Billing
Galaxy billing is straightforward. Apps are charged by the minute, databases run on monthly plans, and you never pay for seats, deployments, or data transfer. Just transparent pricing for what you actually use.
Galaxy billing breaks down into two categories: apps and databases. Each works differently, so let's cover them separately.
Billing happens monthly, calculated from the beginning to the end of each calendar month. Invoices are emailed to your account email, and you can download them anytime.
App Billing (Pay Per Minute)
Think of Galaxy containers like renting a server. You spin one up, and we charge you for every minute it's running. Stop the container or delete your app, and the charges stop. Simple as that.
Your app costs depend on three things:
App type
Meteor, Node.js, Python, or AdonisJS
Plan selected
Free, Essentials, Professional, Sandbox, or Production (varies by runtime)
Container size
From 256MB up to 12GB
Everything is billed by the minute, pro-rated to the second. No surprises. If you stop or delete an app mid-month, you only pay for the time it was actually running.
For detailed pricing per runtime, check the specific billing pages: Meteor Apps, Web Apps.
Database Billing (Monthly Plans)
Databases work differently. Instead of per-minute charges, you pick a monthly plan based on the resources you need (RAM, CPU, storage). The price is fixed for as long as you're on that plan.
Galaxy offers managed databases for three engines:
MongoDB: Available as standalone or replica set.
PostgreSQL: Relational database with flexible sizing.
Redis: In-memory caching and data structures.
Need to scale? Upgrade your plan anytime and the new price takes effect immediately. For the full pricing breakdown, check Database Billing.
Free MongoDB for Meteor
Every Meteor app on the Free Plan includes a shared MongoDB cluster at no extra cost. Perfect for testing and prototyping.
What You Don't Pay For
Good news. These things never affect your bill:
Team seats
Add as many team members as you need. No per-seat charges, ever
Connected users or API calls
Scale freely without per-unit charges
Deployments or Git pushes
Deploy as often as you need
Data transfer
Between your app and database is free
Payment Methods
Galaxy accepts Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover credit cards. Change your payment method anytime in your account settings.
Stopping or Reducing Charges
Want to lower your bill? Here are your options:
Failed Payments and Account Suspension
We'll email you if a payment fails. This usually happens because:
- Your card has expired or been reported as compromised
- Your bank blocked the charge (some banks require pre-approval for cloud charges)
- Payment info in your account is outdated
If charges go unpaid, your account will be suspended. While suspended, you can't deploy, start, or run containers. Once payment is made, full access restores immediately.
Stay on top of it: Keep your email address current and your payment method active. Check for payment notifications regularly.
Estimating Your Costs
Here's a quick way to ballpark your monthly bill:
For apps:
- Pick your container size from the pricing tables
- Calculate monthly hours (most apps run 24/7, so 30 days = 720 hours)
- Multiply the hourly rate by the number of hours
- Running multiple containers? Multiply by the container count
For databases:
Database costs are simpler. Just pick the plan that fits your needs. The monthly price is what you pay.
Quick example: Say you're running a Standard Meteor.js container on the Essentials plan 24/7 and pairing it with a Starter MongoDB standalone plan. That's roughly $58/mo for the container plus $12/mo for the database, around $70/mo before tax.
Check the Latest Prices
The numbers above are just an example to show how costs add up. For current pricing, check the billing pages for Meteor Apps, Web Apps, and Databases.
Common Questions
Questions?
Still unsure about pricing or which plan fits your needs? Reach out to our team or use the live chat in your Galaxy dashboard. We're here to help.