> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.blockdb.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Compute Units
> API pricing based on Compute Units (CU): pay only for what you use, proportional to computational complexity.
## Compute Unit (CU) Pricing Model
BlockDB uses a **Compute Unit (CU)** pricing model that charges based on the computational complexity of each API endpoint. This ensures you only pay for what you use, without being forced into expensive plans for simple queries.
### How Compute Units Work
Each API request consumes a fixed number of Compute Units determined by the **data layer** — **not by result size or pagination depth**.
Your **monthly CU allowance** (`cu_limit`, `cu_used`, `cu_remaining` on [`GET /usage`](/api-reference/account-and-usage/usage)) is **account-wide** and **shared by every API key**—adding keys does not create separate CU pools. The same applies to **RPS**; see [Rate limiting](/api-reference/overview/rate-limiting).
| Level | CU / request | Endpoint Family | Endpoint |
| :----: | :----------: | :--------------------------------------------------------------------- | :----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **L1** | **1 CU** | Raw history, blocks summary, lineage (parents), verification, JSON-RPC | [`evm/raw/blocks`](/api-reference/evm/primitives/blocks) |
| | | | [`evm/raw/blocks-summary`](/api-reference/evm/primitives/blocks-summary) |
| | | | [`evm/raw/transactions`](/api-reference/evm/primitives/transactions) |
| | | | [`evm/raw/logs`](/api-reference/evm/primitives/logs) |
| | | | [`evm/raw/contracts`](/api-reference/evm/primitives/contracts) |
| | | | [`evm/raw/function-results`](/api-reference/evm/primitives/function-results) |
| | | | [`evm/raw/internal-transactions`](/api-reference/evm/primitives/internal-transactions) |
| | | | [`evm/lineage/parents`](/api-reference/evm/lineage/parents) |
| | | | [`evm/verify/receipt-root`](/api-reference/evm/verification/verify-receipt-root) |
| | | | [`evm/verify/logs-bloom`](/api-reference/evm/verification/verify-logs-bloom) |
| | | | [`evm/rpc`](/api-reference/evm/rpc/overview) |
| **L2** | **40 CU** | Entities, lineage (record) | [`evm/lineage/record`](/api-reference/evm/lineage/record) |
| | | | [`evm/entities/tokens/erc20`](/api-reference/evm/entities/tokens-erc20) |
| | | | [`evm/entities/tokens/erc721`](/api-reference/evm/entities/tokens-erc721) |
| | | | [`evm/entities/tokens/erc1155`](/api-reference/evm/entities/tokens-erc1155) |
| | | | [`evm/entities/pools`](/api-reference/evm/entities/pools) |
| | | | [`evm/entities/pools/fee-terms`](/api-reference/evm/entities/fee-terms) |
| **L3** | **80 CU** | Reserves, transfers, swaps, prints, flash loans | [`evm/reserves`](/api-reference/evm/reserves/reserves) |
| | | | [`evm/reserves/liquidity-distribution`](/api-reference/evm/reserves/liquidity-distribution) |
| | | | [`evm/transfers/token-transfers`](/api-reference/evm/transfers/token-transfers) |
| | | | [`evm/swaps/fees`](/api-reference/evm/swaps/swap-fees) |
| | | | [`evm/prices/spot/crypto/prints`](/api-reference/evm/prices/crypto/prices-spot-prints) |
| | | | [`evm/flash-loans/prints`](/api-reference/evm/flash-loans/flash-loan-prints) |
| **L4** | **80 CU** | Per-pool OHLC/VWAP | [`evm/prices/spot/crypto/vwap`](/api-reference/evm/prices/crypto/prices-spot-vwap) |
| | | | [`evm/prices/spot/crypto/ohlc`](/api-reference/evm/prices/crypto/prices-spot-ohlc) |
| | | | [`evm/yields`](/api-reference/evm/yields/yields) |
| **L5** | **80 CU** | Cross-pool VWAP | [`evm/prices/spot/crypto/vwap-aggregate`](/api-reference/evm/prices/crypto/prices-spot-vwap-aggregate) |
| **L6** | **100 CU** | Token-to-fiat VWAP | [`evm/prices/spot/fiat/vwap`](/api-reference/evm/prices/fiat/prices-spot-vwap-fiat) |
| **L7** | **200 CU** | Pool TVL USD | [`evm/tvl`](/api-reference/evm/tvl/tvl-usd) |
| **L8** | **300 CU** | Arbitrage path topology & path status | [`evm/arb/paths`](/api-reference/evm/arbitrage/arb-paths) |
| | | | [`evm/arb/path-status`](/api-reference/evm/arbitrage/arb-path-status) |
| **L9** | **1000 CU** | Arbitrage opportunities | [`evm/arb/opportunities`](/api-reference/evm/arbitrage/arb-opportunities) |
CU consumption is calculated per request. Result size and pagination do not affect CU cost — only the endpoint level determines the CU value.
## CU Billing & Tracking
### How CU Consumption is Tracked
Query the [`GET /usage`](/api-reference/account-and-usage/usage) endpoint to retrieve your plan, `cu_used`, `cu_remaining`, `cu_limit`, `cu_reset_at`, and `rate_limit_rps`. This endpoint is free to use and does not consume compute units.
The `/usage` endpoint provides comprehensive usage data including consumption by dataset, billing period information, and rate limits.
### Overage Handling
When you exceed your monthly CU allowance:
* **Hard limits**: API requests are blocked once your CU allowance is exhausted
* **Additional packages**: Purchase additional CU packages to continue using the API
* **No automatic overage charges**: You control when to purchase additional CUs—no unexpected charges
* **Package options**: Additional CU packages are available in various sizes to match your needs
Once your CU allowance is exhausted, API requests will return `429 Too Many Requests` until you purchase an additional CU package. Plan your usage accordingly to avoid service interruptions.
## Pricing Examples
### Example 1: Raw block query (L1)
```
POST /evm/raw/blocks
CU cost: 1 CU
```
### Example 2: ERC-20 token lookup (L2)
```
POST /evm/entities/tokens/erc20
CU cost: 40 CU
```
### Example 3: Fiat VWAP price (L5, dataset `0605`, `b0605_token_to_fiat_vwap`)
```
POST /evm/prices/spot/fiat/vwap
CU cost: 100 CU
```
### Example 4: Multi-step analysis workflow
```
POST /evm/raw/blocks (find block range) → 1 CU [L1]
POST /evm/raw/logs (filter events) → 1 CU [L1]
POST /evm/reserves (pool snapshot) → 80 CU [L3]
POST /evm/prices/spot/crypto/ohlc (crypto OHLC) → 80 CU [L4]
POST /evm/prices/spot/fiat/vwap (fiat benchmark) → 100 CU [L5]
POST /evm/tvl (pool TVL USD) → 200 CU [L6]
POST /evm/arb/opportunities (arb opportunities) → 1000 CU [L8]
Total: 1462 CU
```
## See Also
* [Dataset index](/data-catalog/evm/dataset-index) — Dataset IDs and `blockdb_evm` table names
* [Pricing Plans](/pricing/home) - Compare API, WSS, and Bulk Delivery options
* [Usage Endpoint](/api-reference/account-and-usage/usage) - Track your CU consumption
* [Contact Support](/troubleshooting/raising-a-support-ticket) - Billing and account questions