> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.wherobots.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Managing Costs

> Practical strategies for controlling spend on Wherobots, especially during initial testing and evaluation.

Use this guide to understand what drives your Wherobots bill and how to keep costs low — particularly when you're getting started, testing queries, or evaluating the platform.

## How Wherobots billing works

Wherobots charges based on **Spatial Units (SUs) consumed over time**.

The main factors in Spatial Unit consumption are:

1. **Runtime size** — Larger runtimes consume more Spatial Units per hour.
2. **Runtime duration** — The longer a runtime stays active, the more you pay.
3. **Runtime region** — Some regions have different Spatial Unit rates.

Billing starts when a runtime is fully provisioned (shown as **Status: Running** with a green dot 🟢 icon in the UI) and stops when the runtime is destroyed.

Charges are prorated to the exact minute — if you use a runtime for 13.4 minutes, you pay for 13.4 minutes.

<Tip>
  **Key takeaway**

  **Smaller runtime + shorter session = lower bill.** You have direct control over both.

  Choose your runtime size intentionally and always destroy notebooks when you're done.
</Tip>

For more details on Spatial Units and how runtimes are priced, see [How is runtime usage measured?](/develop/runtimes/#how-is-runtime-usage-measured).

<Note>
  If you use the [Wherobots VS Code Extension](/develop/agentic-tools) with GitHub Copilot, AI-assisted features like notebook generation and MCP server queries may count toward your GitHub Copilot usage. Check your [GitHub Copilot subscription](https://github.com/features/copilot) for any usage limits or metering that may apply.
</Note>

## Cost management strategies

The following strategies will help you manage costs, especially during the early stages of exploration and development.

### Start with a Tiny or Micro runtime

When you're exploring Wherobots for the first time — writing queries, testing workflows, or confirming that your logic is correct — use the smallest runtime available:

| Runtime   | Max Spatial Units / hr | Best for                                       |
| :-------- | :--------------------: | :--------------------------------------------- |
| **Micro** |            1           | Lightweight exploration, simple queries        |
| **Tiny**  |            5           | Initial development, testing, query validation |

These runtimes are sufficient for developing and validating queries against sample data or smaller datasets. **Only scale up** to a larger runtime (Small, Medium, etc.) once you've confirmed that your query logic is correct and you need faster execution on larger datasets.

<Note>
  Community Edition Organizations are limited to the Tiny and Micro runtimes. Professional and Enterprise Editions have access to the full range of runtime sizes.
</Note>

### Destroy notebooks when you're done

**A running notebook consumes Spatial Units even if you're not actively using it.** This is the most common source of unexpected charges.

To avoid surprises, always destroy notebooks when you're done with them:

1. Go to [Wherobots Cloud](https://cloud.wherobots.com/).
2. Scroll to the **Notebooks** section.
3. Click **Destroy** on any active notebook instances you no longer need.

<Warning>
  **Idle notebooks still cost money**

  While Wherobots has an idle timeout (defaulting to 45 minutes), you are still charged for minimum resources while the notebook is idle. **Always destroy notebooks you're not using** to fully stop billing.
</Warning>

### Use idle timeout as a safety net, not a strategy

Wherobots lets you configure an idle timeout (15, 45, or 120 minutes) that reduces resource consumption when a notebook sits unused. However:

* Idle timeout **does not destroy** the notebook — it reduces but does not eliminate charges.
* Treat idle timeout as a **safety net** for those times when you forget to clean up, not as your primary cost-control measure.

### Monitor your usage

Use the [**Workload History**](https://cloud.wherobots.com/workloads) dashboard to track resource consumption across your Organization:

<Frame caption="**Workload History** table view">
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/wherobots/UOKw48hYhb4_MiDx/images/get-started/org-images/workload-history-table.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=UOKw48hYhb4_MiDx&q=85&s=211685518f838e75fb05601d0610590a" alt="Workload History table view" width="2450" height="178" data-path="images/get-started/org-images/workload-history-table.png" />
</Frame>

From here you can:

* Identify the amount of Spatial Units consumed by each Job, SQL Session, or Notebook.
* Filter Jobs, SQL Sessions, or Notebooks by **Owner**, **Region**, and **Type**.
* Toggle among different time ranges (last 24 hours, last 7 days, last 30 days).
* Filter by name or ID to find specific workloads.
* Identify usage spikes and long-running sessions.

For more information, see [Workload History](/develop/workload-history).

#### Monitor your Job Run history

Within the [**Workload History**](https://cloud.wherobots.com/workloads) dashboard, each Job Run includes a detailed view of its resource consumption:

<Frame caption="Job Run consumption metrics">
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/wherobots/UOKw48hYhb4_MiDx/images/get-started/org-images/consumption-metrics.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=UOKw48hYhb4_MiDx&q=85&s=61f75c7da9863a02a075176dfc50fe6d" alt="Consumption metrics" width="2612" height="392" data-path="images/get-started/org-images/consumption-metrics.png" />
</Frame>

For more information see, [Manage Job Runs](/develop/workload-history#manage-job-runs).

### Scale up only when needed

Follow this progression as you move from testing to production:

```
Micro / Tiny → Small → Medium → Large → X-Large
```

| Phase                        | Recommended runtime | Why                                            |
| :--------------------------- | :-----------------: | :--------------------------------------------- |
| Exploring the platform       |    Micro or Tiny    | Lowest cost while you learn                    |
| Developing & testing queries |         Tiny        | Enough power for iterative development         |
| Running on full datasets     |   Small or Medium   | Balance of cost and performance                |
| Production workloads         |  Size to your needs | Match runtime size to your SLA and data volume |

<Tip>
  If a Tiny runtime isn't delivering results fast enough, move up **one size at a time** rather than jumping to a large runtime.
</Tip>

## Quick-reference checklist

Use this checklist to keep costs under control:

* [x] **Start small** — Use Micro or Tiny runtimes during initial testing.
* [x] **Validate first** — Confirm your query logic on a small runtime before scaling up.
* [x] **Destroy when done** — Destroy notebook instances as soon as you're finished.
* [x] **Review usage** — Check the [Workload History](https://cloud.wherobots.com/workloads) dashboard regularly.
* [x] **Scale intentionally** — Only increase runtime size when you have a clear performance need.

<Callout icon="broom" color="#FFC107">
  **Don't forget to clean up**: Leaving a runtime idle **will incur costs** — even if you stop working after 15 minutes.

  To avoid unexpected charges, always destroy notebooks when you're done.
</Callout>

## Related resources

* [Runtimes](/develop/runtimes) — Frequently asked questions about runtime sizes, Spatial Unit rates, and specifications.
* [View Your Bill](/get-started/organization-management/billing) — How to access billing statements.
* [Monitor Workload Usage](/develop/workload-history) — Track resource consumption.
* [Wherobots Pricing](https://wherobots.com/pricing) — Full plan comparison.