> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.rockapi.ai/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # API pricing strategy > Learn how API sellers can design pricing plans around usage, buyer risk, support load, and production value. # API pricing strategy Good API pricing is easy for buyers to predict and easy for sellers to operate. Start with the value your API delivers, then choose a plan structure that matches usage. ## Common pricing inputs * Unit cost: infrastructure, upstream services, support, and operational overhead. * Buyer value: time saved, workflow automated, or revenue enabled. * Usage pattern: steady usage, burst traffic, or occasional calls. * Support load: onboarding help, debugging, and production incidents. * Risk controls: rate limits, quotas, and fair-use boundaries. ## Plan design tips Offer a small entry plan for evaluation, a production plan for stable usage, and a higher tier for teams that need more volume or support. Keep plan names clear and avoid hiding important limits. Rock API buyers expect clear billing behavior. Link your docs to [Pricing and billing](/pricing-and-billing) and document error behavior with [Errors and rate limits](/errors-and-rate-limits). Align your plan language with the billing concepts buyers already see in Rock API.