Billing & Credits
Hydron uses a credit-based billing system. Credits are consumed when you use AI features and deploy infrastructure. This page explains how billing works.
How credits work
Credits are the currency for using Hydron's services. They're consumed by:
| Action | Credit cost |
|---|---|
| AI chat messages | Based on message length and AI model |
| Code analysis | Based on repository size |
| Infrastructure planning | Based on plan complexity |
| Server provisioning | Based on server tier and duration |
Credits are deducted as you use features. You can track your balance and usage in real-time.
Free tier
Every new account receives free credits to explore the platform. The free tier lets you:
- Chat with the AI assistant
- Analyze code repositories
- Generate infrastructure plans
- Experience the full deployment flow
No credit card required to get started.
Checking your balance
View your current credit balance and usage from Settings > Usage. The usage dashboard shows a breakdown of credit consumption across AI conversations, code analysis, infrastructure planning, and server provisioning.
Purchasing credits
To add more credits to your account:
- Go to Settings > Billing
- Click Purchase Credits
- Select a credit package
- Complete payment via Stripe
Hydron accepts all major credit and debit cards through Stripe's secure payment processing.
Auto-topup
Enable auto-topup to automatically purchase credits when your balance runs low:
- Go to Settings > Billing
- Enable Auto-topup
- Set your threshold (e.g., "topup when balance falls below 100 credits")
- Set the topup amount (e.g., "add 1,000 credits")
Auto-topup ensures your deployments are never interrupted by insufficient credits.
Subscriptions
For regular usage, credit subscriptions offer better value:
- Monthly credit packages at discounted rates
- Automatic renewal so you never run out
- Cancel anytime — unused credits carry over
Manage subscriptions from Settings > Billing.
Usage tracking
Detailed usage tracking helps you understand your spending:
Per-project usage
See how many credits each project consumes, helping you identify cost drivers.
Server usage
Track credit consumption per server, including provisioning and runtime costs.
Historical usage
View usage trends over time to predict future needs and budget accordingly.
Payment methods
Manage your payment methods from Settings > Billing:
- Add credit or debit cards
- Set a default payment method
- Remove old payment methods
- View payment history
All payments are processed securely through Stripe. Hydron never stores your full card details.
Billing history
View your complete billing history:
- Credit purchases — When and how many credits you bought
- Credit usage — Detailed breakdown of credit consumption
- Invoices — Download invoices for accounting
Cost optimization tips
- Right-size servers — Don't provision more resources than you need
- Use templates — Pre-configured templates optimize resource usage
- Monitor usage — Check the usage dashboard regularly
- Clean up unused projects — Remove projects you no longer need
- Use auto-topup — Avoid service interruptions from insufficient credits