Free & Prototype Tiers
What the Free plan and the low-cost Prototype plan include, which features stay locked until you move to a Build plan, and what the upgrade prompts mean.
StackMivo has two entry tiers below the paid Build plans:
| Tier | Cost | Credits | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0, no card needed | A one-time starting balance when you register | Trying StackMivo and building your first prototype |
| Prototype | A low monthly price, where offered | A small monthly allowance that refreshes each billing cycle | Ongoing prototyping without unlocking the full Build feature set |
Both tiers share the same restrictions. Prototype simply gives you more credits and a monthly refill. Exact prices and credit amounts are shown on the Change your plan page in the app.
Every new team starts on the Free plan automatically. You never need to pick it. The Free plan is not listed for sale on the pricing page, but it appears as the entry-tier card on the plan chooser so you can compare it with Build.
What you can do on an entry tier
- Generate apps in Prototype mode (static UI, no backend)
- Edit code in the browser IDE, run terminal commands, and use the live preview
- Start from Ready Templates that aren't marked PRO
- Push a project to GitHub
- Collaborate on a team within your plan's seat limit
What stays locked
These features need a Build plan. On an entry tier the control is visible, but using it opens the Upgrade Your Plan dialog with a message explaining why.
| Feature | What you see on an entry tier |
|---|---|
| Build mode | The mode selector defaults to Prototype. Choosing Build shows "Build mode is not available on the Free plan" |
| File attachments in chat (images, PDFs, code files) | "Attaching files is not available on the Free plan" |
| Figma import | Same gating as attachments |
| Automatic error detection and fixes after generation | The validation step reports "Auto-validation & fix is available on paid plans only" |
| Custom domains | The domain form is visible, but saving shows "Custom domains are not available on the Free plan" |
| GitHub import | "GitHub import is not available on your current plan. Please choose a Build plan to continue" |
| Download project as ZIP | The button is disabled with a tooltip |
| PRO templates | The template preview shows Upgrade to use instead of Use this template |
| Buying extra credits | The Buy Extra Credits card is hidden until you're on a paid plan |
| More than 2 projects | "You have reached your project limit. Please upgrade your plan to continue creating applications" |
The project limit counts deleted projects too. If you delete a project on the Free plan, the slot is not freed. Move to a Build plan for unlimited projects.
The Upgrade Your Plan dialog
When you hit a locked feature, the dialog opens in place. It shows the reason at the top, a Monthly / Yearly toggle, and the same entry-tier and Build cards as the full plan chooser, including the credit dropdown. Click Upgrade on the Build card to go straight to checkout, or Cancel to go back. Only the team owner sees an active Upgrade button. Other members see Owner Only.
See Plans & Subscriptions for the full subscription flow.
Moving between tiers
- Free to Prototype or Build: click Subscribe on the plan chooser. Your new credits are added as soon as payment completes.
- Build to Prototype or Free: this is a downgrade. It takes effect at the end of your billing period and your unused credits are forfeited when it does. See Downgrading.
- Cancelling a Build plan returns the team to the Free plan at the end of the billing period.
Plans & Subscriptions
Choose a plan, switch between monthly and yearly billing, upgrade or downgrade, apply a coupon at checkout, and cancel or resume your subscription from the Plans & Billing page.
Credits
Understand how StackMivo credits work: what consumes them, how monthly plan credits and one-time top-ups differ, and how to buy more when you run low.