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How pricing works

  • Latest Dynatrace
  • Explanation
  • 5-min read
  • Published May 26, 2026

The DPS model in 60 seconds

Dynatrace Platform Subscription (DPS) is a consumption-based licensing model designed for flexibility.

You sign an agreement (typically 1–3 years) with a minimum annual commitment. As your organization uses Dynatrace capabilities, consumption accrues against that commitment based on a rate card that defines the price per unit for each capability.

Overview

FeatureBenefit

Simplicity

One contract, one rate card, one platform. No SKU juggling. No surprises.

Scalability

DPS scales with your needs - across modules, teams, and geographies.

Frictionless use

No pre-allocation. No per-user costs. No overage penalties. Just use what you need, when you need it.

Transparency

Usage and cost visibility via Account Management and DPS APIs.

Flexibility

Supports all deployments, trials, and evolving pricing models.

For terminology and definitions, see Key terminology. For how each capability is metered and what's included, see Capabilities and units of measure.

Calculation of DPS costs

Dynatrace licensing costs are calculated based on an environment's consumption of Dynatrace capabilities. For example, the Application & Infrastructure Observability category includes four capabilities: Full-Stack Monitoring, Infrastructure Monitoring, Mainframe Monitoring, and Foundation & Discovery. You can find them on your rate card. Excluded are of course included usage that comes out of the box.

All usage is collected and rated using the subscription's rate card. As a result, usage is transferred into costs, expressed as a monetary value. Cost is the result of usage multiplied by the price point on your rate card of the respective Dynatrace capability.

Cost calculation example

  1. Lets assume we have the following rate card item: Full-Stack Monitoring

  2. Lets assume we a unit price of $1,000 per 100,000 memory-GiB-hours

  3. Lets assume we have a usage of 200,000 memory-GiB-hours in a given period

  4. Costs are defined as Usage / Unit of meassure * Price point

  5. The costs for this period would be $ 2,000 (200,000 memory-GiB-hours/ 100,000 memory-GiB-hours * $1,000)

The same concept appears for all capabilities within DPS.

Dynatrace meters usage based on Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). All references to time and date are therefore to be understood as UTC+00:00.

FAQ

In what timezone are daily usage and cost analysis calculated?

Dynatrace meters usage based on Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). All references to time and date are therefore to be understood as UTC+00:00.

Daily usage and costs are based on UTC and run from 00:00:00 on the start date of your agreement to 23:59:59 on the end date.

Is the annual commitment period always 12 months? What if I have a three-year subscription?

Multi-year subscriptions are broken down into annual (12-month) subscription periods.

Dynatrace may adjust the subscription period for your agreement to accommodate your needs. For example, the first period of a multi-year agreement might actually be just a six-month subscription period, which is then followed by two 12-month subscription periods.

What currency is used for Dynatrace Platform Subscription?

Your subscription agreement determines the currency that is used for billing. The currency code is shown on all Account Management cost views as a three-digit abbreviation (for example, USD, GBP, or EUR). The applied currency code might not be displayed until after the first cost metrics are calculated.

How can I view my usage from a previous license?

The View your previous DPS periods via subscription history page shows active and expired licenses and subscriptions, including POCs.

How can I see the consumption that is booked to a POC?

The View your previous DPS periods via subscription history page shows active and expired POCs. For a specific POC, select View details to get a breakdown of costs and usage at the environment or capability level.

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