Visual Builder integrations are now priced at a flat $400 per month per integration (see the Visual Builder User Guide). Some integrations created before flat pricing was introduced are still billed by usage, in Power Blocks. This page explains how that usage-based pricing works. New integrations can't be created on usage-based pricing.
Moving to Flat Pricing
Existing usage-based integrations keep working as they are until Chain.io moves them to flat pricing, and your account team will contact you before that happens. Usage for the month of the move isn't billed at all: no Power Blocks and no integration fee, including the days before the move. The $400 monthly charge starts on the 1st of the following month. After the move, the integration needs its own Visual Builder license; if it is still unlicensed 7 days after the move, its flows are disabled. Your flows, their configuration and their history don't change, but every flow needs to have five or fewer senders before the integration can be moved.
Understanding Power Blocks
Power Blocks are how usage-based Visual Builder integrations are measured and billed. Each time a flow runs, it consumes Power Blocks based on which components execute. You can see how many Power Blocks are consumed by a component in the add step page as well as at the top of the configuration pane when you have a step selected.
When a flow completes (in any status other than technical error), we add up the Power Blocks consumed by each component that ran. Every flow execution has a minimum charge of 1 Power Block, even if all the components in your flow cost 0 blocks.
Component Costs
Most components are free to run. You only pay for components that deliver high-value actions like sending data to external systems or running complex transformations.
| Power Blocks | Component Types |
|---|---|
| 0 blocks | Most input converters, output converters, mappings, custom processors, triggers, and logic blocks |
| 1 block | All senders (except AS2), Commercial Invoice adapters, Purchase Order adapters, Data Store Writer, Field Change Notifier, most private adapters |
| 2 blocks | AS2 Sender, CargoWise XUT Accounting Batch, CargoWise AI Checks, Document Packet, Shipment AI Checks |
Premium Execution Mode
Premium executions add 1 extra Power Block to the execution cost.
Pricing and Plans
Usage-based billing has two components: a per-integration fee and Power Block consumption.
Each integration with at least one Visual Builder flow execution in a month incurs a $100 integration fee. Power Blocks are then charged based on your selected plan.
Power Block Plans
Plans give you a monthly allocation of Power Blocks at a discounted rate. You select your plan at the workspace level, so you don't need to worry about allocating blocks across integrations—they draw from a shared pool.
| Plan | Monthly Power Blocks | Monthly Price | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| I-10 | 10,000 | $300 | Small or occasional workflows |
| I-20 | 20,000 | $600 | Steady automation needs |
| I-50 | 50,000 | $1,500 | Growing teams with multiple workflows |
| I-100 | 100,000 | $3,000 | High-volume operations |
| I-250 | 250,000 | $7,500 | Large-scale automations |
| I-500 | 500,000 | $15,000 | Enterprise throughput |
| I-1000 | 1,000,000 | $30,000 | Global, mission-critical environments |
You can change your plan at any time during the month. At month end, you're billed for the plan you have selected at that time, plus any overage.
Overage and No-Plan Pricing
If you exceed your plan's allocation, additional Power Blocks are billed at $0.04 each. If you don't select a plan, Power Blocks are billed at $0.10 each.
For questions about your plan or moving to flat pricing, contact your Chain.io account team.
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