How credits work

How a render is priced, why video costs per second, and how to spend less while you explore.

Credits are how you pay for renders in the studio. Every plan adds a set number of credits at the start of each billing month, and every model has a fixed credit cost. When you press Generate, the studio shows the cost first, then takes the credits from your balance.

Three ways a render is priced

Per image: image models cost a fixed amount for each image. Ask for four images and you pay four times.
Per second: video models cost a fixed amount for each second of clip. A longer clip costs more.
Per run: most tools cost a fixed amount each time you run them, whatever the file. Video tools are priced per second, like video models.

Here is what some common models cost today. The numbers come straight from the catalog, so they stay correct when prices change.

You always see the cost first

The studio shows the credit cost next to the Generate button and updates it when you change the model, the number of images or the clip length. If your balance is too low, the studio tells you before anything runs, and nothing is taken.

Failed or cancelled renders are free

If a render fails, or you cancel it while it runs, the credits go straight back to your balance. You only pay for results you actually get.

Plan credits and pack credits

Plan credits refresh at the start of each billing month and do not roll over, so unused plan credits do not pile up. Credit packs are one off top ups for paid plans. Pack credits stay in your balance until you use them, which makes them useful for a busy month or a single large project.

Paying yearly gives you the same monthly credits as paying monthly. The difference is the price: yearly billing is paid once for twelve months and costs less overall. The pricing page shows both.

How to spend less while you explore

Draft on a lower cost model, then run the final version on the model you like.
Make one image at a time while the prompt is still changing. Ask for four only when you are close.
Keep video clips at the shortest length until the motion is right.
Start video from a still you already like. You waste fewer clips on framing.
Use tools at the end. Upscale only the result you will actually use.

Your balance is shown in the header and on your account page, next to the plan you are on. The account page also lists every plan change and credit pack, so you can see where your credits came from.

In this preview

This site is a preview. Prices and credit numbers are sample values, renders return sample results, and nothing is charged. Your balance is kept in this browser only. The way credits are counted is the same as it will be at launch, so the habits in this guide still apply.

In the studio