---
updatedAt: 2026-10-28T18:03:03.000Z
agentTools:
  projectIndex: https://docs.censys.com/llms.txt
---

# Credits for Free and Starter Users

Censys Credits enable Censys Free and Censys Starter users to search, explore data, and use Censys Platform functionality in the UI and via API.

When you search and interact with data in the Platform, each action you perform costs one credit. For example, each of the actions listed below consume a credit.

* Searching across hosts, certificates, and web properties.
* Looking up a host, certificate, or web property asset by directly navigating to its details page.
* Opening a new page of search results.

Every Censys Free user receives 100 credits per month at no cost. Unused credits expire at the end of each month. Censys Free accounts provide access to basic protocols and services for search and exploration.

Additionally, Censys Free and Starter users get five free Platform API or UI actions per day.

Censys Free users can purchase a Starter subscription [directly from the Platform web app](https://accounts.censys.io/settings/plan/add-credits) to perform additional actions and access more data. When a Censys Free user purchases a subscription, they are moved to the Censys Starter tier. 

Upgrading from the Censys Free to Censys Starter tier unlocks access to advanced features that enable you to run more queries, incorporate [regular expression (regex)](https://docs.censys.com/docs/platform-regex-cenql#/) into your queries, access a broader range of data, and more. See <Anchor target="_blank" href="https://docs.censys.com/docs/data-access-tiers-entitlements#/">Feature and Data Access Tiers</Anchor> for more information.

### Credit consumption 

Below is a partial list of actions that consume credits and their attendant costs for Censys Free and Censys Starter users. 

#### Search queries and credit consumption

When you execute a search or look up an asset in the Platform web app or API, it consumes credits. Reference the table below for more information.

<Table align={["left","left","left"]}>
  <thead>
    <tr>
      <th>
        Action
      </th>

      <th>
        Credit cost
      </th>

      <th>
        Notes
      </th>
    </tr>
  </thead>

  <tbody>
    <tr>
      <td>
        Entity lookup
      </td>

      <td>
        1
      </td>

      <td>
        A lookup can be conducted by directly inputting its ID in the search bar, such as `8.8.8.8` for a host or a certificate's fingerprint (the value contained in `cert.fingerprint_sha256`) or by using the host, web property, or certificate lookup API endpoints. When using the bulk lookup endpoints, one credit is consumed for each result retrieved.

        Clicking and viewing a host, certificate, or web property record returned by a search within the UI is also considered an entity lookup.
      </td>
    </tr>

    <tr>
      <td>
        Any search query
      </td>

      <td>
        1
      </td>

      <td>

      </td>
    </tr>
  </tbody>
</Table>

#### Additional actions that consume credits

There are additional actions you can perform in the Platform that will consume credits. The table below represents a partial list of actions that consume credits:

| Action                                                                                               | Credit cost |
| :--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | :---------- |
| Loading an additional page of search results in the UI or retrieving another page of results via API | 1           |
| Adding filters to results in the UI                                                                  | 1           |
| Running a report in the UI or using the aggregate API endpoint                                       | 1           |

### Credit depletion

Censys Free users who use all of their monthly credits, access to credit-consuming functionality will be restricted until the next monthly credit allocation or additional credits are purchased via a Starter subscription.

Censys Starter users who use all of their monthly credits cannot use the basic functionalities of the Platform until they upgrade their Starter subscription or their monthly credits are refreshed. Censys Starter users can also switch to their Censys Free account and use their monthly 100-credit allotment.

### Credits and collections

There is no additional credit cost for creating and maintaining [collections](https://docs.censys.com/docs/platform-collections#/). However, performing actions within collections, such as running queries or generating reports, costs the amount of credits indicated above.