Billing & Plans

Documentation Index

Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.buildwithtrace.com/llms.txt

Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

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Plans Overview

Trace offers plans for individual engineers, teams, and enterprises. All plans include the full desktop application — the difference is in AI capabilities and usage limits. Yearly billing is available for Pro and Ultra plans at a discount (~20% savings).

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AI Modes by Plan

Free users have full access to the desktop application and all manual design tools. The Free plan restricts AI to Ask mode only — no file modifications.

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Monthly Usage Limits

Paid plans have a monthly AI usage allowance based on actual token consumption per request. The allowance resets on each billing cycle.

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How Usage Works

1. Each AI request consumes tokens (input + output) priced at the underlying model rates
2. After each request completes, the actual cost is deducted from your monthly allowance
3. When your allowance is exhausted, Agent and Plan modes are disabled until the next billing cycle
4. Ask mode remains available regardless of usage status

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Approaching-Limit Warnings

Trace shows banner warnings as you approach your usage limit:

• 80% used — Informational warning suggesting you pace remaining usage
• 95% used — Urgent warning that your allowance is nearly exhausted

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Generous Usage Headroom

All active subscribers receive approximately double the base monthly usage allowance. This headroom means you’re unlikely to hit your limit during normal use — Trace errs on the side of generosity so you never feel restricted mid-design. When you upgrade plans (e.g., Pro → Ultra), your usage counter resets to zero and you receive the full allowance on the new plan immediately. Stripe handles the prorated billing automatically — you only pay the difference for the remaining billing period.

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On-Demand Credits

If you don’t want a recurring subscription, On-Demand credit packs let you pay as you go: Credits are consumed per-request based on actual token usage, the same as subscription allowances. Your balance is checked before the request starts (balance must be > 0), but the actual cost is deducted after the request completes based on real token usage. This means your last request may slightly exceed your remaining balance — in-flight tasks always complete. Credits do not expire.

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Managing Your Subscription

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Upgrade or Downgrade

Change your plan from the billing section of your Trace dashboard. Upgrades take effect immediately with prorated charges — you only pay the difference for the remaining billing period. Downgrades take effect at the end of your current billing period.

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Billing Portal

Click Manage Subscription in your dashboard to access the Stripe billing portal where you can:

• View and download invoices
• Update your payment method
• Change your billing address
• Cancel your subscription

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Cancel

Canceling your subscription stops future charges. You retain access to paid features until the end of your current billing period. After that, your account reverts to the Free plan. Your designs and project files are never affected — they stay on your local machine in standard KiCad format.

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Account Deletion

You can delete your Trace account from your dashboard settings. Account deletion is a soft-delete:

• Your profile is marked as deleted and login is blocked
• Active subscriptions are not automatically canceled — cancel via Stripe first
• Your local design files are not affected (they’re on your machine)
• Conversation history and cloud-synced versions are retained for 30 days before permanent deletion

To delete your account, go to Dashboard → Settings → Delete Account.

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Tax Collection

Stripe automatically calculates and collects applicable taxes based on your billing address. Tax amounts are shown during checkout and on your invoices.

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Internal / Beta Access

Beta program members receive full access during the beta period in exchange for feedback and bug reports.

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Teams

Team plans (Pro Team, Ultra Team) provide per-seat billing for organizations. A team owner creates the team and invites members by email.

• Per-seat pricing — Each member gets their own AI usage budget. Adding/removing seats adjusts your next invoice automatically.
• Shared billing — One payment method for the entire team. The owner manages billing from the dashboard.
• Member management — Invite by email, remove members instantly, and track usage per seat.
• Same AI capabilities — Each team member gets the same AI modes and limits as the corresponding individual plan (Pro or Ultra).

To create a team, go to Dashboard → Team and follow the setup flow. You can invite members immediately after creating the team.

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Education Program

Students and university programs can apply for free access to Trace. The Education Program provides full Pro-level capabilities at no cost for qualifying academic use. To apply, visit buildwithtrace.com/education and fill out the application form with your university email, expected graduation year, and a brief description of how you’ll use Trace.