Catchpoint Points Guide

A companion guide for the Catchpoint Deployment Assistant Points Estimator. It explains point usage, annual buckets, CPM context, and the multiplier values used by the local estimator.
Back to Estimator Pricing FAQ Contracted Monthly Points Point Estimator Docs

How Points Work

Points are the usage currency for Catchpoint synthetic tests. The estimator forecasts how many points a planned monitor mix will consume based on monitor type, network type, frequency, node count, add-ons, debug-on-error, and BGP prefixes.

Points are typically purchased as an annual or multi-year contract bucket. The monthly view is useful for planning, but the commercial commitment is not meant to behave like a hard use-it-or-lose-it monthly allowance. If one month is lower and the next month has an ad-hoc need, the annual bucket gives room to flex within the contract term.

Pricing Context

For commercial planning, apply the customer-specific cost per 1,000 points after the estimator gives the forecasted volume.

  • CPM means cost per 1,000 points.
  • Higher annual volumes usually have a lower CPM.
  • Common planning bands may include 5M, 20M, 100M, 500M, and 1B points, but real pricing depends on the negotiated contract.
  • Large contracts are often crafted to make usage easier and more flexible for the customer.

Estimator Formula

Runs / day = 60 / frequency x 24 x tests-or-steps x nodes

Points / run = monitor factor x network multiplier

Points / month = points / day x 30.4

Points / year = points / day x 365

For transaction-style tests, treat each step as part of the test count or steps input so the estimate reflects the total run volume.

Monitor Point Multipliers

Monitor TypePoints / Run FactorMonitor TypePoints / Run Factor
API0.200Chrome1.000
Custom0.200DNS Direct0.100
DNS Experience0.300Emulated Browser0.700
FTP0.500IMAP0.200
Mobile1.000MQTT0.200
NTP0.200Ping0.100
Playback0.700Playwright1.000
Puppeteer1.000Single Object0.200
SMTP0.200SSH0.200
SSL0.200TCP0.100
Trace Route0.500UDP0.100
WebPageTest1.000Websocket0.200

Network Multipliers

Network TypeMultiplier
Backbone (default)1.000
Last Mile2.000
Wireless5.000
Cloud0.500
Enterprise (Pt)0.400

Add-ons and BGP

ItemEstimator Value
Hosts0.200 add-on points
Zones0.100 add-on points
Screenshot0.200 add-on points
Filmstrip0.300 add-on points
Debug-on-error0.200 multiplier at 3% debug rate
BGP Basic2 points per prefix per month
BGP Standard6 points per prefix per month

Official References

Use these Catchpoint documentation pages for customer-facing support and product context: