Pricing
Design for free. Unlock Chinilla AI and more with Pro.
Free
Learn and experiment with system design.
- 5 cloud projects (free account)
- All 7 building blocks
- 8 starter templates (Lessons + Examples)
- Runtime simulation + playback
- Programmable component behaviors
- PNG, GIF + clipboard export
- Python + System Spec export
- Version snapshots (up to 20)
- JSON backup + restore
- 3 AI-generated designs/month
- Beginner lessons (Module 1 + Intermediate preview)
Pro
Unlock Chinilla AI: build, test, and stress-test real systems with AI-powered insights.
- Everything in Free
- Unlimited cloud projects
- Interview prep templates (8 system design scenarios)
- 500 AI credits/month (enough for regular daily use)
- Stability analysis + stress controls
- Monte Carlo reliability analysis
- AI code export (Design to Python)
- Subsystem drill-down
- AI PRD + enhanced spec export
- Map: reverse-engineer code into visual architecture
- All learning modules (Beginner + Intermediate + Advanced)
Compare plans
| Feature | Free | Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Building blocks | All 7 | All 7 |
| Templates | 8 | All 16 |
| Runtime simulation | ||
| Programmable behaviors | ||
| PNG + clipboard export | ||
| Animated GIF export | ||
| Python + Spec export | ||
| Version snapshots | Up to 20 | Up to 20 |
| JSON backup + restore | ||
| Cloud projects | 5 | Unlimited |
| Pro only | ||
| AI credits | 3 designs/month | 500/month |
| Stability analysis + stress controls | ||
| Monte Carlo analysis | ||
| AI code export (Python) | ||
| Subsystem drill-down | ||
| AI PRD export | ||
| Map (code to architecture) | ||
| Learning modules | Beginner only | All modules |
Questions
Can I use Chinilla without paying?
Yes. The free tier gives you the full canvas, all components, templates, runtime simulation, all exports (PNG, Python, Spec, JSON), and unlimited cloud saves with a free account. No payment needed. Pro adds AI features: chat, stability analysis, Monte Carlo, stress controls, AI code export, AI PRD, and subsystems.
What counts as an AI credit?
Any AI action uses 1 credit: chat messages, AI-generated designs, stability analysis, code mapping, Python code export, and PRD generation. Deterministic exports (Python, System Spec) and runtime simulation do not use credits. Credits reset on your billing date each month.
Can I cancel anytime?
Yes. Cancel from your dashboard. You keep all designs (local and cloud) forever. AI features stop working but your data is always yours.
Do you train on my designs?
No. Your designs are never used for model training. AI features use xAI's Grok on a per-request basis with no data retention.
What is your refund policy?
We don't offer automatic refunds, but if something went wrong, contact us and we'll review your case.