What Is Per GB Pricing in eDiscovery?
Per-GB pricing in eDiscovery is a billing model in which a provider charges an amount based on the volume of electronically stored information (ESI). Depending on the agreement, charges may apply to data processing, hosting, storage, or other services. Some charges apply once, such as processing. Others repeat monthly, such as hosting.
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Per-GB pricing, also called per-GB billing, ties the cost of eDiscovery software to the size of the data. It is one of the most common ways to bill for data processing and hosting. Instead of paying a flat subscription or per-user license, law firms and corporate legal teams pay only for the data they add.
This per-gigabyte billing model is used for different eDiscovery activities, but the billing unit is not always calculated the same way. A provider may measure data when it enters the platform, after processing, or while it remains in storage. These differences affect how charges accumulate throughout a matter.
How Does Per-GB Pricing Work in eDiscovery?
The price per GB often differs by stage, provider, and data volume. Charges usually attach to these stages:
- Data Processing: A one-time fee per GB to unpack files and extract text and metadata. It is often measured on expanded data, and the rate usually drops at high volumes.
- Data Loading: Some providers add a separate per-GB fee to load processed data into the review platform.
- Data Hosting: A monthly fee per GB for data kept in the review platform. These per-GB data hosting charges continue for as long as the data stays online.
- Analytics and add-ons: Some providers charge an extra monthly per-GB fee when analytics features are turned on.
- Production and export: Some providers charge per GB, or per page, to export data from the platform.
For example, a 100 GB matter billed at $20 per GB for processing costs $2,000 once. Hosting at $8 per GB per month adds $800 each month the data stays in the platform. These figures are illustrative only.
Per-GB fees are usually separate from user license fees, which are billed per reviewer, per month.
Why Does Understanding the Per-GB Billing Model Matter?
Grasping how per-GB billing works is critical because data volume drives the final invoice. Without a clear breakdown of charges for ingestion, processing, and long-term hosting, legal teams may overspend. This is especially likely in data-heavy cases. Understanding this structure helps organizations identify hidden cost drivers early and plan for unpredictability before collection begins.
To avoid rising per-GB charges, many legal teams are moving to more predictable pricing. Examples include flat-fee SaaS subscriptions or instance-based pricing. A subscription covers a fixed period of use. Instance-based pricing charges for the platform environment, not for each gigabyte, so costs stay steady as data grows
Venio uses instance-based pricing, which lets teams budget without tracking every gigabyte. See how Venio pricing works.
Key Takeaways
- Per-GB pricing bills eDiscovery services by the volume of data, measured in gigabytes.
- The price per GB often varies across the data processing, hosting, and production phases of a case.
- It offers low entry costs for small cases but becomes unpredictable for large or long-running datasets.
- Recurring per-GB data hosting charges are typically the primary driver of long-term eDiscovery expenses.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average price per GB for eDiscovery processing?
The price per GB varies significantly by vendor and service level. It usually ranges from a few dollars to much higher amounts. The cost depends on how complex the processing is, such as optical character recognition (OCR) or complex deduplication.
How can teams reduce per-GB data hosting charges?
Legal teams can lower ongoing hosting fees by applying strict early case assessment (ECA) and culling strategies. By removing redundant and irrelevant documents before moving data into the eDiscovery software, teams drastically reduce their billable data footprint.
Is per-GB pricing in eDiscovery being phased out?
While many traditional service providers still use it, many corporate legal departments are moving away from per-gigabyte billing. They are increasingly favoring predictable, flat-fee SaaS subscriptions that do not penalize users for handling high data volumes.
What billing models exist for eDiscovery software besides per-GB pricing?
Common alternatives include per-user fees, flat fees per matter, subscriptions, and instance-based pricing. Many contracts blend them. The right fit depends on how much data a team handles, how long matters run, and how predictable the budget needs to be.
