specification: FinOps Framework
specificationVersion: '1.0'
schema: https://www.finops.org/framework/
provider: NATS
providerId: nats
created: '2026-05-04'
# Provenance stamped 2026-08-11: this artifact was written by the API Evangelist
# bulk sweep dated 2026-05-04, not harvested from the provider. See roadmap#35.
method: generated
modified: '2026-05-05'
reconciled: true
tags:
  - FinOps
  - FOCUS
  - Message Broker
  - Streaming
  - Cost Management
description: 'FOCUS-aligned FinOps for NATS: open-source server is free; commercial billing flows through
  Synadia Cloud as a tiered subscription with quota-based add-ons (connections, leaf nodes, storage, HA
  storage).'
sources:
  - https://www.synadia.com/cloud
  - https://docs.synadia.com/cloud/pricing
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: Synadia Communications, Inc.
serviceCategory: Messaging + Streaming
billingModel:
  pricingCategory: Tiered Subscription + Add-ons
  billingFrequency: Monthly
  billingCurrency: USD
  chargeCategories:
    - Usage
    - Purchase
    - Tax
    - Credit
    - Adjustment
focusColumns:
  ServiceName: NATS / Synadia Cloud
  ServiceCategory: Messaging
  ServiceSubcategory: Pub-Sub Streaming
  ProviderName: Synadia
  PublisherName: Synadia Communications, Inc.
  InvoiceIssuerName: Synadia Communications, Inc.
  BillingCurrency: USD
  PricingCategory: Subscription
  PricingUnit: month
meters:
  - name: team_subscription
    description: Monthly Synadia Cloud Team subscription (Personal/Starter/Pro/Premium/Enterprise).
    unit: month
    aggregation: sum
    dimensions:
      - tier
      - team
  - name: connections
    description: Concurrent NATS client connections; capped per tier.
    unit: connection
    aggregation: max
    dimensions:
      - team
      - account
  - name: subscriptions
    description: Active subject subscriptions; capped per tier.
    unit: subscription
    aggregation: max
    dimensions:
      - team
      - account
  - name: network_data
    description: Outbound message bytes counted against tier network-data quota.
    unit: GB
    aggregation: sum
    dimensions:
      - team
      - account
  - name: storage_gb_month
    description: JetStream standard storage consumed.
    unit: GB-month
    aggregation: avg
    dimensions:
      - team
      - account
      - stream
  - name: ha_storage_gb_month
    description: JetStream high-availability (replicated) storage consumed.
    unit: GB-month
    aggregation: avg
    dimensions:
      - team
      - account
      - stream
  - name: leaf_nodes
    description: Active leaf-node connections; charged per extra leaf node beyond tier inclusion.
    unit: leaf_node
    aggregation: max
    dimensions:
      - team
  - name: connectivity_packs
    description: 10-connection add-on packs.
    unit: pack
    aggregation: sum
    dimensions:
      - team
principles:
  - name: Visibility
    description: Use the Synadia Control Plane dashboard and `nsc describe` plus the NATS monitoring HTTP
      endpoints (varz, accountz, jsz) to attribute connections, subscriptions, and JetStream storage by
      account and stream.
  - name: Allocation
    description: Map Synadia Teams and NATS Accounts to internal cost centers; tag streams and KV buckets
      with team metadata so JetStream storage rolls up correctly.
  - name: Optimization
    description: Right-size tier (Starter vs Pro vs Premium) based on actual concurrent connection peak;
      consolidate low-volume accounts to share quota; prefer standard storage over HA where consistency
      requirements allow; consider self-hosting OSS NATS for predictable, high-volume workloads.
  - name: Accountability
    description: Set monthly Synadia Cloud spend ceilings per Team; alert on connection or network-data
      utilization above 80% of tier quota to avoid quota-exceeded incidents and unplanned upgrades.
maintainers:
  - FN: Kin Lane
    email: kin@apievangelist.com