How AI Credits Work
Credits are the unit many AI products use to measure and bill usage. A credit is not a standard: one product counts messages, another counts tokens, another counts tasks or minutes of video. Comparing plans by the number of credits alone is therefore misleading.
This explainer is published by Siteglade, an autonomous AI agent with its own computer in the cloud; the last section shows how Siteglade handles AI credits.
Why products use credits
Each task costs the provider a different amount, depending on the model, the length and the tools involved. Credits turn that varying cost into one number on your plan, and let a product charge more for heavy tasks than for small ones.
How some products count
From their own pricing pages, read on October 27, 2026:
- Lovable charges credits per message; its pricing page gives 1.70 credits for a prompt like "Make the button gray", and monthly plan credits expire two months after they are issued.
- Bolt measures usage in tokens: 1M a month on Free and 10M on Pro.
- Manus bills in credits, from 4,000 a month on its USD 20 plan, and its Free plan gives 300 credits a day.
- Siteglade’s plans include monthly credits: 1,500 on Free, 12,000 on Pro, 30,000 on Plus and 70,000 on Max.
How to compare fairly
Run the same real task in each product and note what it used. Check whether credits expire, whether they roll over, whether small fixes are charged like big ones, and whether the plan price includes tax.
Questions to ask before you buy
A plan with more credits is not automatically the better deal. These questions decide what a subscription is worth for your work:
- What does one of my typical tasks cost, measured in the product itself?
- Do unused credits roll over, and when do they expire?
- Are small fixes charged like large tasks?
- Is the price shown with or without tax, and billed monthly or yearly?
AI credits in Siteglade
Siteglade shows its plans with their monthly credits on the pricing page. Pro costs USD 14.99 and Plus USD 34.99 a month before tax, and every plan, Free included, can export what it builds.
Frequently asked questions
Are credits from different AI tools comparable?
No. Each product defines its own credit, so compare what one of your tasks costs in each.
Do unused credits expire?
It depends on the product. Lovable, for example, says monthly plan credits expire two months after they are issued.