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What Happens During Your Trial

How your 30-day free trial works — trial API key, credit balance, and what happens when it ends.

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When you create your first agent, BrainRoad automatically starts Starter: a 30-day free trial for one agent. No credit card required. Here is what to expect.

Your Trial API Key

At provisioning, BrainRoad creates a trial API key through OpenRouter and injects it into your agent automatically. This key is already configured inside your agent so you can start using it right away — no accounts to create, no keys to paste.

The trial key comes with a small credit balance (currently $2.00). This is enough for several dozen conversations and lets you experience the platform before committing to your own API key.

What Starter Includes

During Starter, you get a real working BrainRoad agent, not a dashboard-only preview. Starter includes:

  • One isolated agent instance
  • Dashboard, browser, and console access
  • Agent templates and the setup wizard
  • Persistent storage that survives restarts
  • Your agent email

Starter does not include Pro-only upgrades like up to 3 agents, an agent phone number for SMS, or runtime beyond the 30-day window.

What Happens When Your Trial Credit Runs Out

The trial key has a fixed credit balance ($2.00). When the balance is exhausted, the key stops working and your agent cannot process requests until you add your own API key.

Your agent is not deleted. Everything you configured — channels, skills, files, your agent’s name, personality, and all settings — stays exactly where it is. You just need to add a new API key to resume using your agent.

To add your own key:

  1. Go to your agent’s detail page
  2. Click Keys at the top
  3. Click Add Key and choose a provider (Anthropic is recommended)
  4. Follow the guided setup to add your API key

Your agent immediately starts using your new key. See Choosing Your API Key Provider for help picking a provider, or Adding API Keys for step-by-step instructions.

What Happens When Your 30-Day Trial Ends

At the end of 30 days, Starter ends regardless of how much trial credit remains. To continue using your agent, upgrade to Pro.

If you do not upgrade:

  • Your agent stops accepting requests.
  • Your data and configuration are preserved.
  • You can upgrade at any time to resume where you left off.

If your paused agent sits inactive for an extended period after Starter ends, it may eventually be archived to free up resources.

FAQ

Can I extend my trial? Starter is a one-time 30-day offer per account.

Do I need a credit card to start? No. Starter begins automatically when you create your first agent. No payment information required.

What AI models does the trial key support? The trial key goes through OpenRouter, which provides access to Claude, GPT-4, Gemini, and other models. Your agent will use whatever model is configured in its settings.

Can I use my own API key during the trial? Yes. You can add your own key at any time. Once added, your agent uses your key instead of the trial key. You do not need to wait for the trial to end.

What if I already have an API key? Add it right away. You do not need to use the trial key. Go to the Keys page and add your key — your agent will use it immediately.