Cloudinary offers tremendous capabilities for managing your online media, starting with our free-to-use plans. Our paid plans include greatly increased usage quotas, and detailed below is an explanation of what the different quotas mean and how your account's usage is calculated.
Overview
- Transformations - Transformations are counted for newly processed assets including original asset uploads and the creation of derived versions of images and videos. Repeated requests to deliver the same derived / transformed asset do not count towards your transformations usage multiple times, because we store the result of the transformation in your account's storage and deliver that on subsequent requests.
- Managed Storage - The accumulated file size of all of assets in your Cloudinary account's storage, including derived versions created using transformation options, and backup copies of assets if you use the backup functionality and store your backups in Cloudinary's storage (more information).
- Net Viewing Bandwidth - Total calculated bandwidth of content delivered from your account within the last 30 days.
- Total Images & Videos (this limit applies to some older plans) - Represents the total number of resources maintained by Cloudinary at a given moment. This includes both original resources and their derivatives (e.g. thumbnails).
On our credits plans, the combined usage of your account is expressed as a number of "credits" calculated based on your usage of transformations, storage, and bandwidth. Your account's usage in credits is compared to your account's quota, unlike our older plans which had separate limits for different types of usage.
Also note that monthly quotas (i.e. Transformations and Bandwidth) are being counted within a last-30-days rolling window, therefore it never actually reset but updates every day.
Additional Q&A
Q: How are uploads counted toward my quota?
A: Every uploaded file increases your Total Images & Videos, Storage, and Monthly Transformations. Bandwidth is not counted for uploads or for bandwidth used by Cloudinary to copy an asset from a remote storage service or server. Transformations will not be counted for uploads of `Raw` resource-type uploads.
Q: How does enabling backup affect my Storage?
A: When a backup is enabled on your settings page, every resource (Originals only) is backed-up and counts toward your Storage Utilization. If you choose to backup to your own AWS S3 or Google Cloud Storage bucket, your Storage usage will not increase.
Q: For images, will complex transformations be counted as multiple Transformations?
A: A transformation, no matter how complex it is (even when using multiple chained transformations), is counted as a single transformed resource.
Q: How do videos, animated files, and files containing multiple pages count towards my Transformations quota?
A: Such files, when transformed, are counted based on the dimensions and number of frames:
- Animated images (e.g. GIF)- 1 transformation, plus an additional transformation for every 10 frames.
- Animated images to video - Every 5 frames = 1 transformation.
- Multi-page PDF assets - 1 transformation plus an additional transformation for every 10 pages.
- SD Video - 1 second = 2 transformations
- HD Video - 1 second = 4 transformations (Frame contains over 921,600 of total pixels, e.g., 1920 x 1080)
- Audio - 1 second = 0.1 transformations
Note that when uploading an image or video asset, 1 Transformation is automatically counted for the creation and processing of the original file.
Q: How do "Fetch"-ed resources count toward my quotas?
A: When using our Remote Image Fetch URL feature, the fetched image will be stored in your Cloudinary account and counted towards your Storage and Total Images. If the fetched image was also transformed within the URL, a Transformation will be counted for the creation of the derived copy of the image. Fetched images are not backed-up, so you if you use Cloudinary's backup feature, your Storage will not be additionally affected by fetched images.
Q: What is "Net Viewing Bandwidth" and how is bandwidth calculated?
A: For every viewed/downloaded asset, we count the data used to deliver the requested copy of the asset. When you use transformation options to reduce the file size of a delivered asset, your bandwidth count is based on the size of the actual copy delivered, not the size of the original asset. We do not count "Midgress" bandwidth, charge extra per request, for traffic in different geographical regions, for HTTPS requests or for traffic to origin. There is also no additional cost for CDN invalidations, if requested when you delete or overwrite an asset.
Q: When do my Transformation & Bandwidth quotas reset to zero?
A: Your Transformations and Bandwidth usage is based on the last 30-days of activity in your account and does not reset to '0' on a fixed period like a calendar or billing month. Your 'current' usage goes up and down based on the recent activity in your account, and should remain within your account's quota.
Q: How are default image placeholders counted towards my usage?
A: Placeholder resources contain derived versions of the default image which were previously generated. These images count against your account's number of assets and storage calculations. Also for every unique transformation, a Transformation is consumed when the derived asset is created.
Q: How does using the automatic format transformation f_auto affect my usage?
A: Transformations are counted for each derived image created. Using the automatic format transformation can create multiple derived assets for a single delivery URL because f_auto will deliver assets in different file formats based on the formats supported by the browser making the request.
Q: How does using add-ons work?
