Flat Files Pricing Use Cases
Sample Flat Files pricing simulations using calendar UTC day data-type tiers, measured dataset sizes, and monthly committed plans.
Flat Files Pricing Use Cases
These use cases show how Flat Files pricing works under the current model: tiered data-transfer rates per data type, resetting every calendar UTC day.
Each example starts from a measured dataset size, then shows two realistic workloads:
- One-time historical backfill — download the measured volume on one UTC day
- Ongoing daily production — download each new daily file as it becomes available, billed per calendar month
These examples are pricing simulations only. Actual usage may vary depending on dataset, file size, time range, how volume is spread across UTC days, retries, and tool configuration.
Pricing rules used in the examples
- Data type — one billing bucket per data type (for example Order Book, Quotes, Trades, or OHLCV 1MIN). Downloads of the same data type share that day’s tier progress, even across different exchanges or symbols.
- Calendar UTC day — tier thresholds reset every UTC day. They do not reset when you switch exchange or symbol within the same data type on the same day.
- Pay As You Go — usage is billed at $1.00 per Usage Credit.
- Committed plans — billed monthly and renew automatically, but you can cancel before the next renewal. You are not locked into 12 months. For a one-time backfill, you can subscribe for one month, run the download, then cancel so you are not charged again.
| Plan | Monthly fee | Included credits / month |
|---|---|---|
| Pay As You Go | Metered | N/A |
| Committed 64 | $64 | ~75.29 UC |
| Committed 256 | $256 | ~341.33 UC |
| Committed 512 | $512 | ~731.43 UC |
| Committed 1024 | $1,024 | ~1,575.38 UC |
Included credits are approximate (monthly fee ÷ price per Credit). Usage above included credits is billed as Pay As You Go overage at $1.00/Credit.
Why download schedule matters
| Pattern | What happens | Typical cost effect |
|---|---|---|
| One-time backfill | Measured historical volume lands on one UTC day for that data type | Cheaper higher tiers apply quickly |
| Ongoing daily production | New files are downloaded every UTC day | First-tier rates apply again each day, every month |
Example: downloading one Limit Order Book file from BINANCE and one from KRAKEN on the same UTC day advances the same Order Book daily tier. The tier restarts only on the next UTC day.
Daily average sizes used in ongoing scenarios are derived from the measured totals (total size ÷ number of files), not invented volumes.
How committed plans are compared
| Workload | How to read the comparison |
|---|---|
| One-time backfill | Compare Pay As You Go to one billing month of committed usage. If a committed plan is cheaper for that month, you can use it for the backfill and cancel before the next renewal. |
| Ongoing daily production | Compare monthly Pay As You Go usage to monthly committed fees. Annual columns show cost only if you keep the plan for 12 months; cancel earlier and you only pay for the months you used. |
For a general explanation of Usage Credits, committed plans, and overage billing, see the Usage Credits billing guide.