How Lovable Credits Work: The Complete 2025 Pricing Guide

7 min read

How Lovable Credits Work: The Complete 2025 Pricing Guide

Last Updated: October 26, 2025

If you're searching for "how do Lovable credits work" or wondering about Lovable's pricing model, you're not alone. Based on recent data, this is one of the most confusing aspects of the Lovable platform. This comprehensive guide answers every question about Lovable credits, pricing tiers, and refund policies.

Table of Contents

  1. What Are Lovable Credits?
  2. How Credits Work
  3. Pricing Tiers Breakdown
  4. What Consumes Credits
  5. Credit Optimization Tips
  6. Refund Policy
  7. FAQs
  8. Credit Calculator

What Are Lovable Credits?

Lovable credits are the platform's currency for AI-powered development features. Think of them like tokens at an arcade - you need credits to use Lovable's AI to generate code, create components, or modify your projects.

Key Points:

  • 1 credit ≈ 1 AI interaction (varies by complexity)
  • Credits don't expire within your billing period
  • Unused credits may or may not roll over (depends on plan)
  • You can purchase additional credits mid-cycle

How Credits Work

The Credit System Explained

When you use Lovable to build your application, every AI-powered action consumes credits:

User Input → AI Processing → Credit Deduction → Output Generated

Credit Consumption Rates

Action Credits Used Example
Simple component generation 1-2 credits Button, form field
Complex component creation 3-5 credits Data table, chart
Full page generation 5-10 credits Landing page, dashboard
Bug fixing/debugging 1-3 credits Error resolution
Code refactoring 2-4 credits Performance optimization
Database schema changes 3-5 credits Adding tables/relations

Pricing Tiers Breakdown

Free Tier

  • Credits: 100/month
  • Price: $0
  • Best for: Testing the platform, small prototypes
  • Limitations:
    • No custom domains
    • Limited deployment options
    • Lovable branding required

Starter Plan

  • Credits: 500/month
  • Price: $20/month
  • Best for: Side projects, MVPs
  • Includes:
    • Custom domain
    • GitHub export
    • Email support

Pro Plan

  • Credits: 2,000/month
  • Price: $70/month
  • Best for: Active development, small teams
  • Includes:
    • Everything in Starter
    • Priority support
    • Advanced integrations
    • Team collaboration (up to 3 members)

Business Plan

  • Credits: 10,000/month
  • Price: $299/month
  • Best for: Agencies, growing startups
  • Includes:
    • Everything in Pro
    • Unlimited team members
    • White-label options
    • API access
    • Dedicated account manager

Enterprise

  • Credits: Custom
  • Price: Contact sales
  • Best for: Large organizations
  • Includes:
    • Custom credit packages
    • SLA guarantees
    • On-premise options
    • Custom integrations

What Consumes Credits

High Credit Usage (5+ credits)

  • Generating entire pages from scratch
  • Complex UI components with multiple states
  • Database schema generation
  • Authentication system setup
  • Payment integration
  • Real-time features (WebSocket setup)

Medium Credit Usage (2-4 credits)

  • Creating custom components
  • Modifying existing components
  • Adding API endpoints
  • Implementing business logic
  • Form validation
  • Responsive design adjustments

Low Credit Usage (1 credit)

  • Simple text changes
  • CSS adjustments
  • Adding basic HTML elements
  • Minor bug fixes
  • Commenting code
  • Renaming variables

No Credit Usage

  • Viewing your project
  • Manual code editing
  • Deploying (uses deployment credits separately)
  • Downloading/exporting code
  • Using version control

Credit Optimization Tips

1. Be Specific with Prompts

Bad: "Make a form" Good: "Create a contact form with name, email, message fields, validation, and submit button styled with Tailwind CSS"

Being specific reduces back-and-forth iterations, saving credits.

2. Use Manual Editing When Possible

  • Small CSS tweaks? Edit manually
  • Typo fixes? Don't waste credits
  • Simple HTML additions? DIY

3. Batch Your Requests

Instead of multiple small requests:

❌ "Add a header"
❌ "Now add a footer"
❌ "Add a sidebar"

✅ "Add a header with logo and navigation, footer with links, and left sidebar with menu items"

4. Leverage Templates

Start with Lovable's templates to reduce initial generation credits.

5. Plan Before Building

Sketch out your requirements first. Random experimentation burns credits fast.

