# API without a subscription

> Nodaro's API, SDK, CLI and MCP work without a subscription. Buy credits once, pay per result with every model unlocked, and keep the credits for 12 months.

Source: https://nodaro.ai/docs/developers/pay-as-you-go

**Nodaro's REST API, SDK, CLI and MCP work without a subscription.** You buy credits once, and every result costs the credits of the model that made it. There is no monthly fee, and the credits stay valid for 12 months from the purchase.

## What you get without a subscription

Buying any credit pack, or loading any amount, turns on pay-as-you-go:

| | Pay-as-you-go |
| --- | --- |
| **Models** | Every model is unlocked |
| **Watermark** | None |
| **Daily cap** | None |
| **Credit validity** | 12 months from the purchase |
| **Where you spend the credits** | The [REST API](https://nodaro.ai/docs/developers/api), the [SDK](https://nodaro.ai/docs/developers/sdk), the [CLI](https://nodaro.ai/docs/developers/cli) and [MCP](https://nodaro.ai/docs/mcp) |
| **The editor in the browser** | Needs a subscription |
| **Your results in the Gallery** | Public. Private mode is a subscription feature, from the Standard plan up |

[Credits](https://nodaro.ai/docs/concepts/credits) explains every kind of credit, and which ones are spent first.

## What a result costs

Each model has its own price per result. The price is the same in the editor, the API and MCP, and it is listed on every [model page](https://nodaro.ai/docs/models).

| Result | Model | Credits |
| --- | --- | --- |
| An image, 1K | [Nano Banana 2](https://nodaro.ai/docs/models/image/nano-banana-2) | 22 |
| An image, 2K | [GPT Image 2](https://nodaro.ai/docs/models/image/gpt-image-2) | 42 |
| A video, 8 seconds with sound, 720p | [VEO 3.1 Fast](https://nodaro.ai/docs/models/video/veo-3-1-fast) | 165 |
| A video, 5 seconds, 1080p | [Kling 3.0](https://nodaro.ai/docs/models/video/kling-3-0) | 297 |
| A video, 6 seconds, 2K | [MiniMax H3](https://nodaro.ai/docs/models/video/minimax-h3) | 605 |

Your code can ask for a price before it runs: `GET /v1/credits/model-cost?model=<model id>` is public and answers with the credits of one model. [Credits API](https://nodaro.ai/docs/developers/api/credits) lists the other price lookups.

## Start in four steps

### Create an account

Sign up on [Nodaro Cloud](https://app.nodaro.ai). Every new account gets [1,500 free credits](https://nodaro.ai/docs/get-started/free-credits) once. Results made with them carry a watermark until your first purchase.

### Buy credits

Buy a credit pack, or load an amount, on the **Billing** page. The [pricing page](https://app.nodaro.ai/pricing) shows the packs and the amounts you can load.

### Create an API token

Open **Settings › API Tokens** and click **Create Token**. The token starts with `ndr_` and is shown only once. [Authentication](https://nodaro.ai/docs/developers/api/authentication) explains tokens and their rate limits.

### Make the first call

Start a job, then poll it until it is complete:

```bash
export NODARO_API_KEY="ndr_..."

curl -s -X POST https://app.nodaro.ai/v1/generate-image \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $NODARO_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"prompt": "a snow leopard on a mountain ridge at dawn", "provider": "nano-banana-2", "aspectRatio": "16:9"}'
# {"jobId":"0f1a9c2e-5b7d-4e8a-9c31-6d2f8b4a7e10"}

curl -s https://app.nodaro.ai/v1/jobs/0f1a9c2e-5b7d-4e8a-9c31-6d2f8b4a7e10/status \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $NODARO_API_KEY"
```

[Your first call](https://nodaro.ai/docs/developers/api#your-first-call) shows the same call with the SDK and the CLI.

## Or let an AI assistant spend them

The same credits pay for MCP. Connect Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor or VS Code to Nodaro, and the assistant runs the models for you at the same prices. [Create with your assistant](https://nodaro.ai/docs/mcp/create) shows four real requests with their prices, and [Connect a client](https://nodaro.ai/docs/mcp/connect) has the setup.

## How spending works

- **A job reserves its price when it starts.** When your balance cannot cover it, the call answers `402 insufficient_credits`.
- **A failed job gives its credits back.** The exception is a failure after the model already delivered its result.
- **Your balance is one call away.** `GET /v1/credits/balance` returns it, and on MCP, `check_balance` does the same.
- **Auto-recharge can top up for you.** On the **Billing** page, set a balance below which Nodaro loads a new amount to your saved card.

[Credits API](https://nodaro.ai/docs/developers/api/credits) covers reservations, refunds and the transaction history.

## Frequently asked questions

### Do I need a subscription to use the Nodaro API?

No. Buy credits once, and the REST API, the SDK, the CLI and MCP spend them per result. There is no monthly fee, and the credits stay valid for 12 months from the purchase.

### What do pay-as-you-go credits unlock?

Every model, with no watermark and no daily cap. Your results are public in the Gallery; private mode is a subscription feature, from the Standard plan up.

### Can I use the editor in the browser without a subscription?

No. Pay-as-you-go credits are spent through the REST API, the SDK, the CLI and MCP. Using the editor in the browser needs a subscription.

### How much does one image or video cost?

The price depends on the model, and it is the same in the editor, the API and MCP. For example, a 1K image with Nano Banana 2 costs 22 credits, and an 8-second video with sound from VEO 3.1 Fast costs 165 credits.

### What happens to the 1,500 free credits?

Every new account gets them once, and they work on the free tier, with a watermark on results. Your first purchase unlocks every model and removes the watermark.