The software world has trained everyone into one model: a separate monthly subscription per tool, the same meter whether or not you use it. On DevAny the subscription buys capacity (live apps, members, traffic, storage) and every paid plan includes monthly AI Credit; that credit is drawn only AS you use it — an idle app spends nothing.
A credit is the platform's common unit of spend. Building an app, editing it, and in-app AI features consume credits; an idle app consumes nothing.
Cost scales with usage
The beauty of this model is proportion: a quiet month costs little, a busy month costs more. Experimenting is low-risk — build an idea, dislike it, and only the AI Credit that experiment consumed is spent. The subscription provides platform capacity; AI usage is metered against your AI Credit as you go.
Model choice affects cost too: flagship models run at a higher credit level, budget models at a lower one. Price indicators tell you the level, not an amount — and the level is what you need for the decision.
Caps and quotas protect you
The answer to "what if it runs away?" is caps. You set per-day and per-user limits on in-app AI features; when a limit is hit, spend stops while the app keeps working. Your balance is always visible, so there are no surprises.
Why this is fairer for small tools
- Small tools are used sporadically; a separate fixed fee per tool always loses on sporadic use.
- Instead of ten separate subscriptions for ten tools, one plan and one AI Credit pool fund as many tools as you like.
- There is no separate meter per tool: an app you stop using stops drawing credit, automatically.
- It fits seasonal businesses: busy months use more credit; your plan's monthly credit renews each period, and any Boost you bought stays until spent while your subscription runs.
Think of credits as an experimentation budget, not an expense. Draft all three of your ideas at the cheapest level, then invest in the best one — credit is only drawn for what you actually try.