Lokalise Cost Tuning

Lokalise Cost Tuning

Overview

Optimize Lokalise costs through smart plan selection, usage monitoring, and efficient workflows.

Prerequisites

• Access to Lokalise billing dashboard
• Understanding of current usage patterns
• Database for usage tracking (optional)
• Alerting system configured (optional)

Lokalise Pricing Overview

Plans (2025)

Key Cost Factors

• Number of translation keys
• Number of target languages
• Machine translation usage
• Professional translation orders
• OTA bandwidth (mobile apps)

Instructions

Step 1: Analyze Current Usage

import { LokaliseApi } from "@lokalise/node-api";

async function analyzeUsage(): Promise<UsageReport> {
  const client = new LokaliseApi({
    apiKey: process.env.LOKALISE_API_TOKEN!,
  });

  const projects = await client.projects().list();
  const usage: UsageReport = {
    totalProjects: projects.items.length,
    totalKeys: 0,
    totalLanguages: 0,
    projectDetails: [],
  };

  for (const project of projects.items) {
    const stats = project.statistics;

    usage.totalKeys += stats.keys_total;
    usage.totalLanguages += stats.languages;

    usage.projectDetails.push({
      name: project.name,
      projectId: project.project_id,
      keys: stats.keys_total,
      languages: stats.languages,
      baseWords: stats.base_words,
      progress: stats.progress_total,
    });
  }

  return usage;
}

interface UsageReport {
  totalProjects: number;
  totalKeys: number;
  totalLanguages: number;
  projectDetails: Array<{
    name: string;
    projectId: string;
    keys: number;
    languages: number;
    baseWords: number;
    progress: number;
  }>;
}

Step 2: Identify Cost Optimization Opportunities

function analyzeOptimizations(usage: UsageReport): Recommendation[] {
  const recommendations: Recommendation[] = [];

  // Check for unused projects
  for (const project of usage.projectDetails) {
    if (project.keys < 10) {
      recommendations.push({
        type: "unused_project",
        severity: "low",
        message: `Project "${project.name}" has only ${project.keys} keys. Consider archiving.`,
        potentialSavings: "Reduce clutter, potential plan downgrade",
      });
    }

    // Check for duplicate/similar keys
    if (project.keys > 1000) {
      recommendations.push({
        type: "key_audit",
        severity: "medium",
        message: `Project "${project.name}" has ${project.keys} keys. Review for duplicates.`,
        potentialSavings: "5-15% key reduction typical",
      });
    }

    // Check for low-progress languages
    if (project.progress < 50 && project.languages > 3) {
      recommendations.push({
        type: "unused_languages",
        severity: "medium",
        message: `Project "${project.name}" has ${project.languages} languages at ${project.progress}% progress.`,
        potentialSavings: "Remove unused target languages",
      });
    }
  }

  // Plan recommendation
  if (usage.totalKeys < 2000 && usage.totalProjects <= 3) {
    recommendations.push({
      type: "plan_downgrade",
      severity: "high",
      message: "Current usage fits Essential plan",
      potentialSavings: "Potential $280/mo savings vs Pro",
    });
  }

  return recommendations;
}

Step 3: Implement Usage Monitoring

interface UsageMetrics {
  date: Date;
  keysCreated: number;
  keysDeleted: number;
  translationsUpdated: number;
  mtCharacters: number;  // Machine translation
  apiCalls: number;
}

class LokaliseUsageMonitor {
  private metrics: UsageMetrics[] = [];

  trackApiCall(operation: string, details?: any) {
    // Track API usage
    console.log({
      timestamp: new Date().toISOString(),
      operation,
      details,
    });
  }

  async getMonthlyReport(): Promise<MonthlyReport> {
    const client = new LokaliseApi({
      apiKey: process.env.LOKALISE_API_TOKEN!,
    });

    const projects = await client.projects().list();

    let totalKeys = 0;
    let totalMTCharacters = 0;

    for (const project of projects.items) {
      totalKeys += project.statistics.keys_total;
      // Note: MT usage requires checking orders/billing API
    }

    return {
      month: new Date().toISOString().slice(0, 7),
      totalKeys,
      estimatedCost: this.estimateCost(totalKeys),
    };
  }

  private estimateCost(keys: number): number {
    // Simplified estimation based on plan tiers
    if (keys <= 500) return 0;  // Free tier
    if (keys <= 2000) return 120;  // Essential
    return 400;  // Pro
  }
}

