CircleCI is a popular continuous integration and delivery (CI/CD) platform used by developers to build, test, and deploy their code. CircleCI Credits refer to the virtual currency used by CircleCI to pay for the platform’s usage, including build minutes and other premium features. In this article, we will discuss what CircleCI Credits are, how they work, and how you can purchase and use them.

What are CircleCI Credits?

CircleCI Credits are a virtual currency that you can use to pay for the services offered by CircleCI. These services include build minutes, which refer to the amount of time your builds run on CircleCI servers. When you run a build on CircleCI, you are charged a certain number of build minutes depending on the size and complexity of your project. The number of build minutes you consume is deducted from your account balance, and you will need to purchase more Credits if your balance runs low.

Apart from build minutes, CircleCI Credits can also be used to access premium features such as dedicated infrastructure, priority support, and private builds. These features are available to users with larger projects or higher levels of activity on the platform.

How do CircleCI Credits work?

CircleCI Credits are based on a pay-as-you-go model, which means that you only pay for what you use. You can purchase Credits in various amounts, ranging from a few hundred to several thousand Credits. The cost of each Credit varies depending on the amount purchased, with discounts available for larger purchases.

When you use CircleCI to run a build, the number of build minutes consumed is deducted from your account balance. For example, if you run a build that takes 10 minutes to complete, you will be charged 10 build minutes. The cost of each build minute depends on the plan you are subscribed to, with higher plans offering lower rates per minute.

In addition to build minutes, CircleCI Credits can also be used to access premium features such as dedicated infrastructure, priority support, and private builds. Each of these features has a different cost in Credits, with the exact amount depending on the specifics of your project and usage.

How to purchase CircleCI Credits?

To purchase CircleCI Credits, you will need to log in to your CircleCI account and navigate to the billing section. From there, you can choose the amount of Credits you want to purchase and proceed to checkout. CircleCI accepts a variety of payment methods, including credit cards and PayPal.

You can also set up auto-recharge for your Credits to ensure that your account never runs out. Auto-recharge automatically purchases Credits when your account balance falls below a certain threshold, which you can set according to your preferences.

How to use CircleCI Credits?

CircleCI Credits are automatically deducted from your account balance when you run a build or use a premium feature. You can view your account balance and usage history in the billing section of your CircleCI account.

If you run out of Credits, your builds will be automatically paused until you purchase more Credits or adjust your plan. However, you can still access the CircleCI platform and view your project details even if your account balance is low.

CircleCI is a popular continuous integration and delivery (CI/CD) platform that helps developers automate the build, test, and deployment process. In this article, we will discuss the benefits of CircleCI and how it can help your team deliver high-quality code faster.

1. Streamlined Development Process

CircleCI allows developers to automate the process of building, testing, and deploying code, which streamlines the development process and eliminates many of the manual tasks that can slow down development. With CircleCI, developers can easily set up automated workflows that run tests and deploy code to production when it passes all tests. This eliminates the need for manual testing and deployment, which can save significant amounts of time and reduce the risk of human error.

2. Increased Code Quality

CircleCI helps increase code quality by running tests automatically every time code is committed to the repository. This ensures that code changes do not break existing functionality and helps catch bugs early in the development process. Additionally, CircleCI can be configured to run a variety of tests, including unit tests, integration tests, and end-to-end tests, which helps ensure that code is thoroughly tested before it is deployed to production.

3. Faster Time-to-Market

CircleCI helps teams deliver code faster by automating the development process and eliminating many of the manual tasks that can slow down development. By automating tests and deployments, developers can spend more time writing code and less time manually testing and deploying it. This can help teams get new features and bug fixes to production faster, which can be critical in today’s fast-paced business environment.

4. Scalability

CircleCI is highly scalable, which means that it can handle large and complex projects with ease. The platform can scale up or down based on the needs of your project, ensuring that it can handle the workload without any downtime or performance issues. Additionally, CircleCI offers a variety of pricing plans that can be customized to fit the needs of your team and project, making it a flexible and cost-effective solution for teams of all sizes.

5. Increased Collaboration

CircleCI promotes collaboration by providing a single platform where developers can work together on the same project. With CircleCI, developers can easily share code and collaborate on workflows, which can help increase productivity and reduce the risk of conflicts between different team members. Additionally, CircleCI provides visibility into the development process, allowing team members to see what others are working on and track progress in real-time.

6. Easy Integration

CircleCI integrates with a variety of third-party tools and services, including GitHub, Bitbucket, Slack, and AWS. This makes it easy for teams to integrate CircleCI into their existing development workflow and use it alongside their favorite tools. Additionally, CircleCI provides a robust API that allows developers to create custom integrations and automate tasks even further.

7. Cost-Effective

CircleCI offers a variety of pricing plans that can be customized to fit the needs of your team and project. The platform uses a pay-as-you-go model, which means that you only pay for what you use. This makes CircleCI a cost-effective solution for teams of all sizes, as you can adjust your plan to fit your current needs and budget.

8. Dedicated Support

CircleCI offers dedicated support to its users, including a comprehensive knowledge base, documentation, and a community forum. Additionally, CircleCI provides 24/7 support to its customers, ensuring that any issues or questions are addressed quickly and efficiently.

9. Security

CircleCI takes security seriously and provides a variety of features to ensure that your code and data are protected. The platform offers strong encryption for all data in transit and at rest, and supports two-factor authentication for added security.

Conclusion

In summary, CircleCI Credits are a virtual currency used to pay for the services offered by CircleCI, including build minutes and premium features. These Credits are based on a pay-as-you-go model and can be purchased in various amounts depending on your needs. They are automatically deducted from your account balance when you use CircleCI, and you can view your account balance and usage history in the billing section of your account.

Overall, CircleCI Credits offer a flexible and convenient way to manage your build and deployment needs. By using these Credits, you can pay only for what you use and have access to premium features that can help you improve your development process.