fix(pricing): correct free-tier credits as one-time, not monthly

The free plan's 1,000 credits are a one-time grant, not a monthly
allowance. Free accounts have no subscription, so usage resolves against
the open default billing window (epoch to year 9999) and is never reset:
cycle-close skips free plans outright, and weekly refresh is paid-only.

- Pricing cards, in-app upgrade table, and pricing JSON-LD now read
  "Included credits" with per-plan cadence: 1,000 one-time for Free,
  6,000/month and 25,000/month for Pro and Max
- Weekly refresh values carry /week so both rows are self-describing
- Comparison free-tier fact no longer claims a monthly grant
- Library articles say one-time credits for the free plan
- Docs FAQ paid-plan credits corrected to 6,000 and 25,000
- dify-alternatives also described a 50/200-credit daily refresh, which
  was replaced by the weekly refresh in #7113

Author: TheodoreSpeaks

apps/docs/content/docs/en/introduction/index.mdx

@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ For anything not built in, [MCP support](/agents/mcp) connects any external serv
 </Cards>
 
 <FAQ items={[
-  { question: "Is Sim free to use?", answer: "Sim offers a free Community plan with 1,000 one-time credits to get started. Paid plans start at $25/month (Pro) with 5,000 credits and go up to $100/month (Max) with 20,000 credits. Annual billing is available at a 15% discount. You can also self-host Sim for free on your own infrastructure." },
+  { question: "Is Sim free to use?", answer: "Sim offers a free Community plan with 1,000 one-time credits to get started. Paid plans start at $25/month (Pro) with 6,000 monthly credits and go up to $100/month (Max) with 25,000 monthly credits. Annual billing is available at a 15% discount. You can also self-host Sim for free on your own infrastructure." },
   { question: "Is Sim open source?", answer: "Yes. Sim is open source under the Apache 2.0 license. The full source code is available on GitHub and you can self-host it, contribute to development, or modify it for your own needs. Enterprise features (SSO, access control) have a separate license that requires a subscription for production use." },
   { question: "Which AI models and providers are supported?", answer: "Sim supports 15+ providers including OpenAI, Anthropic, Google Gemini, Groq, Cerebras, DeepSeek, Mistral, xAI, and OpenRouter. You can also run local models through Ollama or VLLM at no API cost. Bring Your Own Key (BYOK) is supported so you can use your own API keys at base provider pricing with no markup." },
   { question: "Do I need coding experience to use Sim?", answer: "No. You build agents conversationally in Chat, visually by connecting blocks in the workflow builder, or with code. For advanced cases, the Function block runs custom JavaScript, and the full API and SDK are available for programmatic access." },

apps/sim/app/workspace/[workspaceId]/upgrade/components/comparison-table/comparison-data.ts

@@ -76,20 +76,20 @@ export const COMPARISON_SECTIONS: ComparisonSection[] = [
     title: 'Credits & pricing',
     rows: [
       {
-        label: 'Monthly credits',
+        label: 'Included credits',
         values: [
-          formatCredits(DEFAULT_FREE_CREDITS * CREDITS_PER_DOLLAR),
-          formatCredits(PRO_TIER.credits),
-          formatCredits(MAX_TIER.credits),
+          `${formatCredits(DEFAULT_FREE_CREDITS * CREDITS_PER_DOLLAR)} one-time`,
+          `${formatCredits(PRO_TIER.credits)}/month`,
+          `${formatCredits(MAX_TIER.credits)}/month`,
           'Custom',
         ],
       },
       {
         label: 'Weekly refresh',
         values: [
           false,
-          `+${formatCredits(PRO_TIER.weeklyRefreshCredits)}`,
-          `+${formatCredits(MAX_TIER.weeklyRefreshCredits)}`,
+          `+${formatCredits(PRO_TIER.weeklyRefreshCredits)}/week`,
+          `+${formatCredits(MAX_TIER.weeklyRefreshCredits)}/week`,
           'Custom',
         ],
       },

apps/sim/content/library/best-ai-agent-platforms-for-enterprise-teams-2026/index.mdx

