ClickPipes billing
ClickPipes for streaming and object storage
This section outlines the pricing model of ClickPipes for streaming and object storage.
What does the ClickPipes pricing structure look like?
It consists of two dimensions:
- Compute: Price per unit per hour. Compute represents the cost of running the ClickPipes replica pods whether they actively ingest data or not. It applies to all ClickPipes types.
- Ingested data: Price per GB. The ingested data rate applies to all streaming ClickPipes (Kafka, Confluent, Amazon MSK, Amazon Kinesis, Redpanda, WarpStream, Azure Event Hubs) for the data transferred via the replica pods. The ingested data size (GB) is charged based on bytes received from the source (uncompressed or compressed).
What are ClickPipes replicas?
ClickPipes ingests data from remote data sources via a dedicated infrastructure that runs and scales independently of the ClickHouse Cloud service. For this reason, it uses dedicated compute replicas.
What is the default number of replicas and their size?
Each ClickPipe defaults to 1 replica that is provided with 512 MiB of RAM and 0.125 vCPU (XS). This corresponds to 0.0625 ClickHouse compute units (1 unit = 8 GiB RAM, 2 vCPUs).
What are the ClickPipes public prices?
- Compute: $0.20 per unit per hour ($0.0125 per replica per hour for the default replica size)
- Ingested data: $0.04 per GB
The price for the Compute dimension depends on the number and size of replica(s) in a ClickPipe. The default replica size can be adjusted using vertical scaling, and each replica size is priced as follows:
| Replica Size | Compute Units | RAM | vCPU | Price per Hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Extra Small (XS) (default) | 0.0625 | 512 MiB | 0.125. | $0.0125 |
| Small (S) | 0.125 | 1 GiB | 0.25 | $0.025 |
| Medium (M) | 0.25 | 2 GiB | 0.5 | $0.05 |
| Large (L) | 0.5 | 4 GiB | 1.0 | $0.10 |
| Extra Large (XL) | 1.0 | 8 GiB | 2.0 | $0.20 |
How does it look in an illustrative example?
The following examples assume a single M-sized replica, unless explicitly mentioned.
| 100 GB over 24h | 1 TB over 24h | 10 TB over 24h | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Streaming ClickPipe | (0.25 x 0.20 x 24) + (0.04 x 100) = $5.20 | (0.25 x 0.20 x 24) + (0.04 x 1000) = $41.20 | With 4 replicas: (0.25 x 0.20 x 24 x 4) + (0.04 x 10000) = $404.80 |
| Object Storage ClickPipe | (0.25 x 0.20 x 24) = $1.20 | (0.25 x 0.20 x 24) = $1.20 | (0.25 x 0.20 x 24) = $1.20 |
Only ClickPipes compute for orchestration, effective data transfer is assumed by the underlying Clickhouse Service
ClickPipes for PostgreSQL CDC
This section outlines the pricing model for our Postgres Change Data Capture (CDC) connector in ClickPipes. In designing this model, our goal was to keep pricing highly competitive while staying true to our core vision:
Making it seamless and affordable for customers to move data from Postgres to ClickHouse for real-time analytics.
The connector is over 5x more cost-effective than external ETL tools and similar features in other database platforms.
Pricing will start being metered in monthly bills beginning September 1st, 2025, for all customers (both existing and new) using Postgres CDC ClickPipes. Until then, usage is free. Customers have a 3-month window starting May 29 (GA announcement) to review and optimize their costs if needed, although we expect most will not need to make any changes.
Pricing dimensions
There are two main dimensions to pricing:
- Ingested Data: The raw, uncompressed bytes coming from Postgres and ingested into ClickHouse.
- Compute: The compute units provisioned per service manage multiple Postgres CDC ClickPipes and are separate from the compute units used by the ClickHouse Cloud service. This additional compute is dedicated specifically to Postgres CDC ClickPipes. Compute is billed at the service level, not per individual pipe. Each compute unit includes 2 vCPUs and 8 GB of RAM.
Ingested data
The Postgres CDC connector operates in two main phases:
- Initial load / resync: This captures a full snapshot of Postgres tables and occurs when a pipe is first created or re-synced.
- Continuous Replication (CDC): Ongoing replication of changes—such as inserts, updates, deletes, and schema changes—from Postgres to ClickHouse.
In most use cases, continuous replication accounts for over 90% of a ClickPipe life cycle. Because initial loads involve transferring a large volume of data all at once, we offer a lower rate for that phase.
| Phase | Cost |
|---|---|
| Initial load / resync | $0.10 per GB |
| Continuous Replication (CDC) | $0.20 per GB |
Compute
This dimension covers the compute units provisioned per service just for Postgres ClickPipes. Compute is shared across all Postgres pipes within a service. It is provisioned when the first Postgres pipe is created and deallocated when no Postgres CDC pipes remain. The amount of compute provisioned depends on your organization's tier:
| Tier | Cost |
|---|---|
| Basic Tier | 0.5 compute unit per service — $0.10 per hour |
| Scale or Enterprise Tier | 1 compute unit per service — $0.20 per hour |
Example
Let's say your service is in Scale tier and has the following setup:
- 2 Postgres ClickPipes running continuous replication
- Each pipe ingests 500 GB of data changes (CDC) per month
- When the first pipe is kicked off, the service provisions 1 compute unit under the Scale Tier for Postgres CDC
Monthly cost breakdown
Ingested Data (CDC):
Compute:
Compute is shared across both pipes
Total Monthly Cost:
ClickPipes pricing FAQ
Below, you will find frequently asked questions about CDC ClickPipes and streaming and object-based storage ClickPipes.
