specification: FinOps Framework
specificationVersion: '1.0'
schema: https://www.finops.org/framework/
provider: Phraseanet
providerId: phraseanet
created: '2026-07-05'
modified: '2026-07-05'
reconciled: false
tags:
- Digital Asset Management
- DAM
- Open Source
- FinOps
- Cost Management
- FOCUS
description: >-
  FinOps view of Phraseanet spend. Phraseanet is open-source (GPL-v3) and free
  to self-host, so in the self-managed model there is no vendor invoice for the
  software or its API - the cost is your own compute, storage, database, object
  storage for originals and sub-definitions, and the Elasticsearch cluster that
  powers search. The alternative is buying managed hosting and/or professional
  services from Alchemy, the company behind Phraseanet, where cost is a quoted
  engagement (hosting subscription plus setup, training, support, and custom
  development) rather than metered API usage.
notes: >-
  There is no usage-metered API billing because Phraseanet is self-hosted. For
  self-managed deployments the dominant costs are infrastructure and storage
  growth as the asset library scales. Alchemy service and hosting figures are
  quoted per engagement and are not reconciled here.
sources:
- https://www.phraseanet.com/
- https://github.com/alchemy-fr/Phraseanet
- https://docs.phraseanet.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: Alchemy
serviceCategory: Digital Asset Management
billingModel:
  pricingCategory: Open Source / Services
  billingFrequency: Per Engagement
  billingCurrency: EUR
  chargeCategories:
  - Purchase
  - Usage
meters:
- name: self_hosted_compute
  description: Infrastructure cost of running the self-hosted Phraseanet application (PHP, database) - no Phraseanet invoice.
  unit: hours
  aggregation: sum
  dimensions:
  - deployment
- name: storage_volume
  description: Object/file storage for original assets and generated sub-definitions.
  unit: bytes
  aggregation: sum
  dimensions:
  - deployment
  - databox
- name: search_cluster
  description: Elasticsearch cluster capacity backing Phraseanet search.
  unit: hours
  aggregation: sum
  dimensions:
  - deployment
- name: alchemy_services
  description: Alchemy hosting, setup, training, support, and custom development, quoted per engagement.
  unit: contract
  aggregation: sum
  dimensions:
  - account
principles:
- name: Visibility
  description: Track self-hosted infrastructure, storage growth, and Elasticsearch capacity as the asset library scales; track any Alchemy service and hosting contracts separately.
- name: Allocation
  description: Attribute storage and compute by databox/collection and by team or project so DAM cost maps to internal cost centers.
- name: Optimization
  description: Right-size sub-definition generation and retention, tier or offload cold originals to cheaper storage, and scale the Elasticsearch cluster to actual search load; self-host to avoid vendor fees when in-house ops capacity exists.
- name: Accountability
  description: Assign an owner for the Phraseanet deployment; review infrastructure and storage spend and any Alchemy contracts on a regular cadence.
maintainers:
- FN: Kin Lane
  email: kin@apievangelist.com