Sparks are the unit Buildly meters generation in. The question we get most about them is not what they are - it is why some things cost sparks and other, visibly expensive-looking things cost none. The answer is a deliberate line, and this post is that line written down.
The meter measures the model, nothing else
A spark maps to work an AI provider bills for: generating a site’s copy, rewriting a block, enhancing a photo. That is the whole list. Everything a business needs in order to simply exist on Buildly - storing its pages, hosting its site, serving its photos, keeping its lead history - is on us, because the alternative is a pricing model that punishes a bakery for having a gallery.
What a spark maps to
| Action | Sparks | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Full site generation | 2,048 | A provider bills for every page of copy and every image |
| One block rewrite | 96 | One focused model call, priced like one |
| A photo from the library | 0 | Approved library images were paid for once, already |
| Storage, hosting, your own uploads | 0 | Existing on the platform is not a metered act |
Why the meter never touches storage
Metering what a model does is fair, because the owner chose the action and can see its result. Metering what a business keeps is not, because the size of a photo gallery says nothing about the value the owner got from it - only about how many pictures of cakes exist. A meter like that trains people to delete their own best work, and a website builder that pays people to have worse websites has its incentives upside down.
- Hosting a published site: free, forever, however many pages
- The image and icon libraries: free to place from, on every site
- Leads, revisions, and version history: free, and never a quota
You should never have to delete a photo to save money.
The full pricing breakdown, including what ships with the beta, is on the pricing page.