CARTO values unique users and the distinct uses of our platform, Builder and Engine. As a whole, our product is comprised of Builder—a web interface to interact with data, perform analysis, create maps, and share them internally within organizations or the world—and CARTO Engine APIs, which provide the spatial infrastructure to power embeddable location applications. The special usage of Builder and Engine caught our attention. We noticed that our users were making use of the product, not so much as a complete package but, in a more interesting way.
Although some use cases involved the entire CARTO platform, more often than not, CARTO was being utilized either for Builder or Engine, respectively. Having a single pricing plan for both Builder and Engine simply seemed too narrow. We took a look at our pricing plans and came up with a solution that would provide the best fit and value for users. After examining how users make use of different aspects of the CARTO platform, we’ve determined that Builder, Engine, and Location Data Services quotas are three different products of CARTO.
Builder plans
Users that want to use CARTO Builder for individual reasons can now subscribe to our Personal plan. The option to purchase Builder for collaborative use within an organization is still available with our Enterprise plans. However, subscribers can now determine how many users ( Builders ) within an organization need access to create maps and interact with data, as well as how many users ( Viewers ) can consume Builder location apps privately.
Engine plans
Our primary CARTO Engine users are developers that create custom applications for internal use. These developers interact with our APIs and use Builder, occasionally, to prototype maps. We augmented our price for Engine based on the number of developers that will program on Engine or the number of API Keys needed. We also know that resources are important, like the amount of cache data, CPU availability, or requests per second. We expect to speak with customers, case-by-case, related to resources, especially if a project is focused on commercialization.
Location Data Services quotas
A common need of both Builder and Engine are Location Data Services. LDS includes: geocoding, routing, isolines, data augmentation, and other services used when analyzing or building applications. CARTO is adding more definition to our LDS terms by providing specific quotas for each service. With each plan a certain amount of each of these services can be consumed while using CARTO. For a larger quota, we are always available to provide more upon request.
What does all this mean for my current subscription?
CARTO has put in a lot of work to ensure that current customers retain the same service as before. Additionally, users will get a rise in quotas and capacities, while functionalities only increase. We are that cool.
CARTO has a great community of non-profits, scientists, Ambassadors, students, journalists, and many non-traditional “Enterprise” users on our platform. We’ve set up a custom plan to ensure affordable access to our products. We are always happy to support and engage this special CARTO community.
Contact us with your questions!
Our new plans are a step forward in the way we describe our product and how we charge for its value. With these changes we hope to amplify the specificity of user needs and the individuality of our product. If you have any concerns or issues we’d love to hear from you to help with a solution.