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Paid plans start at $1.80/mo.
PikaPods does not list a free plan; the homepage offers a $5 welcome credit. Its Prepaid resource-based plan starts running pods at $1.80 per month, with charges deducted hourly from prepaid credit and rounded up to full hours. You choose pod resources, so compute and storage choices drive the bill rather than seats or API calls. There is no subscription or annual billing. Stopped-pod storage and minimum charges can still apply, so include them when estimating a workload.
01Every plan, line by line
| Plan | Billed annually | Billed monthly | Built for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prepaid resource-based | — | $1.80 | Users running configurable app pods |
Add-ons and overages
- Optional automatic credit top-ups; price not published
- Stopped-pod storage starts at $1/month
02What the plan grid doesn't tell you
Resource increases
More CPU, memory or storage raises the pod’s cost. The pricing details list up to 6 CPU cores, 16 GB memory and 1,000 GB storage per pod.
Stopped-pod charges
Stopped-pod storage starts at $1/month, and the pricing details list a $1 minimum per pod per month regardless of state.
Automatic top-ups
Automatic credit top-ups are optional, but the vendor does not publish their price. Confirm the top-up amount and billing behavior before enabling them.
VAT at checkout
Prices are in USD and exclude VAT. The homepage says VAT is added at checkout for European consumers.
03Which plan should you buy?
| If you are… | Get | Why |
|---|---|---|
| One small app or side project | Prepaid resource-based | Start with a low-resource pod and the $5 welcome credit; the listed starting price for running pods is $1.80/month. |
| App with variable demand | Prepaid resource-based | Hourly billing avoids a subscription, but budget for the CPU, memory and storage the app actually needs. |
| Several production apps | Prepaid resource-based | The pricing details list up to 10 pods and 2 TB storage after the initial credit top-up; confirm resource costs and backup needs. |
04Is PikaPods worth the money?
PikaPods is worth paying for when you want a supported open-source app online without managing its server, updates and routine maintenance. The $5 welcome credit gives you a way to start without a listed free plan, and hourly prepaid billing avoids a subscription commitment. It is less suitable when you need server-level control, custom infrastructure or a published API for provisioning. For a simple app with modest resource needs, the starting price is low; for production, account for storage when stopped, resource changes, VAT and the unpublished cost of automatic top-ups.
PikaPods pricing FAQ
What is the minimum price for a PikaPod?
The pricing details list running pods from $1.80 per month and a minimum of $1 per pod per month regardless of state. Pods are billed hourly from prepaid credit, rounded up to full hours. Stopped-pod storage starts at $1 per month, so check how your pod’s state and storage affect the total.
Does PikaPods offer a free trial?
PikaPods does not list a free plan. Its homepage advertises a $5 welcome credit, which can cover initial usage depending on the app and pod resources you choose. Billing is hourly from prepaid credit, and the pricing details list running pods starting at $1.80 per month.
Does PikaPods charge when a pod is stopped?
The pricing details list a minimum $1 per pod per month regardless of state and say stopped-pod storage starts at $1 per month. The homepage also says billing stops when you delete a pod. If you need to keep data while a pod is stopped, confirm the applicable storage charge.
Are PikaPods prices inclusive of VAT?
No. PikaPods says prices are in USD and exclusive of VAT. VAT is added during checkout for European consumers. The amount depends on checkout details; confirm the final price before adding prepaid credit or estimating a production budget.