bandwidth
  description: Egress bandwidth for serving media, public pages, and tracking pixels.
  unit: gigabytes
  aggregation: sum
  dimensions:
  - account
- name: emails_sent
  description: Outbound emails billed by the downstream SMTP / delivery provider (e.g. SES, SendGrid).
  unit: messages
  aggregation: sum
  dimensions:
  - account
  - provider
principles:
- name: Visibility
  description: Track the hosting and email-provider bills; listmonk itself emits no charges.
- name: Allocation
  description: Tag the server, database, storage, and SMTP account so listmonk costs map to a cost center.
- name: Optimization
  description: Right-size compute and Postgres, use a cost-effective SMTP tier for the send volume, and prune media/object storage.
- name: Accountability
  description: Assign an owner for the deployment; review infrastructure and email-send spend monthly against budget.
maintainers:
- FN: Kin Lane
  email: kin@apievangelist.com