Narraya Credits: how the currency of your studio works
Narraya credits: a transparent internal currency to pay for AI features. No surprise charges, no rigged 'unlimited AI'.
Every time an AI analyses a chapter, reads a character sheet, compares a passage with your book's memory, something concrete is happening behind the scenes: a language model is processing tens of thousands of words and returning an answer. That processing has a real cost — electricity, computation, licenses to model providers. Pretending otherwise, by offering "unlimited AI", is dishonest: either the service is limited in hidden ways, or the business doesn't hold.
At Narraya we chose a different road. Credits.
An internal currency, transparent
Credits are the currency with which you pay for Narraya's AI features: chapter analysis, writing feedback, text analysis, advanced grammar corrections, coach suggestions. Every AI action has a known cost in credits, shown to you in advance. Before executing anything, Narraya shows you what it will cost: no surprise charges, no ambushes.
Credits are purchased in packs, starting from the Starter plan. Each plan also includes a monthly quota of credits (different across plans), enough for normal use. When they run out, either you pause AI features, or you buy an additional pack. No automatic debt, no forced upgrade.
Why not "unlimited AI"
It was the first question they asked us: "why don't you do like others who offer unlimited access?". The answer calls for a minute of honesty.
Unlimited AI, when you see it offered, is usually one of the following: (1) limited in ways you aren't told until you run into them (queues, downgraded models during peak hours, silent quality degradation); (2) sustainable only for occasional users who on average use little, at the expense of service for those who really need it; (3) economically unsustainable in the long run, destined to change business model by surprise.
We preferred a system clear from day one: you pay for what you use, you know what it costs, you decide before spending it. It's not the most "pop" model on the market. It's the one that lasts.
What costs little, what costs more
AI features have different costs in credits depending on operation complexity and the amount of context involved. A general rule: the more the AI has to "read" to answer you, the more credits it costs.
Low cost
Text Analysis on a paragraph, targeted grammar corrections, quick lookups in the book memory. These are short actions, with limited context.
Moderate cost
Analysis of a whole chapter. The AI reads the entire chapter + relevant context from memory. Useful but to be dosed.
Higher cost
Writing Feedback on extended text with full book context. The AI receives a lot of context to deliver deep reading.
High cost
Cumulative operations on many chapters (e.g. comparative analysis, global consistency checks). Designed for final revision moments.
You aren't required to purchase credits to begin. Narraya's FREE plan gives you access to the editor, character sheets, Kanban, and a small quota of trial AI actions. It's meant for exploring, figuring out whether Narraya is your place, deciding calmly.
How not to waste credits
Three habits that, in our experience, make credits last much longer without giving up anything important:
- Don't analyse raw first drafts. Analysis pays off more on a chapter already revised once by hand. On the first draft, flags are too many and many obvious.
- Use Text Analysis before Chapter Analysis. If the doubt is on a specific paragraph, Text Analysis costs less and is enough. Don't fire a cannon at a sparrow.
- Save "deep" analyses for the revision phase. Writing Feedback on the whole book once finished pays off much more than ten scattered feedbacks during drafting.
The cost before the action
Every time you click a button that triggers an AI feature, Narraya shows you the estimated cost in credits before proceeding. You confirm or cancel. It's a simple and respectful system: you always know what you're about to spend. No AI feature activates without your explicit confirmation, ever.
And if credits are running low — or you've spent a lot in one session — Narraya reminds you with a sober notice (not an anxious popup). The point isn't to scare you: it's to make you aware of what you're doing, so it always remains a conscious choice.
A novel is a long investment. Choosing consciously where to put credits — as well as where to put time — is part of the attention writing deserves.
Want to see available credit packs and the plan that suits you? The pricing page has all the details.