Step 4: Clean Up Unused Resources

async function cleanupUnusedKeys(projectId: string, dryRun = true) {
  const client = new LokaliseApi({
    apiKey: process.env.LOKALISE_API_TOKEN!,
  });

  // Find archived keys
  const archivedKeys = await client.keys().list({
    project_id: projectId,
    filter_archived: "include",
    limit: 500,
  });

  const toDelete = archivedKeys.items.filter(k => k.is_archived);
  console.log(`Found ${toDelete.length} archived keys`);

  if (dryRun) {
    console.log("DRY RUN - would delete:", toDelete.map(k => k.key_name.web));
    return { deleted: 0, archived: toDelete.length };
  }

  // Actually delete
  for (const key of toDelete) {
    await client.keys().delete(key.key_id, { project_id: projectId });
  }

  return { deleted: toDelete.length };
}

async function removeUnusedLanguages(projectId: string, threshold = 10) {
  const client = new LokaliseApi({
    apiKey: process.env.LOKALISE_API_TOKEN!,
  });

  const languages = await client.languages().list({ project_id: projectId });

  const unused = languages.items.filter(
    lang => (lang.statistics?.progress ?? 0) < threshold && !lang.is_default
  );

  console.log(`Languages below ${threshold}% progress:`,
    unused.map(l => `${l.lang_name} (${l.statistics?.progress}%)`));

  // Don't auto-delete - just report
  return unused;
}

Output

• Usage analysis complete
• Cost optimization recommendations
• Usage monitoring implemented
• Cleanup scripts for unused resources

Error Handling

Examples

Quick Usage Check

const report = await analyzeUsage();
console.log(`Total Projects: ${report.totalProjects}`);
console.log(`Total Keys: ${report.totalKeys}`);
console.log(`Estimated Plan: ${report.totalKeys < 500 ? 'Free' : report.totalKeys < 2000 ? 'Essential' : 'Pro'}`);

Machine Translation Cost Estimate

// Lokalise MT pricing varies by provider and language pair
function estimateMTCost(
  characters: number,
  provider: "google" | "deepl" | "amazon" = "google"
): number {
  const rates: Record<string, number> = {
    google: 0.02,  // $20 per million characters
    deepl: 0.025,  // $25 per million characters
    amazon: 0.015, // $15 per million characters
  };

  return (characters / 1_000_000) * rates[provider];
}

Budget Alert Script

async function checkBudget(budgetKeys: number): Promise<boolean> {
  const usage = await analyzeUsage();

  if (usage.totalKeys > budgetKeys * 0.9) {
    console.warn(`WARNING: Approaching key limit (${usage.totalKeys}/${budgetKeys})`);

    // Send alert
    await sendSlackAlert({
      channel: "#billing",
      text: `Lokalise key usage at ${Math.round((usage.totalKeys / budgetKeys) * 100)}%`,
    });

    return false;
  }

  return true;
}

Cost Comparison Report

## Lokalise Cost Analysis

### Current Usage
- Projects: 5
- Total Keys: 3,500
- Languages: 8

### Current Plan: Pro ($400/mo)

### Recommendations
1. Archive 2 unused projects (-500 keys)
2. Remove 3 low-progress languages
3. Delete 200 archived keys
4. **Potential: Essential plan at $120/mo**

### Annual Savings: $3,360

Resources

• Lokalise Pricing
• Lokalise Billing FAQ

Next Steps

For architecture patterns, see lokalise-reference-architecture.