A: Each add-on offered by Cloudinary has its own quota as well. When using a transformation or making a request that uses an add-on, the usage counts towards the standard quotas as mentioned above but is also counted towards the add-on's specific quota.
Q: What other processes could be counted towards the "transformations" quota?
A: Other than uploads and derived resources generations, using the explicit API to perform processes like extracting image metadata, colors, pHash, and others are also counted towards the "transformations" quota. There's a more specific guide available in our Transformation Counts documentation.
Comments
28 comments
A couple of additional questions regarding...
"Monthly Transformations - Number of all newly processed assets including original uploads and derivatives."
My account is showing 2176 image resources and 949 derived images. The number of transformations is 6281 though. No image has been deleted from this account ever. How do these numbers relate to each other? What do the transformations count other than the derived images? If the same transformation is requested twice for the same original image, does this count as 2 transformations?
A unique transformation will be counted only once, regardless the number of visits it gets. However, there are several factors that can affect your Transformations count.
For example re-uploading (overwriting) the same resource again and again may result with an unexpected Transformation usage.
More information here: http://support.cloudinary.com/hc/en-us/articles/206465709-My-account-s-usage-reports-show-a-relatively-high-Transformations-rate
Hello Nadav.... I have a question.....
I didn´t make transformation on Cloudinary, but I did on the url´s....
for example, I just upload an image (High Res) but then, I just access to the image with .../q_60,w_700,f,auto/.....
So,How many transformation coludinary counts with this method?
A "Transformation" credit is counted for every newly processed image.
The mentioned transformation ( .../q_60,w_700,f,auto/..... ) will cost up to 4 times for every original image it's applied to, since 4 different formats can result out of it (WEBP, AWEBP, JPEG-XR & fallback).
How to increase total Images & Videos quotas ?
You could increase the "total images & video" quota, together with the bandwidth and storage quotas, by following us on twitter, liking us on Facebook, and spreading the word about Cloudinary!
You can read more about that here:
https://cloudinary.com/console/share
Hi!
How the bandwidth used to view/download an image of, for example 1MB size, is calculated?
We need to obtain an average in order to estimate the necessary plan.
Thanks!
I'm not sure I follow the `f_auto` answer.
If I have `https://cloudinary.com/image/upload/f_auto/image.png`
does the `f_auto` parameter = 1 transformation the first time the image is requested that month?
@David Baldie
f_autotells Cloudinary to generate a different image format depending on the end-user's browser. There could be total of 4 transformations (using your example above) - PNG, JPEG-XR, and two variants of WebP. The transformations are counted on request and not all at once. For instance, if throughout the lifetime of the resource on your account, only Chrome and Firefox users accessed the PNG image url (`http://res.cloudinary.com/cloud_name/image/upload/f_auto/image.png`). Then only two transformations would be counted.My account has entered into a new billing cycle and paid for this cycle. Yet my account showing bandwidth used 70% from last cycle and counting forward everyday. What will happen when this bandwidth quota reach to 100%? Shouldn't I get a full 100% quota in the new billing cycle? Or is this like the unused bandwidth is carried forward to the new cycle? I am confused.
The bandwidth quota never fully resets. It always monitors the bandwidth usage within the last 30 days timeframe and alerts if it exceeds the plan's limit
@Raya Straus, you monitor the bandwidth usage within the last 30 days and we know nothing what is happening behind the door! Is this fair? If we subscribers cannot see the remaining balance of my bandwidth how can we manage our websites? You only alert when all bandwidth is exhausted and then we are in risk of shutting down of our website. Why you prefer to keep us (the customers) blind in this regard?
According to my admin panel, our website has consumed 72% of allotted bandwidth (actually 2% from new billing cycle and the rest 70% from previous month's cycle). Why have I to carry the 70% from last month? Say, within next couple of days my bandwidth quota reaches 100%, then what will happen? Have I to purchase a new plan though I have used only 30% bandwidth in current billing cycle?
Hi guys, I'm testing on my machine and uploading about 20 1MB images. Was shocked to see that I've already used 2.92 GB in bandwidth -- how is this possible? Please explain! We're trying to get my company to sign up but if they see that we've already used up the free quota, they may feel that it doesn't make sense.
@savraj
We are speaking on an internal ticket, so we will continue the correspondence there.
Related to @savraj, how to explain that? I am on same situation. Some dozens of imagens, and tons of bandwidth. I am using free version for testing.
Hi Pedro,
To give a general answer, the most likely reason for unexpectedly large bandwidth usage is if there are many requests for each asset, and if the image URLs on your site are for the original images, rather than for versions of the images which have been optimized in size, quality, and format to match wherein your application you're using them.
