Billing
Pricing Model
Qdrant Vector Database is billed based on three components: compute, storage, and snapshots.
Cost Components
| Component | Formula | Rate Type |
|---|---|---|
| Compute | usage_hours x replicas x hourly_rate | Per hour |
| Storage | (disk_GB x replicas x hours) / 720 x monthly_rate | Per GB per month |
| Snapshots | (snapshot_GB x hours) / 720 x monthly_rate | Per GB per month |
- Compute is charged only while the database is in Running state.
- Storage charges continue as long as the database exists, even when stopped.
- Snapshot charges continue until the snapshot is deleted.
Example Costs
Example 1: Small Development Cluster
Configuration:
- 3 nodes, 30 GB disk per node
- Running 8 hours/day for 30 days = 240 hours
Compute Cost:
240 hours x 3 replicas x hourly_rate = 720 billable hours
Storage Cost:
(30 GB x 3 replicas x 240 hours) / 720 = 30 GB-months
Example 2: Production Cluster (Always On)
Configuration:
- 5 nodes, 100 GB disk per node
- Running 24/7 for 30 days = 720 hours
Compute Cost:
720 hours x 5 replicas x hourly_rate = 3,600 billable hours
Storage Cost:
(100 GB x 5 replicas x 720 hours) / 720 = 500 GB-months
Example 3: With Snapshots
Configuration:
- 3 nodes, 50 GB disk per node, always on
- 1 snapshot of 50 GB, stored for 15 days (360 hours)
Snapshot Cost:
(50 GB x 360 hours) / 720 = 25 GB-months
What Affects Your Bill
| Factor | Impact |
|---|---|
| Node count | More nodes = higher compute and storage cost. |
| Disk size | Larger disks = higher storage cost per node. |
| Uptime | Compute billed only when running. Stop to pause compute charges. |
| Snapshots | Snapshot storage billed by size and duration until deleted. |
| Scaling up | Cannot scale down; new nodes add to cost permanently. |
Cost Optimization Tips
1. Stop When Idle
Stop the database when not in use to pause compute billing. Storage charges continue, but compute is the larger cost component.
2. Right-Size Your Disk
- Start with the minimum disk size you need (10 GB minimum).
- Increase as needed — disk size cannot be decreased once increased.
3. Clean Up Snapshots
Delete old snapshots to avoid ongoing snapshot storage charges.
Example savings:
Deleting a 100 GB snapshot = eliminates ~100 GB-month storage charges
4. Plan Your Node Count
You cannot downscale nodes once added. Start conservatively and scale up only when needed.
Cost Calculator
Use the E2E Cost Calculator to estimate your total infrastructure costs:
Billing Details
How Billing Works
- Hourly Charges: Compute is billed hourly based on the selected plan and node count.
- Monthly Storage: Storage is prorated hourly and presented as a monthly equivalent.
- Automatic Calculation: Charges are automatically calculated and added to your account.
- View Usage: Check current costs in the Billing and Usage section.
Important Billing Notes
Storage charges continue as long as the database exists, even if:
- The database is stopped
- No data is stored
- No clients are connected
To stop all charges: You must delete the database.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Am I charged while the database is stopped? A: Compute billing stops. Storage charges continue for the provisioned disk capacity.
Q: What happens to billing when I scale up nodes? A: Billing immediately adjusts. New nodes are charged from the moment they are provisioned.
Q: What happens to billing when I resize disk? A: Storage billing adjusts to reflect the new capacity across all nodes.
Q: How are snapshots billed? A: Snapshot storage is billed by size and duration. Charges stop when the snapshot is deleted.
Q: Are there any hidden fees? A: No. You are charged for compute (hourly), storage (per GB/month), and snapshots (per GB/month). There are no additional fees for API calls or data transfer within the same region.