Atlassian Introduces Usage-Based Pricing: What Customers Need to Know

Atlassian has announced changes to its cloud pricing model, introducing usage-based billing for capabilities such as automation, AI-powered features, and asset management. With the changes taking effect on December 3, 2026, we want to revisit what customers need to know, highlight the latest details, and share practical recommendations to help you prepare.

For customers, the change introduces a new consideration when planning Atlassian budgets: alongside subscription costs, it will be important to monitor how much of each included usage allowance their organization consumes. The good news is that subscriptions include predefined usage allowances, and organizations will have tools to monitor consumption and manage additional costs.

How Does Usage-Based Pricing Work?

Under the new model, eligible subscriptions include a monthly allowance for specific capabilities. Usage is measured separately for each capability, or meter, and allowances are pooled at the organization level. This means usage across all your Jira or Confluence sites draws from a shared bucket rather than individual site limits.

The model covers several key capabilities:

1. Automation steps – The individual components (triggers, conditions, actions) executed within a rule.
2. Rovo credits – Usage associated with AI-powered features like Rovo Chat, Agents, and "Think Deeper." Note: Rovo Search, summaries, and inline suggestions remain free and do not consume credits.
3. Assets objects – Unique records (servers, licenses, etc.) managed within Assets.

What Does This Mean for Your Automation Usage?

The most significant change is how automation is measured. Atlassian is shifting from counting "flow runs" to counting individual steps. Previously, a 2-step flow and a 20-step flow cost the same; now, every action, condition, branch, or loop counts as one step.

Current Monthly Allowances (Pooled Org-Wide):

Important for Enterprise Customers: Cloud Enterprise plans are moving from "Unlimited" automation to a defined (though very large) monthly allowance. If you are an Enterprise customer, reviewing your current step consumption is a priority.

What Should You Monitor Before the Changes Take Effect?

Atlassian provides a centralized dashboard to help administrators track usage and avoid unexpected costs. By default, extra usage is enabled, allowing teams to continue working if they reach their included allowance. Administrators can change this setting and decide whether to allow additional usage charges or set limits.

To check your usage, navigate to:

Atlassian Administration → Insights → Platform usage

Administrators should take the following steps before December 3, 2026:

1. Monitor Current Step Count: Identify which complex automation rules account for the most consumption.
2. Set Spending Caps: Decide whether to allow pay-as-you-go charges (e.g., $0.50 per 1,000 extra automation steps) or to set a hard limit that pauses usage once the allowance is reached.
3. Optimize Workflows: Look for opportunities to simplify rules. A rule that triggers unnecessarily or contains redundant loops will now consume more of your allowance.
4. Act on Alerts: Atlassian will send automated email notifications when your organization reaches 80% and 100% of its allowance.

Prepare for the Changes

Atlassian's expanded usage-based pricing model aligns cost with the actual value and compute power your organization uses. For organizations already using automation and AI extensively, the priority is to understand existing usage and establish appropriate guardrails before the December deadline.

With the right preparation, you can maintain the productivity gains of AI and automation while ensuring total visibility into your Atlassian costs.

Need help preparing for Atlassan's pricing changes?

Our Atlassian experts can help you review your current configuration, audit your automation step consumption, and identify opportunities to optimize your workflows.

→ Contact our Atlassian experts