If you can please contact us with the details of your account and how you're using the images, we can check the logs and reports for your account and help you to understand the requests and how to optimize them
Thanks,
Stephen
Hi Guys,
We started to use cloudinary plus plan and each month we are exceeding the allocated credits mostly contributed by the Transformations. We deal with Video uploads and asked our developer to optimize but no vain. Tried to calculate and ended up like for 80 videos uploaded the count of Transformations are around 24,000 (roughly about 300 Transformation per video) looks this is too much.
Can you guys please suggest a better way to minimize the transformations else we cannot survive this huge bills.
Hi Patricia,
Please send us a support ticket and we'll help you to check your account:
http://support.cloudinary.com/tickets/new
Hi,
If I embed a Cloudinary-hosted video in my web app will the bandwidth flat fee be applied in full for every initial request even if only part of the video is streamed?
Hi Grant,
We count the actual bandwidth used to delivery the asset to users, so if a user's browser requests just the first part of the file so that a preview can be shown, that's all we count towards your usage. (And that's very common; I think all modern web browsers grab a few KB first, and don't request the rest of the file until the video starts playing)
If the entire video is indeed delivered, we count the full size of whichever derived version of the video was delivered (which if you're using our transformation options to adjust the format, quality size, should be much smaller than the original file)
Hello,
number of api call is unlimited, correct?
In other words, if the api call does not do any transformation, the price will simply depends on the storage used. Is this correct?
Thank you.
Hey @d08922008,
With regard to API call limitations, all upload API calls are not rate-limited, while Admin API calls do have a rate limit per hour.
To answer your main question, if you do not apply any transformations, you will still be charged a single transformation per upload request for handling the upload processing call. Other API calls that do not include any transformation generation nor new uploads will inflict no transformation charges.
Any uploaded asset will indeed reflect in your storage utilization. In addition, the bandwidth counter will sum all bytes downloaded via requests made to any of your assets stored on your cloud.
Hell Raz,
thank you for the reply. Just to be more specific.
Let's say we have a website. When the user enter our website, our home page will access the image store on cloudiary server through url and show them without any transformation. For example: our html page include this tag
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dudbt4cof/image/upload/v1634630896/sample.jpg" />
Is this a kind of API call?
I guess it didn't cost money, correct?
Thank you. Looking forward to use Cloudiary.
Hey again @d08922008 :)
No worries, these kinds of requests will not incur additional transformation charges since the original asset is already uploaded and stored on your cloud and you indeed do not request a new transformation to be generated.
Hello,
How is Managed Storage calculated when some files have been deleted?
E.g.: For the first 15 days, I had 10GB of assets in my account, and only 1GB for the last 15 days. What will be the final size of Managed Storage that I'll be billed for?
Thanks :)
Hi Amey,
All of our plans are calculated by examining the current storage usage and the last 30 days of transformations and bandwidth usage and comparing that to your quota. So whatever your storage is at the end of the billing cycle you will be charged for that.
The managed storage is calculated as the image count, which is the total number of images and derived images. All images and derived images are stored persistently in the cloud for fast delivery and further processing, therefore, the storage space includes all images and transformed images. As each image can have a number of versions to it, the number of images does not translate directly to the amount of storage. We count all used storage, including the generated transformations.
Hi there,
I am trying to understand if a transformation gets counted once when it happens and is then stored and can be used again without a transform 'cost'.
Scenario:
So I upload 1 jpeg (1 transformation) and then make 4 different size jpegs (4 transformations) as well as keeping the original. Every one of the 4 copies is transformed into 4 extra image types immediately (16 more transformations)
So I have done 21 transformations in total as shown again below:
01 - Transformation for Image Upload.
04 - Transformations for making different sized copies
16 - Transformations for creating 4 new versions of the original copy
So I now have 20 (+1) images that can be served at the right size and the right type.
Question:
Are these Transformations stored now and the original image does not need to be Transformed again?
You will subsequently store and use these 20 transformed images in the future.
Hence I am only 'charged' once against my quota at the time the 20 transformations are made.
Or not? And the transformation quota is used every time the original image is called.
Thank you and looking forward to your reply :)
Hi Bud.
You've nailed it. Transformations are done on a one-time basis, and as long as the transformed assets aren't deleted at any point, you won't need to regenerate them.
If you any reason you do need to delete the derived/transformed assets, you can use the Admin API, and at this point you would consume transformation credits again. This article gives a couple of examples of how to delete derived assets, and full details are in our docs.
I hope this helps. Please feel free to reply here or create a ticket via our Support Center if you need any further assistance.
Thanks,
-Danny
Developer Support Engineer
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