Most "free trials" are designed to convert you. Ours is designed to let you find out if the product is for you.
What Basic (free) gives you
- 30 ink/day, resetting every 24 hours.
- Enough ink for at least one full chapter per day.
- One ongoing story in memory.
- Full access to tropes, dynamics, spice levels, pacing — no preference is paywalled.
- The same generation quality as paid tiers.
What Basic doesn't give you
- Multiple concurrent stories in memory.
- Enough daily ink for a three-chapter evening.
- Extended context length for very long arcs.
When you'd upgrade
If the phrase "I want to keep reading" comes up often, upgrade. Otherwise, don't. The free tier isn't a stripped-down demo — it's a real reading product, smaller in volume.
No credit card required
This matters enough to say twice. You don't need to enter card information to start reading. You don't need to. You don't need to. If we're proud of the free tier — and we are — we shouldn't need to hold a card to let you use it.
Q & A
Free trial FAQ
Is the free tier time-limited?
No. The Basic tier is indefinite. You can stay on it forever. The question is whether 30 ink/day is enough for how much you want to read.
Do I need a credit card to start?
No. The Basic tier has no card requirement. That's a deliberate choice — an app that asks for a card before letting you try it isn't free.
What's ink and why do I have a daily amount?
Ink is the unit that funds your reading — a short action costs a few ink, a full chapter costs tens. 30 ink/day is enough for a full chapter. It resets daily.
When should I upgrade to Embers?
When 30 ink/day stops being enough. If you're reading one chapter in a sitting and closing the app, Basic is fine. If you want to read three chapters in a row on a long evening, Embers ($4.49/month) is the tier that stops doing math.
What about Inferno?
Inferno is for the reader who reads a full book's worth a week. If you're not sure, start on Embers.