specification: FinOps Framework
specificationVersion: '1.0'
provider: Particle
providerId: particle
created: '2026-06-12'
modified: '2026-06-12'
reconciled: true
url: https://www.particle.io/pricing/
billingModel: block_subscription_plus_metered
description: >-
  Particle billing is structured around two dimensions: a block-based
  subscription (each block covers 100 devices and a monthly Data Operations
  allotment) and cellular data consumption for EtherSIM-equipped devices.
  The Free tier provides 100 devices and 100K Data Operations at no cost.
  Paid tiers (Basic at $299/block, Plus at $599/block) scale by adding blocks.
  Cellular data is bundled within the EtherSIM allotment; Wi-Fi and Ethernet
  connectivity carry no additional network charge from Particle.
focusColumns:
  - ChargeCategory
  - ChargeType
  - ServiceName
  - ResourceType
  - UsageQuantity
  - UsageUnit
  - BilledCost
  - EffectiveCost
  - BillingPeriodStart
  - BillingPeriodEnd
meters:
  - name: Data Operations
    description: >-
      A Data Operation is consumed each time a message is sent to or from a
      device and when that data is processed within the Particle cloud. This
      is the primary consumption unit driving Particle costs.
    unit: data_operations
    granularity: monthly
    includedPerBlock:
      free: 100000
      basic: 720000
      plus: 5000000
    notes: Overages require purchasing additional blocks.

  - name: Devices
    description: >-
      Number of claimed devices (hardware modules) registered to the account
      or product fleet. Billing blocks are sized in increments of 100 devices.
    unit: devices
    granularity: monthly
    includedPerBlock:
      free: 100
      basic: 100
      plus: 100

  - name: Cellular Data (EtherSIM)
    description: >-
      Cellular data consumed by EtherSIM-based devices. Particle caps cellular
      data usage to ensure Data Operations budget is the effective constraint.
      Wi-Fi and Ethernet devices incur no network charge from Particle.
    unit: megabytes
    granularity: monthly
    notes: >-
      Included within EtherSIM plan; capped to maximize Data Operations
      utilization. Additional cellular data beyond the cap may require
      plan upgrades.

principles:
  - name: Visibility
    description: >-
      Use the Particle Console to monitor per-device event activity and
      track cumulative Data Operations consumption against monthly block
      allotments. Review the changelog at changelog.particle.io for
      platform changes that may affect operational volumes.
    actions:
      - Monitor Data Operations consumed vs. allotment in the Device Console
      - Set up event stream monitoring to identify chatty devices
      - Review fleet-level diagnostics for devices consuming excessive operations

  - name: Optimization
    description: >-
      Reduce costs by batching device-to-cloud messages, minimizing
      publish frequency where latency allows, and right-sizing the number
      of blocks to actual device counts. Use Wi-Fi or Ethernet connectivity
      where cellular is not required to avoid cellular data costs.
    actions:
      - Batch telemetry payloads to reduce Data Operations per reading
      - Use sleep modes to reduce idle publish events
      - Audit device count per product to avoid over-provisioned blocks
      - Prefer Wi-Fi/Ethernet hardware when cellular is not needed
      - Evaluate Basic vs. Plus blocks based on data automation requirements

  - name: Accountability
    description: >-
      Assign product fleets to distinct Particle products (namespaces) to
      attribute Data Operations costs to individual teams or business units.
      Use API Users with scoped tokens for programmatic access to support
      auditability.
    actions:
      - Create separate Particle products per team or cost center
      - Use scoped API Users to attribute cloud interactions by service
      - Export event logs for integration into internal FinOps dashboards