specification: FinOps Framework
specificationVersion: '1.0'
schema: https://www.finops.org/framework/
provider: Literal AI
providerId: literalai
created: '2026-06-20'
modified: '2026-06-20'
reconciled: false
tags:
- AI
- LLM
- Observability
- Evaluation
- Monitoring
- FinOps
- Cost Management
- FOCUS
description: >-
  FinOps view of Literal AI spend. Literal AI bills on a freemium seat-plus-
  usage model: a free Basic tier with capped monthly Log Units, and paid Pro
  and Enterprise tiers that raise ingestion volume, data retention, and seats.
  The dominant cost driver is Log Unit ingestion (threads, steps, generations,
  and OTEL spans), alongside per-seat and retention charges. Pro/Enterprise
  prices are contact-led, so amounts are not reconciled here.
notes: >-
  Verify Log Unit pricing, retention add-ons, and seat costs against the
  Literal AI pricing page and a sales quote during reconciliation.
sources:
- https://www.literalai.com/pricing
- https://docs.literalai.com
- 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: Literal AI
serviceCategory: AI and Machine Learning
billingModel:
  pricingCategory: Usage-Based
  billingFrequency: Monthly
  billingCurrency: USD
  chargeCategories:
  - Usage
  - Purchase
  - Adjustment
focusColumns:
  ServiceName: Literal AI
  ServiceCategory: AI and Machine Learning
  ProviderName: Literal AI
  PublisherName: Literal AI
  InvoiceIssuerName: Literal AI
  BillingCurrency: USD
  ChargeCategory: Usage
  PricingCategory: Usage-Based
meters:
- name: log_units
  description: Monthly ingestion units consumed by threads, steps, and generations logged to the platform.
  unit: log_units
  aggregation: sum
  dimensions:
  - account
  - project
- name: otel_spans
  description: OpenTelemetry (OTLP) spans ingested as steps/generations, counted toward Log Unit usage.
  unit: spans
  aggregation: sum
  dimensions:
  - account
  - project
- name: data_retention
  description: Data-retention window beyond the included tier allowance.
  unit: days
  aggregation: max
  dimensions:
  - account
- name: seats
  description: Active team members / seats on the workspace.
  unit: seats
  aggregation: max
  dimensions:
  - account
principles:
- name: Visibility
  description: Track Log Unit burn per project/key in the Literal AI dashboard and map to teams.
- name: Allocation
  description: Use separate projects/API keys per workload to attribute ingestion cost to cost centers.
- name: Optimization
  description: Sample or filter low-value traces, tune retention windows, and avoid duplicate logging to control Log Unit consumption.
- name: Accountability
  description: Assign project owners and review monthly Log Unit and seat usage against budget.
maintainers:
- FN: Kin Lane
  email: kin@apievangelist.com