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What is a VUH?

What is a Virtual User Hour and how many of them do I need?
A VUH is a virtual user hour, and it's what we take into consideration when charging you for usage.
A virtual user is an instance of a load testing script that is meant to simulate a real-world visitor on your web app. Load testing tools can differ in how they refer to a user. JMeter, for instance, calls it a "thread", and for browser-based tools like Selenium and Element, the term "user" and "browser" are used interchangeably. These are all virtual users in Flood.
A virtual user hour is a product of the number of users executing the script and the length of time they are in use:
A VUH = (# of users) * (duration of flood in hours)
1,000 users for 1 hour = 1,000 * 1 = 1,000 VUH 1,000 users for 2 hours = 1,000 * 2 = 2,000 VUH 2,000 users for 1 hour = 2,000 * 1 = 2,000 VUH 2,000 users for 2 hours = 2,000 * 2 = 4,000 VUH
We use VUH as our main pricing unit because it correlates nicely with the number of machines we need to spin up on the cloud for your test, and it is also an easy way to calculate cost. The focus on VUH means you don't need to worry about how many nodes need to be spun up in the cloud.

What if I use less than an hour?

We understand that it's sometimes necessary to run more shorter tests than fewer long tests, so we do round up your usage to smaller intervals to save you from paying for the entire hour.
We will always round up your usage to the nearest 15 minutes, or 0.25 of an hour. This means that you'll be charged the same for 5 minutes as you would for 15 minutes - so you might as well make the most of it and run 15-minute tests!
For example: 1,000 users for 5 minutes = 1000 * 0.25 = 250 VUH 1,000 users for 15 minutes = 1000 * 0.25 = 250 VUH 1,000 users for 20 minutes = 1000 * 0.50 = 500 VUH

How do I know how many VUH I will need for a specific test?

You can estimate your VUH requirement yourself by multiplying the number of users with the number of hours that you want to run. You'll also see how many VUH you need for a test along with an estimated cost before you choose to launch it, so you are always in control of your usage.

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

You can always see the VUH you've used up this billing cycle on the upper right of your dashboard, next to the notification bell icon. This counter resets to 0 at the beginning of your billing cycle and counts UP from there. ​ You can also visit your Usage page for more information about the VUH you've used.