> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://streamloop.app/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# How billing works
> Streamloop is pay-as-you-go — you buy credits and spend them only while a stream is live. No subscription, credits never expire, and free credits to start.
Streamloop is **pay-as-you-go**. You buy credits, and you spend them only while a stream is live.
There's no subscription and no monthly commitment, and your credits never expire. New accounts
start with free credits, so you can run a real stream before paying anything.
## What you pay for
You pay for two things, both metered so you only pay for what you use:
1. **Streaming time** — the time your stream is on air. This is the main cost.
2. **Video preparation** — a one-time fee of about **\$0.005 per minute of encoding time** to convert each video into a stream-ready format.
### Streaming time
The streaming rate depends on two things you set per stream: **resolution** and **frame rate**. A
higher-quality, higher-frame-rate stream costs more; a lower one costs less. Billing is metered by
the minute while you're live, so you only pay for the minutes you actually stream.
The figures below are the cost of a stream running **nonstop for 30 days**:
| Resolution | 24 fps | 25 fps | 30 fps | 60 fps |
| ---------- | ------- | ------- | ------- | ------- |
| 720p | \$4.02 | \$4.19 | \$5.01 | \$7.52 |
| 1080p | \$7.99 | \$8.34 | \$9.98 | \$14.99 |
| 1440p | \$15.98 | \$16.68 | \$20.00 | \$29.98 |
| 4K (2160p) | \$23.98 | \$24.97 | \$29.98 | \$45.01 |
You're billed by the minute, so a stream you run for a week costs about a quarter of these
figures, and one you run for a day about a thirtieth. See the
[pricing page](https://streamloop.app/#pricing) for exact current rates.
For example, a 1080p stream at 30fps costs about **\$0.0139 per hour** — roughly \$2.33 for a week,
or \$9.98 for a full 30 days of nonstop streaming.
Streaming is metered in **credits**, where **\$1 = 1,000,000 credits**. Each minute you're live
costs the rate below for your resolution and frame rate. Monthly figures assume 30 days
(43,200 minutes) of continuous streaming.
| Resolution | Frame rate | Credits / min | ≈ \$ / hour | ≈ \$ / month |
| ---------- | ---------- | ------------- | ----------- | ------------ |
| 720p | 24 fps | 93 | \$0.0056 | \$4.02 |
| 720p | 25 fps | 97 | \$0.0058 | \$4.19 |
| 720p | 30 fps | 116 | \$0.0070 | \$5.01 |
| 720p | 60 fps | 174 | \$0.0104 | \$7.52 |
| 1080p | 24 fps | 185 | \$0.0111 | \$7.99 |
| 1080p | 25 fps | 193 | \$0.0116 | \$8.34 |
| 1080p | 30 fps | 231 | \$0.0139 | \$9.98 |
| 1080p | 60 fps | 347 | \$0.0208 | \$14.99 |
| 1440p | 24 fps | 370 | \$0.0222 | \$15.98 |
| 1440p | 25 fps | 386 | \$0.0232 | \$16.68 |
| 1440p | 30 fps | 463 | \$0.0278 | \$20.00 |
| 1440p | 60 fps | 694 | \$0.0416 | \$29.98 |
| 4K (2160p) | 24 fps | 555 | \$0.0333 | \$23.98 |
| 4K (2160p) | 25 fps | 578 | \$0.0347 | \$24.97 |
| 4K (2160p) | 30 fps | 694 | \$0.0416 | \$29.98 |
| 4K (2160p) | 60 fps | 1042 | \$0.0625 | \$45.01 |
Video preparation (encoding) is billed separately at **5,000 credits (\$0.005) per minute of
encoding time**, charged once when the conversion succeeds.
### Video preparation
Before a video can loop 24/7, Streamloop converts (encodes) it once into a stream-ready format.
This is a one-time charge of about **\$0.005 per minute of encoding time** — you're only charged
when the conversion finishes successfully.
## What's free
Uploading your videos and keeping them on Streamloop is free — you pay to stream them, not to
store them.
A loop that isn't live costs nothing. Set up as many as you like and pay only when one is
streaming.
## Free trial credits
New accounts get **free credits** — enough to run a real stream for a few hours — with **no card
required**. Use them to test your setup, your destination, and the quality before you spend
anything.
## Topping up
When you're ready, add credits from your billing settings:
* **Top up from \$5.** Unused credits stay on your account and never expire.
* **Pay by card** (processed by Stripe) **or with crypto** — USDT, USDC, Bitcoin, Ethereum, and
Solana, across all major coins and networks.
## If you run low or out of credits
* **Starting a stream** checks your balance first. If you don't have enough credits to run the
stream you've set up, Streamloop won't start it until you top up.
* **While you're live**, credits drain by the minute. If your balance runs out mid-stream, the
stream **stops automatically**, so you're never charged beyond what you've bought. Your videos
and settings stay put — top up and start again whenever you like.
Your billing dashboard shows your current hourly rate, a monthly estimate, and how long your
balance will last at your current usage — so you can top up before a 24/7 stream runs dry.
## Refunds
You can request a refund on **unused credits from a purchase** from the matching invoice in your
billing settings. Free trial credits aren't refundable, and a refund is capped at the credits you
have left. Approved refunds go back to your original payment method.
## FAQ
No. Credits stay on your account until you use them.
No. Streamloop is entirely pay-as-you-go — you pay only for the credits you buy and the
streaming time you use.
Just one: converting each video into a stream-ready format costs about \$0.005 per minute of
encoding time. Uploads, storage, and loops that aren't live are all free.
Roughly \$4 (720p), \$8 (1080p), \$16 (1440p), or \$24 (4K) per 30 days at 24fps. Higher frame
rates cost more, and you pay by the minute, so shorter runs cost proportionally less.
The stream stops automatically. Nothing else is affected — your videos and settings remain,
and you can restart once you top up.
Ready to start? New accounts get free credits — [try it on streamloop.app](https://streamloop.app).