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Pricing FAQ

Frequently asked questions about our pricing

What determines how many VUH I need?

VUH is determined by the Users and Duration parameters that you set in our UI before launching a flood:
Choosing test parameters in the Stream Editor
The Duration field is in minutes on this screen, so you'll need to state it in hours to use it in the formula below: ​ VUH = (number of users) * (duration of flood in hours) ​ You can multiply the number of threads by the duration (in hours) to get the VUH you will require. In this example, you would need: 1000 * 0.25 = 250 VUH
and assuming you've used 2,000 VUH so far this month, putting you in the first paid tier, it would cost you: 250 * 0.045 = US $11.25

What is a VUM?

It's a Virtual User Minute, and it's used to provide a more granular way to measure usage for quantities between whole VUH. There are 60 VUM in one VUH.

What do the statuses in the Usage Page mean?

There are three possible statuses for a flood, which you will see in the Usage Page:
  • Estimated: While a flood and/or its grid is running, the flood's status will be Estimated, which means that its VUH and cost displayed is an estimate based on the projected duration of the flood. This estimate is based on the test parameters (number of users, regions, and duration) selected during flood creation, and may change if, for example, the flood is stopped prematurely.
  • Metered: When the flood and/or its grid is terminated, the status will switch to Metered, which indicates that the VUH usage has been precisely calculated. In this status, you have not been charged for the flood. This is because your usage has not yet exceeded the free tier or the included package.
  • Billed: Once your VUH usage exceeds the free tier or the VUH included in your plan, succeeding floods, once finished, will have the status of Billed, which means you will be charged for it in your next invoice.

Why don't I see a VUH/cost estimate before launching a test?

We can only calculate that estimate if you're setting your Threads and Duration parameters in the Flood UI. Make sure that you're using parameters in your script to allow Flood to overwrite those values. As soon as you are setting those parameters through Flood, we'll be able to show you an estimate.

How do I know how many VUH a test will consume?

Before you launch a flood, you'll always be shown an estimate of the amount of VUH (as well as the corresponding cost) that you will be charged.

How do I set limits for other team members?

While you can't do this right now, we agree that this is important! We're already working on allowing account owners to set limits per project, and we expect this feature to go live in the first quarter of 2020.

How do I know how many VUH I've used so far?

You'll be able to see your usage of VUHs this billing cycle from two places:
  1. 1.
    On your dashboard, on the upper right next to the clock icon.
  2. 2.
    From your Usage page.​

When do pricing tiers reset?

Your pricing tier resets at the end of your billing cycle. When the new cycle begins, you'll always start on the lowest tier (no discounts), and you'll work your way up during the month.

When do I pay for my usage?

We will bill you for the previous cycle's usage on the first day of the next cycle. Your cycle is determined by the date that you first subscribed to Flood and lasts for a month. For example, if you sign up on January 1st, you'll be billed for January's charges on February 1st.

Why am I charged before my billing cycle?

For new accounts, we will bill you when your usage first reaches the default billing threshold, which is $150. Billing thresholds help you limit the amount owed, or limit the VUH consumed, between invoices/charges. Billing thresholds are not evaluated during the 24 hours prior to a billing cycle period ending. Pricing tiers are maintained across threshold invoices and will be reset only at the end of the billing period.
If you would like a higher billing threshold, please contact us and we'd be happy to set a custom limit for your plan.

How do I manage how many VUH I use?

Check out our article on minimizing your costs with Flood.

How do I cancel my subscription?

There is no subscription to cancel - we only ever bill you for what you use, so if you don't use anything, you don't get charged.

How do I remove my credit card details?

We're sad to see you go! Contact us and we'll get that done for you.

Do VUH expire?

No. VUH operate on a debit system rather than a credit system. By that we mean that you start at 0 VUH, and then that counter increases as you use up more VUH. This means that you'll always be able to use more VUH whenever you need it.

Is my pricing cheaper if I use my own infrastructure?

No, but here's why:
  1. 1.
    It's simpler. One of the complaints we've had about our pricing plans is that it's too difficult to estimate cost. To address that, we've decided on one set of prices regardless of whether you're running on our cloud, your cloud, or on-premises.
  2. 2.
    We still incur significant platform costs in helping you create, execute and analyse your load tests, regardless of where those tests run.
  3. 3.
    We do still offer bulk discounts for Flooders using their own infrastructure. Let us know if you're interested in this and we can come up with a tailored plan for you.

Why is the price estimate higher than I expect?

One common reason for this is due to our minimum interval. We charge in 15-minute increments. That means that tests from 0-15 minutes will cost the same as a 15-minute test. We recommend you plan your tests in 15-minute increments as well to avoid extra costs.

I still have questions! How do I contact you?

Shoot us an email and we'd be happy to answer you. We might even update this FAQ with your question.