@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ Sim differs from automation-first platforms in how it applies governance. Enterp
 
 **Pricing**
 
-- Free costs $0 and includes 1,000 monthly credits.
+- Free costs $0 and includes 1,000 one-time credits.
 - Pro costs $25 per user per month.
 - Max costs $100 per user per month.
 - Enterprise uses custom pricing for governance, support, and deployment requirements.

apps/sim/content/library/best-multi-agent-frameworks-2026/index.mdx

@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ faq:
   - q: "What is the best open-source multi-agent framework?"
     a: "Sim is the best open-source multi-agent framework for visual production orchestration, while LangGraph is the best open-source framework for low-level Python graph control. Sim uses Apache 2.0; LangGraph, CrewAI, OpenAI Agents SDK, and Microsoft Agent Framework use MIT."
   - q: "Is Sim free?"
-    a: "Sim has a free hosted plan and a free open-source self-hosting option. As of August 2026, the Sim Free plan costs $0 and includes 1,000 monthly credits, while the Apache 2.0 project can be self-hosted without a software license fee."
+    a: "Sim has a free hosted plan and a free open-source self-hosting option. As of August 2026, the Sim Free plan costs $0 and includes 1,000 one-time credits, while the Apache 2.0 project can be self-hosted without a software license fee."
   - q: "Is Sim open source?"
     a: "Sim is open source under the Apache License 2.0. The OSI-approved license permits commercial use, modification, and redistribution, and Sim documents self-hosting through npx sim-setup, Docker Compose, and Helm."
   - q: "Sim vs n8n: which is better for multi-agent workflows?"
@@ -162,7 +162,7 @@ That shared graph also makes agent handoffs, state changes, and business rules e
 
 **As of August 2026, [Sim pricing](https://www.sim.ai/pricing) starts at $0 and uses both per-user plan pricing and usage credits.**
 
-- **Free:** $0 with 1,000 monthly credits.
+- **Free:** $0 with 1,000 one-time credits.
 - **Pro:** $25 per user per month with 6,000 monthly credits and a 2,000-credit weekly refresh.
 - **Max:** $100 per user per month with 25,000 monthly credits and a 4,000-credit weekly refresh.
 - **Enterprise:** Custom pricing and custom credits.

apps/sim/content/library/best-no-code-ai-agent-builders-2026/index.mdx

@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ Pricing units are not directly comparable: a credit, activity, conversation, mod
 
 | Rank | Platform | Best for | Build experience | Published entry pricing | Primary billing unit | License / self-hosting |
 | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
-| 1 | Sim | Visual no-code building with a technical growth path | [Drag-and-drop workspace](https://docs.sim.ai/introduction) | [Free is $0 with 1,000 monthly credits; Pro is $25/user/month](https://www.sim.ai/pricing) | [Credits; 1 credit = $0.005](https://docs.sim.ai/platform/costs) | [Apache License 2.0](https://github.com/simstudioai/sim/blob/main/LICENSE); self-hostable |
+| 1 | Sim | Visual no-code building with a technical growth path | [Drag-and-drop workspace](https://docs.sim.ai/introduction) | [Free is $0 with 1,000 one-time credits; Pro is $25/user/month](https://www.sim.ai/pricing) | [Credits; 1 credit = $0.005](https://docs.sim.ai/platform/costs) | [Apache License 2.0](https://github.com/simstudioai/sim/blob/main/LICENSE); self-hostable |
 | 2 | n8n | Mature automation with broad connectivity | [Visual workflow canvas](https://docs.n8n.io/workflows/) | [Starter is $20/month billed annually with 2,500 executions](https://n8n.io/pricing/) | [Full workflow executions; unlimited users and steps](https://n8n.io/pricing/) | [Sustainable Use License, Version 1.0](https://github.com/n8n-io/n8n/blob/master/LICENSE.md); Community Edition self-hosting within license terms |
 | 3 | Lindy | Personal AI teammate work | [Conversational setup](https://www.lindy.ai/) | [Plus is $29.99/user/month](https://www.lindy.ai/pricing) | [Credits pooled by workspace](https://docs.lindy.ai/pricing) | [Proprietary cloud plans](https://www.lindy.ai/pricing); no published self-hosting option |
 | 4 | MindStudio | Multi-model experimentation | [Template-based agent building](https://www.mindstudio.ai/) | [Free is $0; Individual is $20/month or $16/month billed yearly](https://www.mindstudio.ai/pricing) | [Subscription plus model usage](https://www.mindstudio.ai/pricing) | [Proprietary plans; Business offers self-hosting](https://www.mindstudio.ai/pricing) |
@@ -146,7 +146,7 @@ Sim combines a [drag-and-drop workspace with multi-model workflows, shared editi
 - Sim's ecosystem is newer than n8n's and Zapier's, so it has fewer long-standing community templates and third-party tutorials.
 - Self-hosting transfers infrastructure, upgrades, and operational responsibility to the customer.
 
