How credits work
On this How credits work page
What a credit buys and what each video costs.
The unit
A credit is ShortLoom's usage unit. A standard 30-second video on the base engine costs 3 credits. From there, cost scales with what you actually ask for:
- Length - every additional 30-second block is another 3 credits, so a 90-second video is 9 credits.
- Talking avatar - a presenter-led video costs more per 30 seconds than a scene-based one.
- 4K rendering - quadruples the base cost of whichever mode you chose.
The free-draft path (see "Create your first video" in Using the product) shows this exact number before you approve, so you never have to calculate it by hand.
What each plan gives you
- Free - 0 credits. Signing up needs no card. Drafting in Director is free; generating uses Starter's $1 / 7-day trial (6 credits = two cinematic 30-second videos, no watermark) or a paid plan.
- Starter - 25 credits / month.
- Growth - 60 credits / month, and the only tier below Pro where talking-avatar videos are available.
- Pro - 150 credits / month.
When credits are charged
Credits are reserved when a render starts and refunded automatically if it fails - you're only ever charged for a video that completes. You can see every movement - grants, spends, refunds - in your balance history. If you're topping up mid-cycle or wondering which balance gets spent first, see "Rollover & credit top-ups".
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