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Bitfield billing is plan-first, then request-counted by runtime identity. The plan is the subscription. The included units are device/server/runtime identities that sent request bytes to Bitfield inside the billing window.

You start with a 3-day Personal trial, try Bitfield with the included runtime/device range, and decide whether this is the foundation you want before the paid cadence begins.The important correction: this is not passive install billing. A dormant install does not count by itself. A runtime identity counts when it sends request bytes to Bitfield.
Trial

Use the Personal runtime/device range during the trial window.

Cadence

The plan subscription begins after the trial unless you cancel first.

Scale

Grow from Personal to Builder and then larger runtime/device ranges.

The customer needs four answers fast: what costs $0 today, when the plan starts billing, what consumes the included runtime/device range, and where plan management happens.

Choices at checkout

ChoiceIncluded runtime/device unitsWhat it means
Try Personal free1-5Start Personal with 3 days free, then billing begins unless you cancel first.
Personal1-5Pay now for the Personal range.
Builder6-100Pay now for the Builder range.
101+101 or moreUse the curve for larger runtime/device counts.
Monthly and yearly cadence are separate choices. The checkout total should change when the cadence changes.

What “free trial” means

The free trial is for Personal. It gives you the same runtime/device range as Personal for the trial window. If you keep it after the trial, billing starts on the displayed start date and cadence.The checkout should say the important part clearly:
$0 today, then the Personal price starts after the 3-day trial unless you cancel first.

What consumes the included range

The public phrase is active device. The precise meaning is a runtime identity that sent request bytes to Bitfield in the billing window.That runtime identity can be a laptop, phone, server, cloud runtime, local box, kiosk, test machine, or another environment that actually sends request bytes to Bitfield.It is not:
  • a dormant install
  • a repo with package files
  • a website visitor reading static output
  • a page view
  • a click
  • a runtime second

Larger counts use ranges

The curve is cumulative. That means each range uses its own rate, then the ranges add up.For example, when a count goes above 100, the first 100 are still the base Builder range. Extra runtime/device units are priced by the next range, and later ranges only apply to the units inside those later ranges.Checkout must link the public legal pages:Those pages govern the actual legal terms. This docs page explains the product language so the checkout is easier to understand.

Common failures

SymptomCauseFix
Customer thinks pricing is per personActive device was read as seatSay runtime/device identity that sent Bitfield request bytes
Customer thinks an old install is charged foreverRequest bytes and installing were mixed upSay dormant installs do not count by themselves
Customer thinks every visitor is chargedTraffic got mixed up with Bitfield request bytesExplain that static visitors only receive already-published files
Customer accidentally uses Runtime Kit for a static pagePublic content and live runtime were not separatedUse static output when the page does not need Bitfield runtime behavior
Customer misses the post-trial billing dateTrial language is hiddenShow $0 today and the paid start clearly
Larger-device pricing feels like a black boxRanges are not explained as cumulativeExplain that each range applies only to units inside that range

Next

Read What you pay for for concrete billing examples, Account and key flow for the full account journey, and Active devices for the public term.
Last modified on May 11, 2026