# Free tier

Concept · [Cloud, hosting and security](https://ecosystem.samcarlton.com/cloud)

Also called: free plan, free tier limits, freemium, free credits, startup credits, cloud credits, free trial, hobby plan

The part of a paid service that costs nothing, within set limits. The limits differ by provider and change over time, and use beyond them is billed.

**For example:** A host runs a [founder](https://ecosystem.samcarlton.com/founder)'s small site free up to a monthly limit. Traffic grows past the limit and the first bill arrives.

## Connects to (6)

- [Pricing tiers](https://ecosystem.samcarlton.com/pricing-tiers): The set of plans a product sells, from a cheap or free starting plan up to plans for large customers.
- [Usage-based pricing](https://ecosystem.samcarlton.com/usage-based-pricing): A way to charge where the bill follows how much the customer uses, instead of a flat fee.
- [Hosting](https://ecosystem.samcarlton.com/hosting): Renting space on a server so your site or app can be reached on the internet at all hours.
- [Cloud provider](https://ecosystem.samcarlton.com/cloud-provider): A company that rents out computing services, such as servers, storage and databases, over the internet and on demand.
- [Google for Startups](https://ecosystem.samcarlton.com/google-for-startups): Google's program for startup founders.
- [NVIDIA Inception](https://ecosystem.samcarlton.com/nvidia-inception): NVIDIA's free program for AI startups.

Map view: https://ecosystem.samcarlton.com/free-tier