At Appwrite, we're always working to make our serverless platform better for developers like you. Our latest update to Appwrite Functions brings some exciting improvements, especially when it comes to customizing CPU and memory settings for your runtimes. This means better performance, more flexibility, and the chance to explore new and innovative use cases. We've also updated our pricing model to keep things sustainable and fair for everyone. Keep reading to learn more about these updates and how they can benefit your projects.
Starting today, Appwrite developers have the ability to customize runtime specifications, allowing for tailored performance and resource allocation. Previously, all functions operated with a standard configuration of 0.5 CPU and 512MB memory. Now, Pro and Scale users can select from a range of configurations to suit their application needs better:
0.5 CPU & 512MB RAM
1 CPU & 512MB RAM
1 CPU & 1GB RAM
1 CPU & 2GB RAM
2 CPU & 4GB RAM
4 CPU & 4GB RAM
These options enable greater performance and flexibility, allowing developers to optimize their functions based on specific requirements. For instance, resource-intensive tasks such as real-time data processing or complex computational operations can now be executed more efficiently. Additionally, enhanced memory configurations support larger datasets and more demanding applications, broadening the scope of what can be achieved with Appwrite Functions.
Pricing
Effective March 1st, Appwrite is introducing changes to our pricing structure to accommodate the enhanced compute capabilities and ensure sustainable platform growth. Central to this update is the GB-hours metric, which measures usage based on the compute resources consumed over time.
Understanding GB-hours
GB-hours is calculated by multiplying the build and execution time of your functions by the amount of CPU and memory they utilize. For example:
Example: If you run a function with 1 CPU and 1024MB memory for 2 hours, the GB-hours consumed would be:
GB-hours = CPU cores × Memory (GB) × Time (hours) = 1 × 1 × 2 = 2 GB-hours
Allocation and pricing plans
Free plan users will have up to 100GB of execution and build time per month.
Pro, and Scale users will have up to 1,000GB of execution and build time per month. Additional usage is available at a rate of $0.09 per GB-hour.
Once the monthly GB-hours limit is reached, additional usage will automatically apply add-ons to your Pro or Scale account. To prevent unexpected charges, we strongly recommend setting a budget cap. The budget cap is designed to safeguard your organization by pausing services once the budget is reached for additional usage, allowing you to adjust your usage or modify your budget as needed.
If you or your organization expect to use these new features extensively, you can contact our sales team to learn more about the custom offerings available for our enterprise customers.
Ensuring sustainability
Introducing the GB-hours metric is an important step in maintaining a sustainable and fair platform for all users. By accurately tracking resource consumption, we can better manage extensive usage and ensure that our infrastructure remains robust and reliable. This approach allows us to effectively support both small-scale projects and large enterprises, fostering a balanced ecosystem.
Future possibilities
Looking ahead, the customization of runtime specifications paves the way for even more advanced features. One exciting prospect is the potential to support heavy compute runtimes that were previously only feasible through self-hosting, such as Swift and Java runtimes. This expansion will provide Appwrite developers greater versatility in choosing the best tools and languages for their applications, meeting developers where they need and feel most comfortable.
