Dear free Bitrix24 plan users!
This spring we made our free plan available to an unlimited number of users in order to help our clients during the Covid-19 pandemic. While we are very proud of this decision and the positive response we received from you, it has significantly increased server load for free account users. In plain English, sometimes your free accounts would work slower. Our tech team has worked on a number of solutions that would allow us to keep free unlimited users AND improve free account performance, resulting in the following changes.
You have probably noticed that your free accounts are working much faster now. This is the effect of new search filter limits for tasks and CRM that took effect on December 1, and we are planning further performance enhancements.
Also, we are changing unlimited REST API access rules for free accounts after January 1, 2021. This means that if you are using REST API, webhooks or marketplace applications, you’ll need to upgrade to a paid plan, which automatically moves your Bitrix24 account to a separate stack of servers that are capable of handling peak loads without any performance degrading. This too should result in noticeable improvements for all free and paid Bitrix24 accounts.
Finally, we are changing telephony access rules. Currently, free accounts are capable of purchasing telephony credits in order to make calls, rent numbers or use other Bitrix24 telephony features. However, such accounts are still considered free, meaning they aren’t eligible for technical support and setup assistance. Because many telephony users do feel that they need access to our tech support team during initial setup, the ability to purchase telephony credits and use telephony services is going to be reserved only to Bitrix24 accounts with tech support access. These changes are taking effect on January 1, 2021, as well.
Overall these changes are impacting a small number of free Bitrix24 users, but everyone should experience the positive impact of these changes as soon as they are implemented. If you are considering upgrading to a commercial subscription, the best time to do it now, this December, when we traditionally offer the best discounts and deals of the year.
Thank you for using Bitrix24 and happy holiday season!
Your Bitrix24 team