> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.exoid.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Plans and credits

> Understand the difference between plan and credits, and how to extend the limits of your Exoid account.

Your account capacity comes from two different things: the **plan**, which you pay as a subscription, and **credits**, which you buy and spend. Read this page when a limit has run out, or when you need to support a study bigger than expected.

## Plan or credits

The difference in one line: **the plan is how much you can do on your subscription, credits are what you pay for only when you use it.**

The plan is a fixed limit, the same until you change it. Credits are a balance: they go down as you spend them and back up when you buy more. If you need more capacity permanently, change plan. If you need it once, buy credits.

<Columns cols={2}>
  <Card title="The plan" icon="credit-card">
    Sets your account limits: how many responses you collect, how many campaigns you manage, which features you get and how many AI resources are included.
  </Card>

  <Card title="The credits" icon="zap">
    A balance you spend as you go, mainly on recruiting participants. You pay only for what you use, without changing subscription.
  </Card>
</Columns>

<Note>
  Credits don't replace the plan: they add to it. The plan stays the baseline, credits cover what the plan doesn't.
</Note>

## Available and reserved credits

The credit counter splits the balance in two.

<Columns cols={2}>
  <Card title="Available" icon="wallet">
    What you can commit to a new study right now.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Reserved" icon="lock">
    Credits already committed by campaigns in progress. They are yours, but spoken for: they cover the responses those campaigns are still collecting.
  </Card>
</Columns>

If a recruiting order looks unaffordable while the total balance seems fine, check the reserved share first.

## Limits

Under the side menu, a **Limits** box shows how much of the plan you have consumed, with a bar for each limit: responses used out of the total, and active campaigns out of the total. Next to it, **+ Increase limits** opens the plans page, where you compare all available options.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the Dashboard">
    Go to the organization Dashboard.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Read the Limits box">
    The bars tell you which limit is about to run out.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Click + Increase limits">
    The plans page opens.
  </Step>
</Steps>

All plan information is on [Exoid Pricing](https://exoid.ai/pricing).

## Pay-as-you-go credits

The main use of credits is [recruiting participants](/en/distribute/recruiting) through the integrated services: you only pay for the responses you actually collect from the panel.

<Frame caption="The credit system in the Exoid dashboard">
  ![Exoid credit system](https://69247ac52a74519d4fe5e2eb.featurebase-attachments.com/c/article/692ba0c298e22c3c3a3d1e95/019c6c57-67a1-7eda-a2ef-048357290c40/b64u-Q1JFRElUSSBFWE9JRC5wbmc.png)
</Frame>

### Buying more credits

<Steps>
  <Step title="Go to the Dashboard">
    Open the organization Dashboard.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Check the credit balance">
    The counter shows available credits and reserved ones.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Click buy more">
    The section dedicated to credit packages opens.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Next steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Recruit participants" icon="users-round" href="/en/distribute/recruiting">
    The main use of credits: taking your study to the global panel.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Workspace access" icon="door-open" href="/en/workspace/access">
    How to enter the platform and manage your organization.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>


## Related topics

- [Campaign collaboration](/en/workspace/collaboration.md)
- [Recruit participants](/en/distribute/recruiting.md)
- [February 18, 2026](/en/whats-new/2026-02-18.md)