# What is AI Credits?

> AI credits are a usage-based currency that AI platforms use to meter consumption — different actions (chat, image generation, video, embedding) consume different amounts of credits, giving users flexibility without per-action billing.

Per-message or per-image pricing gets clunky fast. A long context costs more than a short one. A premium model costs more than a fast one. A 4K image costs more than a thumbnail. AI credits abstract this complexity into a single budget — you get N credits per month, and each action draws from that pool at a metered rate.

The benefit is flexibility. A heavy creative-image month doesn't leave you scrambling to upgrade because you maxed out a separate image quota. A team that suddenly needs to run lots of long-context document analysis can do it without changing plans. Credits float across products inside the same platform.

The catch is that not all credits are equal. A platform might charge 10 credits for a quick chat with a small model and 500 credits for a premium video generation. Good platforms show the cost up front, before you commit to an action, so you can decide whether to use a cheaper model or wait until next billing cycle.

## How Definable uses AI Credits

Definable uses a unified credit pool across all products — Assistant, Knowledge Bases, Studio, Def Code, and Workflow. Every action shows its credit cost before you commit. Plans range from 5,000 credits/month (Starter, free) to 250,000+ credits/seat/month (Pro). Credits don't roll over month-to-month, but you can purchase credit packs if you run short.

## Product links

- [Definable Pricing](https://definable.ai/pricing/)
- [AI Cost Calculator](https://definable.ai/tools/ai-cost-calculator/)

## Frequently asked questions

### How do AI credits compare to per-message pricing?

Credits are more flexible — they float across products and account for the real cost of each action. Per-message pricing is simpler but doesn't scale to platforms with many tools and model tiers.

### Do AI credits roll over?

Depends on the platform. Definable's credits don't roll over month-to-month, but you can purchase additional credit packs if you run short.

### How do I know how many credits an action will use?

Good platforms display the credit cost before you commit. Run-of-the-mill chat is usually 1-10 credits; premium video generation can be 500+ credits.

## Related terms

- [Multi-Model AI](https://definable.ai/glossary/multi-model-ai/)

## Related

- HTML page: https://definable.ai/glossary/ai-credits/
- Glossary index: https://definable.ai/glossary/
- llms.txt index: https://definable.ai/llms.txt