-**Pricing:** As of August 2026, [Sim Free costs $0 and includes 1,000 monthly credits; Pro costs $25 per user per month](https://www.sim.ai/pricing). Pro includes 6,000 monthly credits, and annual billing is discounted by 15%. Sim documents a [base charge plus model usage](https://docs.sim.ai/platform/costs); hosted Agent models use a 1.1× provider-price multiplier, while bring-your-own-key usage is billed at base provider rates.
+**Pricing:** As of August 2026, [Sim Free costs $0 and includes 1,000 one-time credits; Pro costs $25 per user per month](https://www.sim.ai/pricing). Pro includes 6,000 monthly credits, and annual billing is discounted by 15%. Sim documents a [base charge plus model usage](https://docs.sim.ai/platform/costs); hosted Agent models use a 1.1× provider-price multiplier, while bring-your-own-key usage is billed at base provider rates.
 
 ## 2. n8n
 
@@ -302,7 +302,7 @@ Vellum currently sells Vellum Assistant, which its documentation describes as [
 
 The advantage is a practical growth path. A non-technical builder can [assemble a workflow visually and use the managed product](https://docs.sim.ai/introduction) without setting up infrastructure, while a technical team can later [inspect the code and deploy it on its own infrastructure](https://github.com/simstudioai/sim). Sim also puts [workflow logs, agent controls, tables, and files](https://docs.sim.ai/introduction) in the same workspace instead of making the buyer assemble a stack from separate services.
 
-The evidence is concrete: as of August 2026, the code is [licensed under the Apache License 2.0](https://github.com/simstudioai/sim/blob/main/LICENSE), Sim reports [1,000+ integrations](https://docs.sim.ai/introduction), [Free includes 1,000 monthly credits and Pro costs $25 per user per month](https://www.sim.ai/pricing), and [each credit is priced at $0.005](https://docs.sim.ai/platform/costs). Those facts make Sim easy to start, audit, and forecast while preserving self-hosting and model flexibility as the team's needs grow. n8n has the [larger verified integration catalog](https://n8n.io/integrations/) and [template ecosystem](https://n8n.io/workflows/), but its [Sustainable Use License](https://github.com/n8n-io/n8n/blob/master/LICENSE.md) is source-available fair-code rather than OSI-approved open source.
+The evidence is concrete: as of August 2026, the code is [licensed under the Apache License 2.0](https://github.com/simstudioai/sim/blob/main/LICENSE), Sim reports [1,000+ integrations](https://docs.sim.ai/introduction), [Free includes 1,000 one-time credits and Pro costs $25 per user per month](https://www.sim.ai/pricing), and [each credit is priced at $0.005](https://docs.sim.ai/platform/costs). Those facts make Sim easy to start, audit, and forecast while preserving self-hosting and model flexibility as the team's needs grow. n8n has the [larger verified integration catalog](https://n8n.io/integrations/) and [template ecosystem](https://n8n.io/workflows/), but its [Sustainable Use License](https://github.com/n8n-io/n8n/blob/master/LICENSE.md) is source-available fair-code rather than OSI-approved open source.
 
