specification: FinOps Framework
specificationVersion: '1.0'
schema: https://www.finops.org/framework/
provider: Nakama
providerId: nakama
created: '2026-07-01'
modified: '2026-07-01'
reconciled: false
tags:
- Gaming
- Game Backend
- Realtime
- Open Source
- FinOps
- Cost Management
- FOCUS
description: >-
  FinOps view of running Nakama. Because Nakama is open source (Apache-2.0),
  the cost model splits in two. Self-hosting has no software license fee; spend
  is your own compute (Nakama server nodes), the PostgreSQL/CockroachDB
  database, storage, egress, and operations labor. Managed usage runs on Heroic
  Cloud, billed as a tiered monthly subscription (Nakama nodes, database
  capacity, concurrent-user allowance, support) with scaling above the included
  allotments. The main cost drivers are concurrent users, realtime message
  volume, database size and IOPS, and node count.
notes: >-
  Amounts are tier- and infrastructure-dependent and not reconciled here.
  For self-hosting, meter your own cloud bill; for Heroic Cloud, confirm tier
  inclusions and overage rates with Heroic Labs.
sources:
- https://heroiclabs.com/pricing/
- https://heroiclabs.com/heroic-cloud/
- https://github.com/heroiclabs/nakama
- 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: Heroic Labs
serviceCategory: Game Backend and Realtime Infrastructure
billingModel:
  pricingCategory: Subscription plus Usage-Based (Heroic Cloud); self-hosted infrastructure cost
  billingFrequency: Monthly
  billingCurrency: USD
  chargeCategories:
  - Usage
  - Purchase
  - Adjustment
focusColumns:
  ServiceName: Nakama / Heroic Cloud
  ServiceCategory: Game Backend and Realtime Infrastructure
  ProviderName: Heroic Labs
  PublisherName: Heroic Labs
  InvoiceIssuerName: Heroic Labs
  BillingCurrency: USD
  ChargeCategory: Usage
  PricingCategory: Subscription
meters:
- name: managed_nodes
  description: Managed Nakama compute nodes provisioned on Heroic Cloud.
  unit: nodes
  aggregation: max
  dimensions:
  - project
  - region
- name: concurrent_users
  description: Peak concurrent connected users (CCU), the primary Heroic Cloud scaling dimension.
  unit: concurrent_users
  aggregation: max
  dimensions:
  - project
- name: database_capacity
  description: Managed database storage and capacity provisioned for the project.
  unit: gigabytes
  aggregation: max
  dimensions:
  - project
- name: realtime_messages
  description: Realtime socket message volume across chat, matches, and matchmaking (a load/cost driver).
  unit: messages
  aggregation: sum
  dimensions:
  - project
- name: egress_bandwidth
  description: Outbound network bandwidth from the deployment.
  unit: gigabytes
  aggregation: sum
  dimensions:
  - project
  - region
- name: self_hosted_compute
  description: For self-hosting, underlying cloud compute hours for Nakama server nodes.
  unit: hours
  aggregation: sum
  dimensions:
  - account
  - region
principles:
- name: Visibility
  description: For Heroic Cloud, track tier inclusions vs. peak CCU and database growth; for self-hosting, tag and meter Nakama node and database spend in your cloud bill.
- name: Allocation
  description: Map deployments and projects to titles/teams; separate environments (dev, staging, prod) to attribute cost.
- name: Optimization
  description: Right-size node count and database capacity to actual CCU; prune storage collections and notification retention; consider self-hosting vs. managed based on scale and ops capacity.
- name: Accountability
  description: Assign owners per project/title; review CCU trend and database growth monthly against budget and tier limits.
maintainers:
- FN: Kin Lane
  email: kin@apievangelist.com