A Labelbox Unit (LBU) is a normalized unit of data in the Labelbox Platform. A data row represents an asset and all of its relevant information.

For basic data rows like text, images, chat conversation, JSON, and Audio, an LBU is equivalent to one or more data rows depending on which Labelbox product being used: Catalog, Annotate, and Model. 

• One (1) basic data row labeled in Annotate is equal to one (1) LBU – no matter how many labels or annotations are created, deleted, or re-labeled on that one (1) data row 

• Five (5) basic data rows in Model are equal to one (1) LBU – no matter how many predictions or model runs are associated with those data rows

• Sixty (60) basic data rows in Catalog are equal to one (1) LBU every month

More complex data rows can vary in LBU consumption, please refer to the table on this page to understand how LBU consumption varies based on data row type.

Catalog:

LBUs are consumed when an image, text file, etc. is uploaded to the Catalog. To safeguard against unintended uploads, the Catalog offers a 7-day grace period. Any unused data rows removed within the grace period will not consume LBU. It's important to note, however, that if a data row within the Catalog is marked as 'labeled' during this grace period, it will be considered a Catalog LBU consumption, even within the 7-day grace period.

Annotate:

LBUs are consumed the first time one of two circumstances occur on a data row within your labeling project: 1) a human generated label or model prediction is approved as a ground truth label by a reviewer; or 2) the data row is marked as ‘done’ (without review) in the labeling workflow.

Model:

LBUs are consumed the first time one of two scenarios occur on a data row: 1) the labeled data row is added to a Model Run in an Experiment; or 2) model predictions are created and submitted within Foundry.

You are charged based on the number of LBUs your team accrues monthly. As your LBU count increases, the monthly cost per LBU decreases. The more you use Labelbox and derive value across Catalog, Annotate, and Model, the less you pay per additional LBU. Please refer to our pricing calculator above to estimate your monthly cost.

If you delete data rows from Catalog, those data rows will be removed from your total LBU count and you won’t be charged for those data rows in next month’s billing cycle. 

Note: Deleting data rows in Catalog will prevent usage of those data rows in Annotate and Model.

If I upload an image data row in Catalog and label it in Annotate, how many LBU will I accrue?

2 LBUs – one LBU in Catalog and one LBU in Annotate (regardless of the number of annotations or labels). 

If I use the same data row (with the same data row ID) in two different model runs, but within the same model, am I charged 1 LBU or 2 LBUs? 

You will be charged 1 LBU for that data row in Model, regardless of the number of model runs that data row is used in. You can even use that data row across different models and you will only be charged for 1 LBU in our Model product. 

Learn more about LBU accrual in specific scenarios across Catalog, Annotate, and Model in our documentation.     

Base labeling services start at a flat rate of $8 USD for the Starter plan and $10 USD an hour for the Enterprise plan. The actual labeling rates vary based on the complexity of the task and volume discounts are available. Contact us to get a quote.