CableKnit AI Docs

Pricing

CableKnit plugins are sold as monthly subscriptions. You set the price, CableKnit handles billing, and you receive 80% of revenue through Stripe Connect.

Setting your price

Every plugin declares its price in plugin.json:

{
  "pricing": {
    "model": "monthly",
    "price_cents": 2900
  }
}

Prices are in cents. 2900 = $29/month.

The cost floor

CableKnit calculates a minimum price for your plugin based on the estimated API cost of running your automations. The calculation:

  1. Counts AI steps (ai_assess actions) across all your automation templates
  2. Estimates token usage per step
  3. Projects monthly cost at 500 runs
  4. Applies a margin multiplier

If your price_cents is below the floor, the push is rejected with a message showing the exact floor and why. The CLI tells you:

✗ plugin.json: price_cents (1900) is below the calculated cost floor (2400)

Set your price at or above the floor. You’re free to charge more — the floor just ensures every plugin covers its infrastructure costs.

Plugins with no AI steps (skills-only, documentation-only) have a floor of $0.

Plugin tiers

Tiers describe the scope of your plugin, not the price:

Tier Description Typical price range
starter Single-purpose plugin, 1-2 automations, basic skills $29 – $49/mo
industry Full industry solution, multiple automations, connectors, data tools $49 – $199/mo
custom White-glove plugin built for a specific client Negotiated

Tiers affect how your plugin is categorized in the Marketplace but don’t enforce price ranges. The only hard constraint is the cost floor.

Revenue share

When a company installs your public plugin:

  Amount
Company pays Your price/month, added to their CableKnit subscription
You receive 80% of the subscription price
CableKnit retains 20% for platform, infrastructure, and billing

Example: a plugin priced at $49/month → you receive $39.20/month per install.

Payouts

Payouts are processed monthly through Stripe Connect.

  1. Connect Stripe — Developer Portal → Account → Payouts → Connect Stripe
  2. Revenue accumulates — as companies install and stay subscribed
  3. Monthly payout — CableKnit transfers your 80% share to your Stripe account
  4. Track earnings — view payout history in Developer Portal → Account → Payouts

You can submit and get a plugin approved before connecting Stripe, but payouts can’t be sent until your account is connected.

Private and unlisted plugins

Private and unlisted plugins are free to distribute — no revenue share applies.

Visibility Revenue share Use case
private None Internal tools, client-specific builds
unlisted None Beta testing, limited distribution
public 80/20 split Marketplace listing, general availability

This means you can build and deploy plugins for your own clients at no cost beyond your CableKnit publisher account. Revenue share only kicks in when you list publicly on the Marketplace.

Pricing strategy tips

  • Start at the floor for simple starter plugins — $29/month is a natural entry point
  • Price based on value, not cost — if your plugin saves an ops team 10 hours/week, $99/month is a bargain
  • Industry plugins command higher prices — full workflow solutions with connectors and data tools justify $99-199/month
  • You can change pricing later — update price_cents in plugin.json and push a new version. Existing installs stay at their current price until the next billing cycle