> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.nuvolos.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.nuvolos.com/billing/pricing-and-cost-control.md).

# Pricing and cost control

## Pricing model at a glance

* **The Nuvolos subscription** is a yearly contract that allocates seats, NCU hours, and high-performance storage. Pricing is custom to your use case rather than packaged into tiers.
* **Credits** extend the subscription with on-demand resources: credit-based Application sizes, GPUs, Large File Storage, database computation overage, professional services, and any usage beyond NCU or storage limits.
* **Resource pools** track the budget against which mapped resources account their usage. A single subscription can have multiple pools for different cost centres or budgets.

For details on each part, see [Subscription and Credits](/billing/pricing-structure.md) and [Resource pools and budgets](/billing/resource-pools-and-budgets.md).

**Current pricing**

For up-to-date per-Credit rates, overage charges, credit-based Application size prices, Large File Storage rates, and resting storage rates, see the [Nuvolos service prices page](https://app.nuvolos.cloud/service-prices). 

## Cost control <a href="#cost-control" id="cost-control"></a>

You can exercise cost control in various ways. The suggestions below are ordered from simplest to most impactful.

#### Monitor usage regularly <a href="#monitor-usage-regularly" id="monitor-usage-regularly"></a>

Use the [resource monitoring dashboard](/administration/monitoring-resource-usage.md) to track NCU consumption, storage footprint, and credit spend. Resource pool managers can drill down to the organisation and space level to identify where resources are being used.

* **NCU consumption** - review the [NCU limits and capacities](/administration/monitoring-resource-usage/ncu-limits-and-capacities.md) tile for a real-time view of your compute allocation.
* **Storage consumption** - review the [file system limits and capacities](/administration/monitoring-resource-usage/file-system-limits-and-capacities.md) tile to see how much of your storage allocation is in use.

#### Right-size applications <a href="#right-size-applications" id="right-size-applications"></a>

Applications do not need to run at their maximum size. Change the [application size](/reference/applications/application-resources.md) to match the workload:

* Use a smaller included size (e.g. 1–2 NCUs) for editing, light analysis, or teaching.
* Scale up to larger included or [credit-based sizes](/reference/applications/application-resources.md) only when running demanding computations.
* Size changes take effect on the next application restart - there is no cost while the application is stopped.

#### Stop idle applications <a href="#stop-idle-applications" id="stop-idle-applications"></a>

Applications that are not in use still consume NCUs or credits. Nuvolos [automatically stops inactive applications](/reference/applications/long-running-applications.md#automatic-stopping-due-to-inactivity), but you can also stop them manually to free resources sooner.

#### Rest unused spaces <a href="#rest-unused-spaces" id="rest-unused-spaces"></a>

If a course has ended or a project is paused, [rest the space](/administration/space-management/resting-spaces.md) to move its data to more affordable storage. This can significantly reduce your [file system footprint](/administration/monitoring-resource-usage/file-system-limits-and-capacities.md) and avoid storage overage charges. When you need the data again, wake the space with a single click.

#### Manage storage proactively <a href="#manage-storage-proactively" id="manage-storage-proactively"></a>

Use the [quota usage](/reference/file-system-and-storage.md) tool inside a space to identify large files, old snapshots, or unused application libraries that can be cleaned up. [Deleting unnecessary snapshots](/how-to-guides/common-workflows/snapshots/delete-a-snapshot.md) is often the fastest way to reclaim space.

#### Align subscriptions with the academic calendar <a href="#align-subscriptions-with-the-academic-calendar" id="align-subscriptions-with-the-academic-calendar"></a>

For academic institutional use cases, NCU availability is tailored to the academic year. This means NCUs allocated to you will be available for a certain number of hours within the academic year, excluding the summer break period. This lowers the cost of the subscription, ensuring you do not pay for resource availability during a period when the resources are likely to go unused. For details on time constraints on NCU availability, refer to our documentation on [NCU architecture](/concepts/nuvolos-basic-concepts/nuvolos-compute-units-ncus.md).

## What happens when limits are exceeded

Each subscription dimension has its own overage behavior. Operations continue uninterrupted as long as the Credit balance is positive; overage is automatically billed against Credits.

### **NCU overage**

Once you reach the NCU limit or it expires, Included-size Applications continue to function - they can still start, and running Applications continue without interruption - as long as you maintain a positive Credit balance. New Application starts during overage require a positive Credit balance. Two ways to resolve sustained NCU overage:

* **Purchase more NCU capacity** - contact your account manager to add NCU hours to the subscription.
* **Use Credits** - overage is automatically billed against Credits at the rate published on the prices page.

### **File system overage**

Once total storage exceeds the file system limit, daily Credit deductions begin automatically. Each day, you are charged for the storage above the limit. To resolve:

* **Free up storage** - resource pool managers can identify storage-heavy Spaces via the dashboard and contact their administrators; space administrators can use the quota usage tool to find where storage is being used.
* **Enable resting** - activating the resting feature moves unused data to more affordable storage (see [Administration › Space administration › Resting Spaces](/administration/space-management/resting-spaces.md)).
* **Increase the subscription** - if storage growth is sustained, expanding the subscription is more cost-effective than ongoing overage.

### **Resting storage overage**

If you have a prepaid resting limit and exceed it, daily Credit deductions begin automatically - the same model as pay-as-you-go resting. To avoid sustained resting overage, delete old Spaces that are no longer needed.

#### Where to go next

* For monitoring procedures and dashboard navigation, see [Administration › Resource monitoring](/administration/monitoring-resource-usage.md).
* For the operational side of resting and HPC, see [Administration › Space administration](/administration/space-management.md).
* For the conceptual model of compute and resources, see [Concepts › The hierarchy and resource model](/concepts/nuvolos-basic-concepts.md).