Free tier: storage-capped, no parsing, parse-on-upgrade

Decision

Free tier gets a 200 MB storage cap (5 GB for paid tiers) and no parsing — uploaded docs land as view_only. On plan upgrade, every existing view_only doc is enqueued for parsing via backfillFreeUploads (idempotent fan-out).

Why

Parsing dominates per-user cost. Charging zero for parsing on Free is a moat for abuse; gating it preserves margin without hurting acquisition. Storage cap (200 MB free / 5 GB paid) replaces upload-count limits — simpler to communicate, fairer at the edge.

Impact

• New document status view_only (uploaded under Free, never parsed).
• On plan upgrade, a backfillFreeUploads callable enqueues every view_only doc for parsing (background fan-out, idempotent).
• Storage cap enforced in the upload signed-URL flow; new storage_used_bytes field on subscription.
• Free tier UI shows a "Parsing unlocks on upgrade" badge on every doc.
• Affects tier-free, tier-self, tier-ai-self, tier-pro-family, pricing-upgrade-topups, pillar-inbox, inbox-document-types, upload-only, copy-strings.

Status

Active.

Sources

• .context/wiki/decisions/* § "2026-05-31 — Free tier: storage-capped, no parsing, parse-on-upgrade"