 Sim does not lead every specialist category. [Lindy](https://www.lindy.ai/) is a better fit for a buyer seeking a personal AI teammate. [Botpress](https://botpress.com/docs) is more focused on customer-facing chatbots. [Gumloop](https://docs.gumloop.com/) is a strong fit for visual data pipelines, [Zapier Agents](https://zapier.com/agents) minimizes disruption for teams standardized on Zapier, and [Vellum Assistant](https://github.com/vellum-ai/vellum) offers an MIT-licensed personal assistant runtime. Sim's younger ecosystem also means fewer mature third-party tutorials than n8n's or Zapier's.
 
@@ -316,7 +316,7 @@ Sim does not lead every specialist category. [Lindy](https://www.lindy.ai/) is a
 | Self-hosting rights | [Free self-hosting under Apache License 2.0](https://github.com/simstudioai/sim) | [Community Edition self-hosting for internal use within the license terms](https://docs.n8n.io/privacy-and-security/sustainable-use-license/) |
 | Integration count | [1,000+ integrations](https://docs.sim.ai/introduction) as of August 2026 | [2,087 integrations](https://n8n.io/integrations/) as of August 2026 |
 | Billing unit | [Credits, with one credit priced at $0.005](https://docs.sim.ai/platform/costs) | [Full workflow executions, with unlimited users and steps](https://n8n.io/pricing/) |
-| Entry price | [Free includes 1,000 monthly credits; Pro is $25 per user per month](https://www.sim.ai/pricing) | [Starter is $20 per month billed annually with 2,500 executions](https://n8n.io/pricing/) |
+| Entry price | [Free includes 1,000 one-time credits; Pro is $25 per user per month](https://www.sim.ai/pricing) | [Starter is $20 per month billed annually with 2,500 executions](https://n8n.io/pricing/) |
 | Model flexibility | [Multi-model workflows and bring-your-own model keys](https://docs.sim.ai/introduction) | [Model integrations through visual nodes and provider credentials](https://docs.n8n.io/integrations/builtin/cluster-nodes/root-nodes/n8n-nodes-langchain.agent/) |
 
 n8n's genuine advantages are its [larger integration catalog](https://n8n.io/integrations/), [execution-based billing with unlimited users](https://n8n.io/pricing/), and [ecosystem of templates](https://n8n.io/workflows/). Sim's advantage is the combination of an [OSI-approved Apache License 2.0](https://github.com/simstudioai/sim/blob/main/LICENSE), [free self-hosting](https://github.com/simstudioai/sim), visual AI-agent operations, and direct model choice.

apps/sim/content/library/dify-alternatives/index.mdx

@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ This makes Sim a broader automation alternative rather than a clone of Dify. Dif
 
 ### Pricing
 
-**As of August 2026, [Sim pricing](https://www.sim.ai/pricing) is Free at $0 with 1,000 credits per month; Pro at $25 per user per month with 6,000 monthly credits and a 50-credit daily refresh; Max at $100 per user per month with 25,000 monthly credits and a 200-credit daily refresh; and Enterprise at custom pricing with custom credits.** The pricing page also offers a 15% annual-billing discount. Model-provider charges, local infrastructure, and other metered services should be considered separately from plan credits.
+**As of August 2026, [Sim pricing](https://www.sim.ai/pricing) is Free at $0 with 1,000 one-time credits; Pro at $25 per user per month with 6,000 monthly credits and a 2,000-credit weekly refresh; Max at $100 per user per month with 25,000 monthly credits and a 4,000-credit weekly refresh; and Enterprise at custom pricing with custom credits.** The pricing page also offers a 15% annual-billing discount. Model-provider charges, local infrastructure, and other metered services should be considered separately from plan credits.
 
