How do the plugin costs change after the migration to the Atlassian Cloud?

The switch from Atlassian Server or Data Center to the cloud brings many changes with it - especially with regard to the cost structure of your plugins. A frequently asked question is: How will the plugin costs for our Jira and Confluence change after the migration? Atlassian Cloud Migration?

Different licensing models

A key difference between on-premise and cloud solutions lies in the license model. While server or data center versions are often subject to a one-off license fee based on a fixed user tier, the cloud is based on a subscription model. This means that you pay regularly - monthly or annually - for the use of the software and the associated apps.

Billing for cloud apps

How are cloud apps billed?

Cloud apps from the Atlassian Marketplace are billed based on the number of users of your Atlassian product. For example, if you use Confluence Cloud with 100 users, you pay the price for 100 users for each app installed.

Billing cycle

The billing cycle of the apps must match that of the main product. For example, if your Jira Cloud subscription is billed monthly, all installed apps will also be billed monthly. Monthly billing offers the advantage of planned scalability; if there are more or fewer users on your site in one month than in the previous month, the app costs will increase or decrease accordingly.

Specific example for Jira Cloud apps

With Jira Cloud Apps, pricing is based on the maximum number of users of Jira products on your site. For example, if you have Jira Software with 500 users on-prem (Data Center), you pay an annual fee for each extension, even if you may not have 500 active users.

In the cloud, you can also pay an annual amount for the apps, but only if Jira Cloud is also billed annually. With monthly billing in the cloud, you pay for the app per active user and can therefore save costs. This flexibility is not available for Data Center versions, which must always be paid for annually.

Who can buy and install apps?

To ensure control over the Atlassian environment, most Marketplace apps can only be installed by site or organization administrators. End users can search for apps in the Marketplace and inform their administrators about desired extensions by selecting "Free trial" > "Request this app" on the app page.

Tips for planning plugin costs in the Atlassian Cloud

• Consider total costs: In addition to the license costs for the apps, you should also consider savings from lower maintenance costs and the elimination of infrastructure costs.
• Understand user-based pricing: Since app costs are based on the number of users, you can control your spending by adjusting user licenses.
• Check alternative solutions: The cloud versions of Atlassian products often offer features that were previously only available through additional plugins. This can help you to do without certain apps and save costs.
• Contact the provider: Some app providers offer special migration offers or discounts for existing customers. It is worth asking directly.

Long-term view

Although the monthly or annual plug-in costs in the cloud may seem higher at first glance, you benefit from:

• Automatic updates: You always receive the latest (security) updates without any additional effort.
• Reduced maintenance effort: No own servers and less administration work.
• Scalability: Flexibly adapt the number of users and apps to your needs.

These advantages can lead to long-term savings that offset or even exceed the higher license costs.

Conclusion: Change Atlassian plugin costs

Migration to the cloud significantly changes the cost structure of your plugins. The user-based billing model and regular billing cycles give you a transparent and predictable cost overview. It is important to include these changes in your budget planning at an early stage and to make possible adjustments in order to be able to accurately estimate the plugin costs.