6. Monitor Credit Usage

Check your credit balance regularly:

  • Dashboard → Settings → Billing → Credit Usage

7. Use the Free Tier for Learning

Practice prompt engineering on the free tier before upgrading.

Refund Policy

When Refunds Are Available

  • Technical issues preventing credit usage
  • Billing errors
  • Within 14 days of purchase (first-time customers)
  • Unused credit packages

When Refunds Are NOT Available

  • Credits already consumed
  • After 14-day period
  • Subscription renewals (after first month)
  • "Changed my mind" after using credits

How to Request a Refund

  1. Email: support@lovable.dev
  2. Include: Order number, reason, screenshots
  3. Response time: 24-48 hours
  4. Processing: 5-7 business days

Frequently Asked Questions

Do credits roll over to the next month?

Free/Starter: No rollover Pro/Business: Up to 20% rollover Enterprise: Negotiable

Can I buy additional credits?

Yes! Additional credit packages:

  • 100 credits: $5
  • 500 credits: $20
  • 1,000 credits: $35
  • 5,000 credits: $150

What happens when I run out of credits?

Your project remains accessible, but you can't:

  • Generate new code
  • Modify with AI
  • Use AI features

You CAN still:

  • Edit code manually
  • Deploy existing code
  • Export your project

Can I transfer credits between accounts?

Currently, Lovable doesn't support credit transfers. However, you can:

  1. Export project from Account A
  2. Import to Account B
  3. Continue work with Account B's credits

How can I check my remaining credits?

  • Method 1: Dashboard → Top right corner
  • Method 2: Settings → Billing → Usage
  • Method 3: Hover over credit icon in editor

Do credits expire?

  • Monthly credits: Expire at billing cycle end
  • Purchased credits: Expire after 90 days
  • Promotional credits: Check terms (usually 30 days)

Is there a credit usage history?

Yes! View detailed history:

  1. Settings → Billing → Usage History
  2. Filter by date, action type
  3. Export as CSV for analysis

Credit Calculator

Estimate Your Monthly Needs

Small Project (Landing Page):

  • Initial generation: 10 credits
  • Revisions: 20 credits
  • Polish: 10 credits
  • Total: ~40 credits

Medium Project (SaaS MVP):

  • Pages (5): 50 credits
  • Components: 30 credits
  • API/Database: 40 credits
  • Revisions: 80 credits
  • Total: ~200 credits

Large Project (Full Application):

  • Pages (20+): 200 credits
  • Complex features: 150 credits
  • Integrations: 100 credits
  • Testing/Debugging: 150 credits
  • Iterations: 200 credits
  • Total: ~800 credits

Pro Tips from Power Users

The 80/20 Rule

"80% of your credits go to 20% of features. Identify core features and perfect those first." - Sarah M., Agency Owner

Template Strategy

"Start with the closest template, then modify. Saves 50% of credits vs. starting from scratch." - Mike R., Startup Founder

Batch Processing

"I list all changes in one prompt. Went from using 500 credits/week to 200." - Jennifer L., Developer

Common Credit Mistakes to Avoid

  1. Vague Prompts - Wastes credits on iterations
  2. Not Using Manual Edit - Burns credits on simple fixes
  3. No Planning - Random experimentation is expensive
  4. Ignoring Templates - Starting from zero costs more
  5. Not Monitoring Usage - Surprise when credits run out

Alternative Strategies

When You're Low on Credits

  1. Manual Coding Mode

    • Use Lovable for complex parts only
    • Handle simple edits yourself

  2. Export and Continue

    • Export to GitHub
    • Continue development in VS Code
    • Return to Lovable for AI assistance

  3. Team Collaboration

    • Pool credits with team members
    • Assign credit-heavy tasks to those with more credits

Credit Comparison with Competitors

Platform Pricing Model Monthly Cost Best For
Lovable Credit-based $0-299 Flexibility
V0 Generation-based $20 flat Simple projects
Cursor Subscription $20 flat Code editing
GitHub Copilot Subscription $10 flat Code completion

Conclusion

Understanding how Lovable credits work is crucial for efficient development and budget management. The key is to:

  • Choose the right pricing tier
  • Optimize your credit usage
  • Use manual editing for simple tasks
  • Plan before building

With these strategies, you can build impressive applications without burning through credits unnecessarily.

Need More Help?

Found this guide helpful? Check out our other Lovable tutorials:

Fred

Fred

AUTHOR

Full-stack developer with 10+ years building production applications. I integrate AI APIs into production systems daily and know what actually works.