Understanding commitments
A practical guide to predictable, flexible cloud provisioning.
Why commitments?
Digital projects evolve continuously. Provisions shift, environments grow, and spend can be hard to predict. A commitment contract solves this: define a monthly spending baseline, receive a fixed discount, and retain full control over what you provision.
Commitment contracts are available to customers who spend at least $1,000/month.
Key principles
- You are always in control: your spend is determined by what you intentionally set up. Nothing scales automatically unless you configure it to do so. Only a small amount of traffic-based costs can vary, typically less than 5% of your total spend.
- Commitments are not blank cheques: you choose a commitment amount that matches your reality. The goal is to eliminate anxiety, not create it.
Example 1: The stability model
Some organizations prioritize budget stability above all else: consistent invoices, minimal variation, even when provisions occasionally spike.
How it works
- You estimate your expected monthly provisions (e.g., around $10,000).
- You intentionally commit to a higher amount (e.g., $12,000).
- You receive a discount on the committed amount.
- As long as your actual provisioned resources remain below or equal to the committed amount, your invoice remains stable.
- Only if your provisioned resources (including bandwidth) exceed the committed amount will your bill increase.
Because the buffer is deliberate, increased billing happens rarely.
Example 2: the lean commit model
Other organizations prefer spend that tracks closely with what they actually provision. The Lean Commit Model keeps the committed baseline low, preserving flexibility while still delivering a fixed discount.
How it works
- You estimate your expected provisions (e.g., around $18,000).
- You commit to a lower, conservative baseline (e.g., $15,000).
- You receive a discount on the committed amount.
- When provisions exceed the commitment, the excess is billed on top of the commitment at list price.
- When provisions fall below the committed amount, the commitment still applies and the unutilized portion is handled as a true-up.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
What commitment terms are available?
Monthly commitments are the standard structure. You commit to a fixed monthly spend for a term of 12, 24, or 36 months, with invoicing on a monthly cycle. The higher your commitment and the longer your term, the greater the discount available. Annual upfront commitments are not a standard offering. Speak to your Upsun account manager if you have specific requirements.
Can I change my commitment amount during the contract?
Commitments can be adjusted upward during the contract period via a change order. When you increase your commitment, your discount amount increases accordingly while your existing contract terms remain in place. Commitments cannot be reduced during an active contract term.
What happens if my usage falls below my commitment?
You still pay the committed floor. A true-up line item appears on your invoice to cover the difference between your actual usage and your committed amount. Your fixed discount applies regardles.
How do I determine a good monthly provisioning baseline?
There are several ways to approach this:
- Use our sizing guides. For common CMS and eCommerce workloads, reference architectures and cost estimates are available at https://sizing.pltfrm.sh/upsun/
- Start without a commitment. Run your project in pay-as-you-go mode and observe real provisioning patterns. Once it stabilizes, your usage data will give you a clear baseline to commit against.
- Use the pricing calculator. If you know your approximate resource footprint, get an immediate projection at https://upsun.com/pricing/calculator
- Talk with the Upsun team. We're happy to walk through your scenario and provide recommendations based on real deployments.
Most customers combine one or more of these approaches. The goal is confidence, not speed.
I'm just starting development and don't know my commitment level yet. What should I do?
You have two practical options. Start without a commitment and move to pay-as-you-go until your resource profile becomes clear. Or begin with a lower, conservative commitment that covers your minimum expected spend. You can always increase it as your needs grow.
What happens if my costs go out of control?
Unlike some platforms, Upsun never adjusts your resources without your direct input. Resources are flexible but not elastic. Even with auto-scaling, you control how much, how fast, and for how long.
The small variable portion of your bill (bandwidth and request volume, typically less than 5% of total spend) is manageable through real-time visibility, traffic alerts, CDN capabilities, and optional DDoS surge protection. If unexpected activity occurs, our support team can help you understand and stabilize the situation.
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