---
title: "How credits work"
category: "Billing, credits & plans"
url: https://studs.gg/support/billing-credits-and-plans/how-credits-work
updated: 2026-09-03T19:56:27.606Z
---
# How credits work

Credits pay for the work Studs does on a run. A run is charged as it goes, based on what it actually costs us to build, so a small game costs less than a big one. Most runs land somewhere between 100 and 300 credits.

## On the free plan

Your first run is free. That is one prompt and one build, not a free game you can keep refining: every follow-up change is a new run and needs credits. The free run covers a normal-sized game, so keep the first idea small. It is used the moment it starts and is not returned if the run fails or you stop it. The free plan has no daily credits, so to keep building you upgrade to [Pro](/support/billing-credits-and-plans/what-do-i-get-with-pro).

## On Pro

* You get **400 credits every day**. They are claimed for you automatically when you start a run, and you can also claim them from the credits widget in the left sidebar.
* You can hold up to **1,200 credits**. Credits never expire, but a claim only tops you up to the maximum, so unclaimed days above the cap are not carried forward.
* The day resets at **midnight UTC**. The sidebar shows a countdown to your next claim.

## Running out

If your balance hits zero in the middle of a run, the run is [paused](/support/troubleshooting-and-errors/my-game-is-stuck-or-says-generation-failed) and your progress is kept. Claim your next daily credits, or upgrade if you are on the free plan, then click Resume. A run can be resumed up to three times. You cannot start a new run with an empty balance.

## Failed or stopped runs

Credits pay for work already done, so a run that fails or that you stop is still charged for what it used, and credits are not refunded. If a run failed because of a problem on our side, email [support@studs.gg](mailto:support@studs.gg) with the details from your avatar menu under **Help & Support** and we will look into it.