Pricing
Forte Platforms uses a two-tier billing model: a Base rate for keeping instances warm, and an Active rate when instances are processing requests.
How It Works
Each service runs one or more container instances. You pay for them in two ways:
- Base rate — A fixed monthly cost per instance for keeping it warm and ready to receive requests.
- Active rate — A usage-based hourly cost charged while an instance is actively processing requests, based on your container size.
Your base instances are always running, so you're always billed the base rate for those. When traffic arrives and instances are actively handling requests, you're additionally billed the active compute rate for that time.
Per-Tier Pricing
Base rate is per instance, per month. Active rate is per vCPU, per hour of active processing.
| Container Size | CPU | Memory | Base Rate | Active Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Default | 0.25 vCPU | 0.5 GB | $10.04/mo | $0.05/hr |
| Medium | 0.5 vCPU | 1 GB | $20.08/mo | $0.10/hr |
| Large | 1 vCPU | 2 GB | $40.15/mo | $0.20/hr |
| Extra Large | 2 vCPU | 4 GB | $80.30/mo | $0.40/hr |
Base Instances
You can configure between 1 and 10 base instances per service. Base instances are the minimum number of containers that are always running and ready to handle requests.
- 1 base instance (default) — Suitable for low-traffic services or development workloads.
- 2–10 base instances — Ensures multiple containers are always warm, reducing cold starts for higher traffic.
Configuring more than 1 base instance or selecting a non-default container size requires a verified billing method.
Example Calculations
Default configuration (1 base instance, 0.25 vCPU)
- Base cost: 1 instance × $10.04/mo = $10.04/mo
- Active cost: $0.05/hr of active processing time (depends on traffic volume)
High-availability setup (3 base instances, 1 vCPU)
- Base cost: 3 instances × $40.15/mo = $120.45/mo
- Active cost: $0.20/hr of active processing time (depends on traffic volume)
Billing Setup
To use non-default configurations, you need to set up a billing method:
- Go to your service's create or edit page
- Select a non-default container size or increase base instances
- You'll be redirected to Stripe to add a payment method
- Once verified, non-default configurations become available
Free Tier
New accounts receive a $20.00 welcome credit applied automatically. This covers the default configuration (1 base instance, 0.25 vCPU) for just under two months of base compute.
Next Steps
- Deploying Services — Learn how to deploy your first service