How credits work

ComicInk runs on a credit system. You spend credits when you generate things that have a real compute cost — pages, panels, covers, translations. Other things — characters, worlds, assets, account features — are free.

The basics

• No subscription. You buy credits when you need them.
• No expiration. Credits you buy never expire. They sit in your account until you use them.
• Pay only for what you generate. Browsing, editing dialogue, adding characters, publishing — all free.
• Atomic billing. Credits are deducted before generation starts, so you never get charged twice for the same generation.

Where credits come from

• 100 free credits when you sign up. No card required, never expires.
• Credit packs you buy: Lite, Starter, Creator, or Video. See buying credit packs.
• Referrals — invite people; when they sign up, you earn credits. See referral program.
• Refunds for failed generations are credited back automatically. See failed generations and refunds.

Where credits go

• 50 credits per page, panel, cover, back cover, or translation.
• 10 credits per character beyond the 5-free quota in an issue.
• 0 credits for character / asset / world / title generation, and for regenerating those.

For the full list, see what costs credits, what doesn't.

Story Videos cost

Story Video renders are priced per second of finished footage at approximately 151 credits per second (at 720p). A typical short-to-medium video costs roughly 3,600–12,000 credits depending on the number of scenes and their length. You'll see the exact cost displayed in-app before you confirm a render — no surprises.

Story Videos is a web-only feature. For a full breakdown see Story Video credits and costs.

Checking your balance

Your credit balance is visible:

• On web: top of the dashboard sidebar.
• On iOS: top of the app's home screen.
• In the editor: a credit counter shows the cost of the action you're about to take, and your remaining balance, before you confirm.

Running out of credits

If your balance runs to zero:

• You can't start new paid generations until you top up.
• Existing pages, characters, and edits are unaffected — your work is saved and stays accessible.
• You'll get an email notification the first time your balance hits zero (one notification only — it doesn't repeat).
• Topping up takes about a minute via the credit-pack purchase flow on web (Stripe) or iOS (Apple In-App Purchase).

Same-account, multi-platform

Credits live in your account, not on a device. Buy a pack on iOS, spend it on web, and the balance follows you. Pricing is identical between platforms.

Why we count credits instead of just per-generation pricing

Per-generation pricing in dollars would mean a Stripe charge every time you click "generate" — which is slow, expensive in fees, and friction-heavy. Buying a pack of credits lets you experiment freely, regenerate without thinking about it, and only top up when you actually need to.

Updated on: 25/06/2026