What a credit is
A credit is prepaid usage that belongs to your organization, not to a single person. Plans add credits every month. The 1 of plan buys 4 credits. You can also buy one-time top-ups. See Plans and top-ups for the full list. Everyone who works in your organization’s projects spends from the same balance.You need a positive balance to create a project, to send a message to Newly Agent, and to create a Newly Backend. New accounts start with 0 credits unless Newly gives you credits or a gift plan.
Credits follow work, not messages
A message doesn’t cost a fixed amount. Every step the agent takes to answer it uses credits: reading your project, writing code, building, and checking the app.- A quick question can use a fraction of a credit.
- A first build of a new app, or a long fix, can use dozens.
What uses credits
- Newly Agent work. Every message you send to Newly Agent in Build, Plan, Ask or Design, in Remote chats and in Local chats.
- Automatic fix turns. When a build fails or your app crashes, the agent may start a turn to fix it. That turn uses credits like any other.
- AI features in your app. Requests your app makes to AI models, in dev or production, including requests from your app’s users. See AI features in your app.
What doesn’t draw down credits
These don’t draw down credits today:- previews, cloud simulators and the Web view
- native builds
- TestFlight uploads
- Newly Backend hosting
- Restore to here and Undo
- Local chats that use your own Claude or Codex login (Mac only, see Local chats on your Mac)
What makes a request cost more
A turn costs more when the agent has more to do. The main factors are:- how much the agent has to read, write and build
- the size of your project and of the conversation so far
- attached images and screenshots
- repeated build-and-fix loops
Ways to spend less
- Be specific about what you want and where.
- Ask for one change per message.
- Use Ask or Plan to agree on an approach before the agent builds.
- Press the stop button if a turn heads the wrong way. Work completed so far stays saved.
- Use Restore to here to go back to an earlier point instead of asking the agent to undo its changes. See Undo and Restore to here.
Where to see your balance
- Account footer. Your balance shows under your name at the bottom of the sidebar.
- Billing. Select your name at the bottom of the sidebar, then select Billing. Available credits shows your total. Select it to see a breakdown by Plan, Top-up and From Newly, each with its expiry (“until” a date, or “never expires”).
Why your balance moves in steps
Newly sets credits aside while a step runs and settles the real amount when it finishes. Your balance can change in jumps rather than smoothly. The last step of a turn can take your balance slightly below zero. The next credits you buy or receive cover that amount first.Shared projects
When you work in a project someone shared with you, the project owner’s organization pays for the turns. See Share a project.Prices
Prices can change. Billing in the app always shows current prices.Related
Plans and top-ups
Plan tiers, annual billing, top-ups and credits from Newly.
Running out of credits
What happens at 0 credits and how to continue.