Subscription & Billing

plotTree uses a two-tier access model: subscriptions provide platform access and feature levels, while credits (or BYOK) power AI generation. This guide explains how it all works.

The Two-Tier System

Tier 1: Platform Access

To use plotTree at all, you need an active subscription or trial. This grants you:

Access to the platform (project management, vault, timeline, etc.)
Feature tier (Hobby vs. Pro)
Monthly credits included with your plan

Without an active subscription or trial, your account is paused and you can’t access any features—even if you have credits remaining.

Tier 2: AI Features

To use AI generation (scene writing, character detection, image generation), you need:

Credits (from trial, subscription, or purchased top-offs) OR
BYOK (optional—bring your own OpenRouter API key)

You can have an active subscription but run out of credits. When that happens, you can purchase more credits or add your own API key.

Why two tiers? Platform development and AI costs are separate. Subscriptions fund development, infrastructure, and support. Credits (or your own API keys) fund the actual AI providers. This separation keeps pricing simple and sustainable.

Free Trial

New accounts automatically get a 7-day free trial. No credit card required.

What’s Included

Duration: 7 days from account creation
Credits: 2,500 credits (never expire)
Projects: Unlimited
Features: All Pro-level features
Support: Priority support access

What Happens When Trial Ends

Your trial ends 7 days after account creation. When it expires:

Platform access is paused (you can’t use plotTree)
Your 2,500 trial credits remain in your account (they never expire)
Your projects and data are preserved
No automatic charges—you choose whether to subscribe

To continue using plotTree, upgrade to a paid subscription. Your trial credits will still be available to use.

Subscription Tiers

plotTree offers two subscription plans, both billed monthly.

Hobby — $14.99/month

What You Get:

Platform access (unlimited projects, all core features)
5,000 credits per month
Email support

Credits: Refresh at the start of each billing period, expire at the end.

Best For: Writers who generate moderately (a few scenes per week) and don’t need AI-generated visuals.

Pro — $24.99/month

What You Get:

Platform access (unlimited projects, all features)
12,500 credits per month
AI-Generated Visuals (cover art and avatars)
Priority support

Credits: Refresh at the start of each billing period, expire at the end.

Best For: Active writers who generate frequently and want AI-powered cover art and character avatars.

Feature Comparison

Both tiers include:

Smart Story Development (frameworks, scene planning)
Automatic Character Tracking (vault object detection)
Intelligent Scene Pacing (rule-based word counts)
Story Vault (character/location/item state tracking)
AI Writing Assistants (General and Project)
Unlimited projects
BYOK option (avoid platform margin)

Pro adds:

AI-Generated Visuals (cover art, character/location avatars)
Priority support
2.5x the monthly credits (12,500 vs. 5,000)

The Credit System

Credits are plotTree’s currency for AI generation. Think of them as prepaid API costs with transparent pricing.

How Credits Work

Simple Rate: Roughly 1,000 credits = $1 of direct API usage, plus a small platform margin for infrastructure, model selection, and prompt engineering.

What Uses Credits:

Scene content generation (Draft → Expanded → Written)
AI assistant conversations (General and Project)
Character/location/item detection and enrichment
AI-generated images (cover art, avatars—Pro only)

Credit Types & Expiration

plotTree has three types of credits with different expiration rules:

Trial Credits:

Amount: 2,500 credits
When: Granted automatically with new accounts
Expiration: Never expire
Why: So you can explore at your own pace without time pressure

Subscription Credits:

Amount: 5,000 (Hobby) or 12,500 (Pro) per month
When: Granted at the start of each billing period
Expiration: Expire at the end of the billing period
Why: Monthly refresh encourages regular usage and keeps pricing predictable

Purchased Credits (Top-offs):

Amount: You choose (available in increments)
When: Purchase anytime through the app
Expiration: Never expire
Why: For when you need extra credits but don’t want to upgrade tiers

Usage Priority: When you generate content, plotTree uses credits in this order:

Subscription credits (expiring soonest)
Trial credits
Purchased credits

This ensures you use expiring credits first and preserve permanent credits.

Credit Expiration Details

What happens to expiring credits? At the end of your billing period, any unused subscription credits are removed. Your trial and purchased credits remain.

Example: You’re on Pro with 5,000 subscription credits remaining at billing renewal. The 5,000 expires, and you receive a fresh 12,500 for the new period. Your trial credits (2,500) and any purchased top-offs stay in your account.

Why expire monthly credits? It keeps subscription pricing simple and prevents credit hoarding. If you consistently have credits left over, consider downgrading to Hobby to save money.

