---
meta:
  title: "Fair use guidelines"
  parentTitle: "Limits"
  description: "Learn about Liveblocks’ fair use guidelines."
---

All subscription plans include usage that is subject to these fair use
guidelines. These guidelines define acceptable usage and how we evaluate usage
patterns over time to ensure stable performance for all customers.

## Examples of fair use

<StyledList>
  <StyledListItem type="check">A collaborative SaaS product</StyledListItem>
  <StyledListItem type="check">An AI chatbot</StyledListItem>
  <StyledListItem type="check">A multiplayer game</StyledListItem>
  <StyledListItem type="check">
    An interactive multiplayer landing page
  </StyledListItem>
</StyledList>

## Never fair use

<StyledList>
  <StyledListItem type="cross">
    Using a single `userId` for multiple users
  </StyledListItem>
  <StyledListItem type="cross">Abusing free REST API endpoints</StyledListItem>
  <StyledListItem type="cross">
    Load testing without authorization
  </StyledListItem>
  <StyledListItem type="cross">
    Not using Liveblocks for collaboration
  </StyledListItem>
  <StyledListItem type="cross">
    Using multiple free teams or accounts to reduce usage
  </StyledListItem>
  <StyledListItem type="cross">
    Sharing logins or using group accounts for the admin dashboard
  </StyledListItem>
</StyledList>

## Usage guidelines

As a guideline for our community, we expect most projects to fall within the
ranges outlined below for each plan. If your usage significantly exceeds these
guidelines, we’ll contact you to discuss your needs and determine whether
changes to your plan or implementation are required. We aim to accommodate
legitimate usage while ensuring our platform remains stable and performant for
all users.

If your usage patterns are abnormal and materially impact platform performance,
as determined at Liveblocks’ discretion based on platform-wide considerations,
we may require changes to your implementation or a plan change to support the
load. We will notify you if changes are required to your account before taking
any action that impacts your account.

### Typical monthly usage guidelines

|                                   | Free                                         | Pro and Team                                |
| --------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------- |
| Average connections per month     | Up to <Limits.FreeAvgConnectionsPerMau />    | Up to <Limits.ProAvgConnectionsPerMau />    |
| Total active room hours per month | Up to <Limits.FreeActiveRoomHoursPerMonth /> | Up to <Limits.ProActiveRoomHoursPerMonth /> |

Usage is measured at the team workspace level. For teams on the Pro and Team
plans, you can pay for [additional usage](/docs/platform/limits) as you go.

### Additional usage

For members of our Pro and Team plans, we offer a pay-as-you-go model for
additional usage, giving you greater flexibility and control over your usage.
The typical monthly usage guidelines above are still applicable, while extra
usage will be automatically charged at the following rates:

| Item                                                                             | Included                                 | Pay-as-you-go                              |
| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------ |
| <a href="#What-is-a-monthly-active-room">Monthly active rooms</a>                | <Limits.ProMonthlyActiveRoomsIncluded /> | <Limits.ProMonthlyActiveRoomsOverage />    |
| <a href="/docs/platform/account-management/manage-team-members">Team members</a> | <Limits.ProTeamMembersPerAccount />      | <Limits.ProTeamMembersPerAccountOverage /> |
| Realtime data storage                                                            | <Limits.ProRealtimeDataStorage />        | <Limits.ProRealtimeDataStorageOverage />   |
| File storage                                                                     | <Limits.ProFileStorage />                | <Limits.ProFileStorageOverage />           |
| Monthly custom notifications                                                     | <Limits.ProCustomNotifications />        | <Limits.ProCustomNotificationsOverage />   |

Usage beyond included amounts will continue to be billed at pay-as-you-go rates
unless another arrangement is put in place.

### Commercial usage

The Free plan is limited to non-commercial, personal projects only. Any
commercial use of Liveblocks requires a Pro, Team or Enterprise subscription.

We consider usage to be commercial when a project generates revenue or financial
benefit for anyone involved in its development, operation, or maintenance. This
includes projects built by paid employees, contractors, or consultants. Internal
use within a company qualifies as commercial usage, regardless of whether users
pay directly. Common examples of commercial usage include:

- Applications that accept payments or process transactions
- Products or services offered for sale
- Projects developed or maintained for compensation
- Sites primarily focused on affiliate marketing
- Applications displaying advertisements or sponsored content

All environments and projects associated with a commercial product must be on a
paid plan, including development, staging, and testing environments. If you’re
uncertain whether your project qualifies as commercial usage, please reach out
to our support team for clarification.

### General Limits

Take a look at our [Limits](/docs/platform/limits) documentation for the limits
we apply to all accounts.

### Learn more

Circumventing or attempting to bypass Liveblocks’ limits or usage guidelines is
a violation of our fair use guidelines. For further information regarding these
guidelines and acceptable use of our services, refer to our
[Terms of Service](/terms) or your Enterprise Service Agreement. In case of
conflict, contractual terms supersede these guidelines. These guidelines may be
updated over time as Liveblocks releases new features or changes platform
capacity.

---

For an overview of all available documentation, see [/llms.txt](/llms.txt).