# How do Soldr credits actually work — and what do they cost? > 25 free credits on sign-in, first generation free, asking always free. The exact formula for what a generation costs after that, and how to buy more. [HTML version](https://soldr.ai/docs/credits-and-pricing) [Docs](https://soldr.ai/docs) / Start here You signed in and got 25 credits. Now what spends them? Nobody wants to ask a question and find out afterward it cost something, or generate a build and get an unpleasant surprise on the total. Here's exactly what's free, what's billed, and how the number is calculated — not a rough idea of it, the actual formula. 3 min read Start here Credits & pricing ## What never costs a credit Describing your idea, asking questions in chat, getting help after something's built, and troubleshooting a build that isn't working — none of it draws credits. That includes pasting serial output for a diagnosis and uploading a photo of your breadboard for a vision check: both are reading and explaining, not generating, so both are free every time, not just the first time. The one exception is typing the `/explain` command specifically — see below. Ordinary chat questions, however detailed, are not `/explain` and stay free. ## What actually costs a credit — and how much Credits are spent when Soldr generates something you can flash or build from: code, or a wiring diagram. Each is billed the same way — by the size of what was actually produced, not a flat fee per click. > **Your first code generation is free, regardless of size** — Sign in, describe a build, and the first time Soldr generates code for you, it's free even if it's a big one. The billing formula below only starts applying from your second generation onward. - **The formula: 1 credit per 200 billable tokens** Soldr counts the tokens that went into what it generated and divides by 200, rounding up. A small sketch costs a few credits; a larger multi-file build costs more, in direct proportion to its size. - **Capped at 150 credits, no matter how large the build** Even an unusually large generation can't draw more than 150 credits in one go. That's the ceiling on a single code or wiring generation, not on your account. - **Code and wiring are billed separately** Asking for a wiring diagram after your code is already generated is its own draw, using the same per-200-tokens formula — it isn't bundled into the code's cost. - **The one exception: the `/explain` command** Typing `/explain` followed by a topic asks for a deep-dive write-up, and that specific command costs a flat 5 credits — but only when it actually delivers a real explanation. A bare `/explain` with nothing to explain, or one that errors out, charges nothing. This is a deliberately separate, named command, not the same thing as asking a question in chat. > [screenshot] Soldr's credit balance indicator in the app header before and after a code generation, with the generation's own credit cost shown inline in the chat alongside the delivered code. ## Buying more — no subscription, ever When you're out, you buy a one-time pack. Nothing recurring, nothing to cancel, and the rate never changes: **1 credit = ₹1**. | Pack | Credits | Price | |---|---|---| | Starter | 100 credits | ₹100 | | Maker | 299 credits | ₹299 | | Pro | 999 credits | ₹999 | All three are the same [Soldr Credits](https://compoden.com/products/soldr-monthly-pass-full-build-access) product on Compoden, in different sizes — buy once, the credits land on your account, done. ## A worked walkthrough Say you sign in fresh: 25 credits. You describe a build, get a parts card, ask a couple of clarifying questions, and change your mind about a sensor twice — still 25 credits, because none of that generates anything yet. You ask for the code: your first generation, so it's free no matter its size — still 25 credits, now with a real sketch. You ask for the wiring diagram next: this one bills, at 1 credit per 200 tokens of what was generated, capped well under the 150-credit ceiling for anything reasonably sized. Every generation after that bills the same way, and you can watch the balance the whole time rather than finding out at the end. ## If something about a charge doesn't look right - Check whether the draw was for code or a wiring diagram specifically — they're billed separately, so two draws for one build isn't a double-charge. - A generation that came back small but cost more than expected is worth a second look — ask Soldr directly what a specific charge covered; that question itself is free. - Still unclear? Reach out at [support@compoden.in](mailto:support@compoden.in) with the approximate time of the charge and what you asked for. [Previous Your first build](https://soldr.ai/docs/your-first-build) [Next ESP32 reboots on motor start](https://soldr.ai/docs/esp32-reboots-when-motor-starts)