Checking Your Balance

Your current credit balance is always visible in the left sidebar. Click it for a breakdown:

Total credits available
Breakdown by type (trial/subscription/purchased)
Expiration dates for subscription credits
Usage history

Alternative: Bring Your Own Keys (BYOK)

If you’d prefer to avoid our platform margin and pay AI providers directly, you can use BYOK.

How BYOK Works

Instead of using credits, connect your own OpenRouter API key. plotTree will use your key for all AI generation, and you’ll be billed directly by OpenRouter at cost.

What You Need:

An active plotTree subscription (Hobby or Pro)
An OpenRouter account with API key
Credits in your OpenRouter account (separate from plotTree credits)

What You Get:

No platform margin on AI costs
Direct billing from OpenRouter at their standard rates
Full billing transparency (check OpenRouter dashboard)
Same expert-curated models and prompt engineering

What You Don’t Get:

Simple credit pricing (you track OpenRouter costs separately)
Predictable monthly budgets (usage varies by how much you generate)

Credits vs. BYOK: Which to Choose?

Use Credits if:

You want simple, predictable pricing
You prefer everything in one bill
You don’t want to manage a separate AI provider account
You’re fine with a small platform margin for convenience

Use BYOK if:

You want to avoid the platform margin
You need detailed API usage tracking
You generate heavily and want direct provider rates
You’re comfortable managing OpenRouter separately

Can you switch? Yes. Add an API key anytime to switch to BYOK. Delete it to switch back to credits. plotTree prioritizes credits when available—if you have credits and BYOK configured, credits are used first.

For BYOK setup and management, see Managing API Keys.

Billing & Payments

How Billing Works

Monthly Billing: Subscriptions are billed monthly on the date you first subscribed. If you subscribed on the 15th, you’ll be billed on the 15th of each month.

Payment Methods: We accept all major credit cards through Stripe. Payment information is stored securely by Stripe—plotTree never sees your full card number.

Automatic Renewal: Subscriptions renew automatically each month unless you cancel.

Managing Your Subscription

Upgrade/Downgrade: Change tiers anytime through your account settings. Changes take effect at the next billing period.

Cancel Anytime: No long-term commitments or cancellation fees. Cancel through account settings or by contacting support.

When You Cancel:

You keep access until the end of your current billing period
Subscription credits expire at period end
Trial and purchased credits remain available
Projects and data are preserved (but inaccessible without active subscription)

Reactivating: Subscribe again anytime to regain access. Your projects and data are waiting.

Refund Policy

We offer a 30-day money-back guarantee on your first subscription purchase. If plotTree isn’t working for you, contact us at info@plottree.ai within 30 days for a full refund.

Purchasing Additional Credits

Need more credits before your billing period renews? Purchase top-off credits anytime.

Available through: Account settings → Credits → Purchase More

Pricing: Same rate as subscription credits (roughly 1,000 credits = $1 + small platform margin)

Expiration: Never expire

Use Case: You’re on Hobby but have a productive week and run out of credits mid-month. Buy a 5,000-credit top-off instead of upgrading to Pro for one month.

Common Questions

”What happens if I run out of credits?”

If you have BYOK configured, AI features continue using your OpenRouter key. If not, AI features are disabled until you purchase more credits or add an API key.

You can still access the platform and manage projects—you just can’t generate new content or use AI assistants.

”Do unused credits roll over?”

Trial and purchased credits never expire—they roll over indefinitely. Subscription credits expire at the end of each billing period and do not roll over.

”Can I use BYOK and credits together?”

Yes, but plotTree prioritizes credits. If you have both configured, credits are used first. This prevents surprise OpenRouter charges when you thought you were using credits.

”What if I cancel my subscription but have credits remaining?”

Your trial and purchased credits remain in your account, but you can’t use them without an active subscription. Reactivate your subscription anytime to access them again.

”How do I track credit usage?”

Click your credit balance in the left sidebar to see:

Total credits available
Breakdown by type
Recent usage history
Expiration dates

For detailed usage tracking, check the usage history page (coming soon).

”What counts as ‘AI generation’?”

Anything that calls an AI model:

Scene content generation (titles, summaries, prose)
AI assistant conversations
Vault object detection and enrichment
Character/location avatar generation (Pro only)
Cover art generation (Pro only)

Regular platform features (creating projects, editing metadata, organizing scenes) don’t use credits.

Next Steps

Start Creating: Head to your dashboard and create your first project.

Understand AI Features: Learn what AI features are available in the AI Features overview.

Manage Your Account: Update billing, change plans, or purchase credits in your account settings.

Questions about billing? Contact support at info@plottree.ai or check our Terms of Service for the official fine print.