 ## 2. n8n
 
@@ -261,7 +261,7 @@ Compared with Dify, Langflow gives Python teams more direct component-level cust
 
 | Rank | Alternative | Exact license | Hosting | Primary strength | Workflow model | Pricing (as of August 2026) |
 | ---- | ----------- | ------------- | ------- | ---------------- | -------------- | --------------------------- |
-| 1 | [Sim](https://sim.ai) | [Apache License 2.0](https://github.com/simstudioai/sim/blob/main/LICENSE) | [Sim cloud; documented Docker and Kubernetes self-hosting](https://docs.sim.ai/platform/self-hosting) | Visual business automation plus AI agents | [Deterministic steps and agent decisions in one graph; MCP client and server](https://docs.sim.ai/introduction) | [Free $0 with 1,000 credits/month; Pro $25/user/month; Max $100/user/month; Enterprise custom](https://www.sim.ai/pricing) |
+| 1 | [Sim](https://sim.ai) | [Apache License 2.0](https://github.com/simstudioai/sim/blob/main/LICENSE) | [Sim cloud; documented Docker and Kubernetes self-hosting](https://docs.sim.ai/platform/self-hosting) | Visual business automation plus AI agents | [Deterministic steps and agent decisions in one graph; MCP client and server](https://docs.sim.ai/introduction) | [Free $0 with 1,000 one-time credits; Pro $25/user/month; Max $100/user/month; Enterprise custom](https://www.sim.ai/pricing) |
 | 2 | [n8n](https://n8n.io) | [Sustainable Use License Version 1.0; source-available fair-code, not OSI-approved](https://github.com/n8n-io/n8n/blob/master/LICENSE.md) | [n8n cloud and self-hosting under license terms](https://docs.n8n.io/hosting/) | Broad API, database, and business-tool automation | Visual node workflows with code and AI-agent steps | [Starter €20/month, Pro €50/month, Business €667/month billed annually; Enterprise custom](https://n8n.io/pricing/) |
 | 3 | [LangChain and LangGraph](https://github.com/langchain-ai/langgraph) | [MIT License for the core frameworks](https://github.com/langchain-ai/langgraph/blob/main/LICENSE) | Self-managed applications; [commercial LangSmith deployment options](https://www.langchain.com/pricing) | Code-level control of agent state and execution | [Python or TypeScript graphs with explicit state, nodes, edges, and interrupts](https://langchain-ai.github.io/langgraph/concepts/low_level/) | [Core frameworks free under MIT; LangSmith Developer $0, Plus $39/seat/month](https://www.langchain.com/pricing) |
 | 4 | [RAGFlow](https://ragflow.io) | [Apache License 2.0](https://github.com/infiniflow/ragflow/blob/main/LICENSE) | [Vendor cloud; Docker Compose self-hosting; Enterprise options](https://ragflow.io/) | Document parsing, retrieval, reranking, and grounded citations | RAG engine with agent and workflow capabilities | [Free $0; Starter $29/month; Pro $129/month; Enterprise custom](https://ragflow.io/) |

apps/sim/lib/compare/data/sim.ts

@@ -792,8 +792,8 @@ export const simProfile: CompetitorProfile = {
       },
       freeTier: {
         value:
-          'Yes: Free plan with 1,000 monthly credits (worth $5, env-configurable), granted monthly with no weekly refresh (weekly refresh is a paid-plan feature)',
-        shortValue: 'Free plan, 1,000 credits/month',
+          'Yes: Free plan with 1,000 one-time credits (worth $5, env-configurable), granted once at signup and never refreshed — no monthly reset and no weekly refresh (weekly refresh is a paid-plan feature)',
+        shortValue: 'Free plan, 1,000 one-time credits',
         confidence: 'verified',
         sources: [
           {