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Device Cloud pricing for Particle Mesh now available

With the shipping of Particle Mesh, we’re evolving our Device Cloud pricing model to best serve our customers who will be deploying this exciting new connectivity technology.

Jeff Eiden article author avatarJeff EidenOctober 29, 2018
Device Cloud pricing for Particle Mesh now available

Particle has discontinued development of Particle Mesh, our OpenThread-based mesh networking solution, and will no longer be manufacturing the associated Xenon development board. Particle will continue investing in its other “Gen 3” products, the flagship cellular (Boron) and Wi-Fi (Argon) product lines. Read more about the deprecation here.


With the shipping of Particle Mesh, we’re evolving our Device Cloud pricing model to best serve our customers who will be deploying this exciting new connectivity technology.

With mesh networking, it’s no longer about an individual device, it’s about how a group of devices work together to solve a problem. As such, we structured these new Device Cloud plans to reflect the IoT systems you will create when using Particle Mesh. And, as always, we have designed our mesh pricing to prioritize prototyping without barriers, while allowing you to seamlessly transition to production.


Device Cloud Pricing Model Changes

Device Cloud plans for Particle Mesh take the following shape:

  1. Per network pricing — Device Cloud plans for Particle Mesh are priced per network per month, not per device per month like standalone Wi-Fi or Cellular devices. This is to shift the focus from each individual device to the interconnected system you are building with mesh.
  2. Different plans optimized for different types of networks — There are three new Device Cloud Network plans tailored to suit the needs of common mesh network types. Each network plan includes an allotment of total devices as well as an included number of gateways in the network.
  3. Get started for free — We have adapted our free prototype pricing so you can experiment with Particle Mesh at a low (or no) cost, while including more cellular data to ensure cellular gateways can support mesh nodes in the network without having to pay for additional cellular data.

To learn more, you can read in-depth about these new changes below, or visit our pricing page.


Device Cloud Network Plans

We’re rolling out three Device Cloud plans for Particle Mesh networks: Micro Networks, High Availability Networks, and Large Site Networks:

Micro Networks

Micro Networks include 10 total devices, and up to 1 gateway. This network plan is perfect for small mesh networks as well as low-cost prototyping with Particle Mesh. Pricing for Micro Networks differs slightly based on the type of gateway you plan to use:

  • Wi-Fi Gateway
    • $2.99 per network per month
    • FREE for first 10 networks
  • Cellular Gateway
    • $4.99 per network per month
    • 5MB cellular data included
    • FREE for first 3 months

High Availability Networks

High Availability Networks include 30 total devices, and up to 3 gateways. As your network grows, redundancy becomes increasingly important. This is why High Availability Networks include multiple gateways to ensure all your device stay online at all times— even if one of your gateways loses connectivity.

  • Wi-Fi & Cellular
    • $9.99 per network per month
    • 10MB cellular data included

Large Site Networks

Large Site Networks are designed for very large mesh networks (>100 devices or > 3 gateways). This type of plan is designed for mesh networks spanning a large area, or collecting data across a high-value site—such as connecting a multistory parking garage or a hospital.

  • Contact us for Large Site Network pricing information

Note: Particle will only be supporting micro networks for the initial shipment of Particle Mesh (October ‘18). High Availability and Large Site Networks are coming soon


Additional Network Capacity

You may choose to add additional Mesh Nodes (non-gateways) beyond what is included in your network plan in bundles of 5 devices for an additional $2 per network per month. You may do this up until a total network size of 30 devices on the Micro Network plan, or 100 devices on the High Availability plan.

 

Add network capacity to stay on the Micro Network plan, or upgrade to High Availability for the benefit of redundancy

Adding more network capacity without needing to jump up to the next plan allows you to grow your network incrementally without abrupt changes in monthly cost.

For example, if you have a Micro Network, and want to add your 11th device to the network, you would only need to pay an additional $2 per month (for 5 additional devices of capacity)—instead of needing to switch to the High Availability Network plan and paying as much as $7 more per month.

For those who do value the resiliency of their network to prevent downtime, however, you can switch to the High Availability plan at any time.


Some Frequently Asked Questions

We understand that changes come with lots of question. Here are some answers to some frequently asked questions below:

1. What if I want to use the 3rd-generation Particle hardware, but have no intentions of using mesh networking?

Our standalone device pricing is not going away. The Argon and Boron pricing will work the same way as they were before. If want to learn more about how standalone devices pricing works, check out our FAQ here.

2. What about Ethernet?

Particle’s third-generation hardware now supports Ethernet connectivity. In short, Ethernet devices will be treated the exact same as Wi-Fi devices from a pricing perspective. Standalone ethernet devices will be subject to the same Device Cloud pricing rules as a standalone Wi-Fi device. Mesh networks on the Micro plan using an Ethernet gateway will be billed the same way as a Micro Network using a Wi-Fi gateway.


The Bottom Line

Particle Mesh pricing can be viewed on Particle’s redesigned pricing page. Feel free to leave any questions you have about these changes in the thread below and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible. We’re excited to hear what you think and what problem you’ll solve next with Particle Mesh finally released.