specification: FinOps Framework
specificationVersion: '1.0'
schema: https://www.finops.org/framework/
provider: Photon Engine
providerId: photonengine
created: '2026-07-03'
modified: '2026-07-03'
reconciled: false
tags:
- Gaming
- Multiplayer
- Realtime
- FinOps
- Cost Management
- FOCUS
description: >-
  FinOps view of Photon spend. Unlike token- or request-metered APIs, Photon
  bills primarily against a provisioned Concurrent Users (CCU) capacity plan
  per application (Fusion, Quantum, Realtime, Voice, Chat each billed
  separately), with bundled traffic allowances at higher tiers and a per-CCU
  overage rate on Premium Cloud. There is no per-message or per-webhook-call
  charge documented for Room Lifecycle WebHooks or Custom Authentication -
  those ride on the same CCU-provisioned capacity.
notes: >-
  Because pricing is capacity-based (peak CCU) rather than usage-based (API
  calls/tokens), the primary FinOps lever is right-sizing the CCU plan to
  actual concurrent-player peaks, not reducing call volume.
sources:
- https://blog.photonengine.com/photon-pricing-explained/
- https://blog.photonengine.com/multiplayer-pricing-made-simple/
- https://www.photonengine.com/fusion/pricing
- 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: Photon Engine
serviceCategory: Gaming and Multiplayer Networking
billingModel:
  pricingCategory: Capacity-Based (CCU)
  billingFrequency: Monthly or Annual
  billingCurrency: USD
  chargeCategories:
  - Purchase
  - Usage
  - Adjustment
focusColumns:
  ServiceName: Photon Cloud
  ServiceCategory: Gaming and Multiplayer Networking
  ProviderName: Photon Engine
  PublisherName: Photon Engine
  InvoiceIssuerName: Photon Engine
  BillingCurrency: USD
  ChargeCategory: Purchase
  PricingCategory: Capacity-Based
meters:
- name: peak_ccu
  description: Peak concurrent users observed against the provisioned CCU plan, per application/product.
  unit: concurrent_users
  aggregation: max
  dimensions:
  - application
  - product
  - region
- name: ccu_burst
  description: Temporary overage above the plan's CCU ceiling absorbed at no extra charge on 500+ CCU plans.
  unit: concurrent_users
  aggregation: max
  dimensions:
  - application
  - product
- name: bundled_traffic_gb
  description: Traffic allowance bundled into Growth-tier plans (for example ~1.5 TB at 500 CCU, ~6 TB at 2,000 CCU).
  unit: gigabytes
  aggregation: sum
  dimensions:
  - application
- name: premium_cloud_ccu_overage
  description: Per-CCU charge applied on Premium Cloud once a title scales past the top public-cloud tier.
  unit: concurrent_users
  aggregation: max
  dimensions:
  - application
principles:
- name: Visibility
  description: Monitor peak CCU per application in the Photon Dashboard; compare against the provisioned plan ceiling before it forces an upgrade or throttles new connections.
- name: Allocation
  description: Provision a separate Photon application (and CCU plan) per game/product/environment so spend maps cleanly to a team or title.
- name: Optimization
  description: Right-size the CCU tier to observed peaks rather than worst-case guesses; use the annual-commitment discount (two months free) once usage is stable; consolidate Voice/Chat onto the same title's traffic patterns when possible.
- name: Accountability
  description: Assign an owner per Photon application; review CCU headroom and Premium Cloud overage monthly, especially around launches and live events that spike concurrency.
maintainers:
- FN: Kin Lane
  email: kin@apievangelist.com