You can also check this article summing up best practices for SDK and OTA usage.
We are enhancing our measurement of OTA usage, transitioning from monthly active users (MAU) to gigabytes (GB) as the basis for quota allocation. This change means that your quota will depend on the amount of data used rather than the number of active users, allowing unlimited addition of app users.
This update aims to provide a clearer understanding of the value obtained from OTA updates and to facilitate better control over data usage. By minimizing the size of translation files and limiting the number of releases, you can efficiently manage data consumption as your business and user base expand.
Included in this document are responses to some common questions regarding these changes.
Can you remind me what OTA is?
OTA stands for over-the-air. Our OTA service allows customers to update the translations of their mobile apps without needing to submit a new version to be approved by either Apple or Google in their corresponding app stores.
This significantly cuts down the amount of time and manual work involved, and only requires the initial installation of a Software Development Kit (SDK) in the mobile app.
Can you explain the purpose of and the principle behind this new pricing?
Data-based tracking is more just and fair for everyone because billing will only be impacted by real value. If you benefit more from OTA, such as pushing more updates, you’ll use more data and you’ll have higher fees. However, if you optimize your usage, e.g., by optimizing your bundle size, you can reduce those fees.
The new pricing is based on data usage, expressed in GigaBytes per month (GB/month).
The three factors that impact data usage are users, bundle size, and number of bundle releases. These are required for a more precise estimate of the customer's data usage.
So, in a nutshell:
Data usage (GB) = No. of users * Bundle size (in GB) * No. of monthly bundle releases
Example: 100,000 MAU x 0.0003 GB (300 KB) x 4 monthly releases = 120 GB
Will I, as an existing customer, have to pay more?
The short answer is “No”. We’re working to convert current MAU allowances to GB/month in such a way that our current customers will pay the same in the new measurement model.
The long answer is that we're creating a 90-day transition period in which no customer that enrolled in a paid plan before the migration will be charged extra for OTA. You will pay what you are currently paying, regardless of usage. During these 90 days, everything stays the same for you, in terms of billing.
After the 90 days:
If you are within a longer billing cycle (long-term contract or yearly payment), nothing changes until your billing cycle expires. After that, the new model will apply
Otherwise, your monthly GB usage will start influencing your OTA-related billing
How about new customers?
Customers that subscribe to a paid plan after migration to the new model will be governed by the new model right from the start.
Will I be blocked when I exceed the limits?
No, you'll be allowed to go over the limit.
If any usage fees are due, the Lokalise team will reach out to you.
Do I need to do anything to migrate to the new version of OTA?
You don’t need to do anything on your side, besides being mindful that the new tracking will be done in Gigabytes (GB), not MAU.
How much do I need to pay if I overuse OTA data from my limit?
Reach out to support or your Customer Success Manager to get more details about OTA extra data pricing.
How many gigabytes can I use every month?
It depends on your current subscription plan (annual commitment):
Product name | Current MAU limits | New GB/month limits | Price |
Trial | n/a (same as on Enterprise) | 1 GB | n/a |
Start | 50,000 | 10 GB | $120/month |
Essential | 200,000 | 50 GB | $230/month |
Pro | 1,000,000 | 200 GB | $825/month |
Enterprise | Custom | Custom | Custom |
Please reach out to support or your Customer Success Manager if your needs exceed your plan's GB/month limit.