FAQ for Postgres CDC ClickPipes
Is the ingested data measured in pricing based on compressed or uncompressed size?
The ingested data is measured as uncompressed data coming from Postgres—both during the initial load and CDC (via the replication slot). Postgres does not compress data during transit by default, and ClickPipe processes the raw, uncompressed bytes.
When will Postgres CDC pricing start appearing on my bills?
Postgres CDC ClickPipes pricing begins appearing on monthly bills starting September 1st, 2025, for all customers—both existing and new. Until then, usage is free. Customers have a 3-month window starting from May 29 (the GA announcement date) to review and optimize their usage if needed, although we expect most won't need to make any changes.
Will I be charged if I pause my pipes?
No data ingestion charges apply while a pipe is paused, since no data is moved. However, compute charges still apply—either 0.5 or 1 compute unit—based on your organization's tier. This is a fixed service-level cost and applies across all pipes within that service.
How can I estimate my pricing?
The Overview page in ClickPipes provides metrics for both initial load/resync and CDC data volumes. You can estimate your Postgres CDC costs using these metrics in conjunction with the ClickPipes pricing.
Can I scale the compute allocated for Postgres CDC in my service?
By default, compute scaling is not user-configurable. The provisioned resources are optimized to handle most customer workloads optimally. If your use case requires more or less compute, please open a support ticket so we can evaluate your request.
What is the pricing granularity?
- Compute: Billed per hour. Partial hours are rounded up to the next hour.
- Ingested Data: Measured and billed per gigabyte (GB) of uncompressed data.
Can I use my ClickHouse Cloud credits for Postgres CDC via ClickPipes?
Yes. ClickPipes pricing is part of the unified ClickHouse Cloud pricing. Any platform credits you have will automatically apply to ClickPipes usage as well.
How much additional cost should I expect from Postgres CDC ClickPipes in my existing monthly ClickHouse Cloud spend?
The cost varies based on your use case, data volume, and organization tier. That said, most existing customers see an increase of 0–15% relative to their existing monthly ClickHouse Cloud spend post trial. Actual costs may vary depending on your workload—some workloads involve high data volumes with lesser processing, while others require more processing with less data.
FAQ for streaming and object storage ClickPipes
Why are we introducing a pricing model for ClickPipes now?
We decided to initially launch ClickPipes for free with the idea to gather feedback, refine features, and ensure it meets user needs. As the GA platform has grown, it has effectively stood the test of time by moving trillions of rows. Introducing a pricing model allows us to continue improving the service, maintaining the infrastructure, and providing dedicated support and new connectors.
What are ClickPipes replicas?
ClickPipes ingests data from remote data sources via a dedicated infrastructure that runs and scales independently of the ClickHouse Cloud service. For this reason, it uses dedicated compute replicas. The diagrams below show a simplified architecture.
For streaming ClickPipes, ClickPipes replicas access the remote data sources (e.g., a Kafka broker), pull the data, process and ingest it into the destination ClickHouse service.
In the case of object storage ClickPipes, the ClickPipes replica orchestrates the data loading task (identifying files to copy, maintaining the state, and moving partitions), while the data is pulled directly from the ClickHouse service.
What's the default number of replicas and their size?
Each ClickPipe defaults to 1 replica that's provided with 2 GiB of RAM and 0.5 vCPU. This corresponds to 0.25 ClickHouse compute units (1 unit = 8 GiB RAM, 2 vCPUs).
Can ClickPipes replicas be scaled?
Yes, ClickPipes for streaming can be scaled both horizontally and vertically. Horizontal scaling adds more replicas to increase throughput, while vertical scaling increases the resources (CPU and RAM) allocated to each replica to handle more intensive workloads. This can be configured during ClickPipe creation, or at any other point under Settings -> Advanced Settings -> Scaling.
How many ClickPipes replicas do I need?
It depends on the workload throughput and latency requirements. We recommend starting with the default value of 1 replica, measuring your latency, and adding replicas if needed. Keep in mind that for Kafka ClickPipes, you also have to scale the Kafka broker partitions accordingly. The scaling controls are available under "settings" for each streaming ClickPipe.
What does the ClickPipes pricing structure look like?
It consists of two dimensions:
- Compute: Price per unit per hour Compute represents the cost of running the ClickPipes replica pods whether they actively ingest data or not. It applies to all ClickPipes types.
- Ingested data: per GB pricing The ingested data rate applies to all streaming ClickPipes (Kafka, Confluent, Amazon MSK, Amazon Kinesis, Redpanda, WarpStream, Azure Event Hubs) for the data transferred via the replica pods. The ingested data size (GB) is charged based on bytes received from the source (uncompressed or compressed).
What are the ClickPipes public prices?
- Compute: $0.20 per unit per hour ($0.05 per replica per hour)
- Ingested data: $0.04 per GB
How does it look in an illustrative example?
For example, ingesting 1 TB of data over 24 hours using the Kafka connector using a single replica (0.25 compute unit) costs:
For object storage connectors (S3 and GCS), only the ClickPipes compute cost is incurred since the ClickPipes pod is not processing data but only orchestrating the transfer which is operated by the underlying ClickHouse service:
When does the new pricing model take effect?
The new pricing model takes effect for all organizations created after January 27th, 2025.
What happens to current users?
Existing users will have a 60-day grace period where the ClickPipes service continues to be offered for free. Billing will automatically start for ClickPipes for existing users on March 24th, 2025.
How does ClickPipes pricing compare to the market?
The philosophy behind ClickPipes pricing is to cover the operating costs of the platform while offering an easy and reliable way to move data to ClickHouse Cloud. From that angle, our market analysis revealed that we are positioned competitively.
