specification: FinOps Framework
specificationVersion: '1.0'
schema: https://www.finops.org/framework/
provider: Sentinel Hub
providerId: sentinel-hub
created: '2026-06-13'
modified: '2026-06-13'
reconciled: true
tags:
  - Satellite Imagery
  - Geospatial
  - FinOps
  - Processing Units
  - FOCUS
description: >-
  FOCUS-aligned FinOps profile for Sentinel Hub (Sinergise / Planet). The primary cost driver
  is Processing Units (PUs) consumed per API request, calculated from output pixel count,
  band count, bit depth, and optional surcharges for Sentinel-1 orthorectification or complex
  EvalScripts. Subscriptions grant a monthly PU and request allowance; Batch Processing API
  reduces unit cost by 2/3 for large-area jobs; Async Processing API by 1/3 for mid-size jobs.
notes: >-
  Sentinel Hub was acquired by Planet Labs in 2022. Subscription pricing is now managed under
  the Planet Insights Platform. CREODIAS and the Copernicus Data Space Ecosystem provide
  additional access routes with separate billing. Monthly PU allocations do not roll over.
sources:
  - https://docs.planet.com/platform/processing-units/
  - https://documentation.dataspace.copernicus.eu/APIs/SentinelHub/Overview/ProcessingUnit.html
  - https://docs.sentinel-hub.com/api/latest/api/overview/billing/
  - 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: Sentinel Hub (Planet Labs / Sinergise)
serviceCategory: Geospatial and Earth Observation
billingModel:
  pricingCategory: Subscription + Usage (Processing Units)
  billingFrequency: Monthly or Annual
  billingCurrency: USD
  chargeCategories:
    - Usage
    - Subscription
    - Purchase (Top-up PUs)
    - Adjustment
focusColumns:
  ServiceName: Sentinel Hub
  ServiceCategory: Geospatial and Earth Observation
  ProviderName: Planet Labs (Sinergise)
  PublisherName: Planet Labs
  InvoiceIssuerName: Planet Labs
  BillingCurrency: USD
  ChargeCategory: Usage
meters:
  - name: processing_units
    description: >-
      Processing Units consumed per API request. Base = (output_pixels / 512^2) x
      (bands / 3) x format_multiplier x samples_multiplier x data_fusion_multiplier.
      Minimum 0.005 PU (Process/OGC) or 0.01 PU (Statistical).
    unit: processing-units
    aggregation: sum
    dimensions:
      - api
      - collection
      - account
      - region
  - name: http_requests
    description: HTTP request count against the per-minute and per-month quota.
    unit: requests
    aggregation: sum
    dimensions:
      - api
      - account
  - name: data_delivery_egress
    description: Cross-region bucket delivery for Batch and Async APIs (0.03 PU/MB).
    unit: megabytes
    aggregation: sum
    dimensions:
      - api
      - account
      - destination_region
surcharges:
  - name: Sentinel-1 Orthorectification
    multiplier: 2.0
    description: Applied to Sentinel-1 requests with orthorectification enabled.
  - name: Sentinel-1 Radiometric Terrain Correction
    multiplier: 2.5
    description: Includes orthorectification; applied to RTC-corrected Sentinel-1 requests.
  - name: Speckle Filtering
    multiplier: 2.0
    description: Applied to Sentinel-1 requests with speckle filtering enabled.
  - name: Complex EvalScript
    multiplier: variable
    description: >-
      +0.5 PU per additional 100ms execution time beyond the 200ms base for custom
      EvalScript processing.
  - name: 32-bit float output
    multiplier: 2.0
    description: Applied when output format is 32-bit float rather than 8/16-bit TIFF/PNG/JPG.
  - name: Octet-stream output
    multiplier: 1.4
    description: Applied when output format is raw octet-stream.
discounts:
  - name: Batch Processing API
    multiplier: 0.333
    description: >-
      Tiles larger than 10,000 pixels processed via Batch API cost 1/3 of equivalent
      Process API PUs. Minimum 100 PU per batch request.
  - name: Async Processing API
    multiplier: 0.667
    description: >-
      Areas >= 10,000 pixels via Async API cost 2/3 of equivalent Process API PUs.
      Minimum 10 PU per request.
principles:
  - name: Visibility
    description: >-
      Monitor PU consumption and HTTP request counts via the Sentinel Hub Dashboard.
      Set alerts for monthly quota thresholds to avoid service interruption.
  - name: Allocation
    description: >-
      Create separate OAuth2 clients per workload or team to attribute PU consumption
      to specific projects and cost centres.
  - name: Optimization
    description: >-
      Use Batch Processing API for large-area or historical jobs to reduce PU costs by 2/3.
      Cache responses for repeated area/time queries. Limit band count and output resolution
      to the minimum required. Prefer 8/16-bit output over 32-bit float where precision
      permits.
  - name: Accountability
    description: >-
      Track monthly PU burn rate vs. subscription allocation. Negotiate tier size based on
      observed usage patterns. Consider CREODIAS or Copernicus Data Space Ecosystem access
      for publicly-funded research to access free/subsidised quotas.
maintainers:
  - FN: Kin Lane
    email: kin@apievangelist.com