Learn about Chalk's billing model and how to optimize costs.
Chalk charges for machine uptime of nodes labeled as Chalk Managed. We calculate this by
multiplying:
Regardless of the load placed on a Chalk-managed node, credit usage remains the same. We charge for the node’s uptime, not based on the level of activity within the node. You can run unlimited queries or create multiple branches without incurring extra charges. Billing is based solely on the node’s active hours, not on how many features or branches are used.
To see the full list of credit utilization rates per hour for all machine types, log into Chalk via your terminal and use the Chalk CLI command to view usage rates.
$ chalk login
$ chalk usage ratesThere are two primary ways to optimize your resource configurations for cost optimization.
The branch server can be configured to automatically shut down after a window of inactivity. To set this
window of inactivity, go to Settings > Resources > Branch Server Configurations in the dashboard.
After the specified window of inactivity, the server automatically shuts down, halting costs. If the
branch server is shut down and activity is detected, including branch deployments and queries, then the
branch server will automatically spin back up.
For the other nodes in your cluster, you can configure the resource configurations according to your needs
in the dashboard under Settings > Resources > Resource Configurations. You can select the instance type
for each server that is right for you, and set a scaling policy that ensures that you scale up when traffic
is high, but notably that your nodes scale down when traffic is low.
You are charged per node. Multiple Chalk pods on a single node does not change the amount of the credit utilization.
Chalk only applies charges to nodes labeled “Chalk Managed.” Other workloads on different nodes do not incur Chalk charges. You can also configure your cluster to have isolated nodepools to ensure that unrelated workloads are completely isolated from your Chalk Managed nodes.
No. Because one pod runs all branches, there is no extra cost for having multiple branches.
Yes, if the node is up, you are accumulating costs. You can mitigate this by setting the auto-shutdown period for the branch server for periods of inactivity, as well as by configuring a scaling policy for your other workloads.
Chalk only charges for compute resources (i.e., running nodes). If a staging environment is idle or shut down, it won’t incur costs.
Chalk supports marketplace billing through both AWS and GCP. With this setup, your Chalk usage is billed directly to your cloud infrastructure provider, appearing as a line item on your existing bill and simplifying your payment process.
If you’re interested in enabling marketplace billing, reach out to your Chalk representative. Our finance team will guide you through the required steps and coordinate a private offer. Once finalized, you’ll be able to receive and pay your Chalk charges directly through AWS Marketplace or GCP Marketplace.
Depending on your Chalk agreement, we can accommodate:
The benefits of marketplace billing include: