Choose a priority!

Yes. Every new account starts with 25 euros in free credits, no payment details required to get started. That's enough to submit a real project, see how the plugin works, and get a reliable sense of what your renders will cost before you commit to anything.

We'd recommend using those free credits to render a few test frames first. Multiply that per-frame time by your total frame count and you'll have the most accurate cost estimate possible before you run your full job.

Yes. Drop & Render offers bulk credit discounts, so the more credits you purchase at once, the better the rate you get. This makes it easy for studios and frequent users to plan their render budget efficiently and get more rendering done for the same spend.

If you have a large project coming up or want to stock up for a busy production period, buying in bulk is the most cost-effective way to use the platform.

It's purely pay as you go. There are no monthly fees, no subscriptions, and no minimum spend. You buy credits when you need them, use them at your own pace, and your account stays active for as long as you like. If you have a quiet month with no renders, you pay nothing. Credits roll over and are always there when your next project starts.

There are a few things you can do to make sure there are no surprises before you commit a full job.

The most reliable method is to submit one or two test frames first. This gives you a real per-frame cost on our hardware, which you can then multiply by your total frame count for an accurate estimate. It's more precise than the calculator because it accounts for your specific scene complexity.

The pricing calculator on this page gives you a solid upfront estimate based on your benchmark score, frame count, and average frame time. It won't be exact, but it's a good starting point.

For the most control, use the Deadline Control feature inside the plugin. It estimates both the cost and completion time for your job before you submit, so you can adjust priority or frame settings if needed.

If costs do come in higher than the calculator suggested, the most common reason is short frame render times. Each frame requires a brief startup period to load your project and any pre-calculations. If your frames only take a few minutes each, that startup time becomes a bigger proportion of your total cost. Using the Custom Slice Number in the plugin sends multiple frames to a single machine, reducing that overhead and bringing costs back in line.

It depends on your deadline and how quickly you need machines allocated to your job.

Sapphire is the most affordable option and works well for the majority of renders. In most cases your job starts within minutes. If you have time to spare and want to keep costs down, this is the right choice.

Emerald is the sweet spot for teams and studio work. Your jobs always start before Sapphire and gather additional machines faster, with a 150% speed boost. If you're on a regular production schedule with consistent deadlines, Emerald gives you reliable turnaround without paying for maximum priority.

Diamond is for when every minute counts. You get the fastest possible machine allocation and a 250% speed boost. It's the right call for tight client deadlines where the cost of being late outweighs the cost of the priority tier.

One thing worth knowing: you're only charged for a higher tier if it actually speeds up your job. If machines are available and your job starts immediately, even Diamond is billed at the Sapphire rate.