GitLab Flex: Commit once, reshape your seats and AI spend (opens in new tab)
GitLab Flex addresses the unpredictability introduced by agentic software development, where seat counts, AI consumption, and desired capabilities can change throughout the year. Instead of fixing these needs in a traditional annual contract, Flex provides one annual spending commitment that can be reallocated monthly. GitLab’s conclusion is that organizations can adopt new capabilities and adjust usage without renegotiation or re-procurement. ## Fixed Contracts, Moving Needs - Agentic development creates uncertainty around: - The number of platform seats required as teams and contractor mixes change. - The amount of AI usage driven by evolving use cases and technology. - Which new capabilities organizations will adopt during the contract term. - Traditional contracts require customers to estimate all three in advance. - Overestimating leads to unused seats and capacity, while underestimating can delay adoption through additional procurement cycles. ## One Annual Commitment, Adjusted Monthly - GitLab Flex uses a single annual dollar commitment based on a published rate card. - Customers can allocate that commitment across: - Premium and Ultimate platform seats. - GitLab Credits for services such as Duo Agent Platform, hosted runners, and artifact management. - Eligible usage-based capabilities introduced after signing. - It applies across GitLab.com, Self-Managed, air-gapped, and Dedicated deployments. - Customers can shift unused seat reservations toward other seats or AI usage without amending the agreement. - Usage above the annual commitment is billed on demand at $1 per credit or the negotiated per-seat rate. ## Combined Seats, Credits, and Deployment Types - A single agreement can combine platform seats and credit-metered services. - Larger commitments provide volume discounts across the rate card. - Organizations can change their mix of seats, credits, and deployment models during the term. - Unlike models that separate licenses and usage credits, Flex allows budget to move between them. ## Pricing and Spending Controls - Reserved capacity is priced below unplanned usage. - Subscription-level and per-user caps help control spending. - Project- and group-level administrative controls provide additional oversight. - Unreserved seats use the same effective negotiated rate as reserved seats. - Cloud-connected customers are billed automatically; air-gapped customers are invoiced twice yearly. ## Existing Contracts and Availability - GitLab Premium and Ultimate remain available through direct seat pricing. - Existing customers may keep their current plans through renewal. - Flex does not change the capabilities included in those tiers. - Customers approaching renewal can compare Flex with their current contract using projected seat and AI usage. - Flex orders are available now, with fulfillment rolling out throughout the quarter. GitLab Flex is best suited to organizations that expect their workforce, AI consumption, or deployment requirements to change frequently. Its main benefit is financial and operational flexibility: one agreement lets customers rebalance spending monthly instead of waiting for renewal or reopening procurement.