30-day trials
==============

Aiven offers a free trial for 30 days to explore the platform - including the `Aiven Console <https://console.aiven.io/>`_, :doc:`API </docs/tools/api>`, :doc:`CLI </docs/tools/cli>`, :doc:`Aiven Terraform provider </docs/tools/terraform>`, and :doc:`Aiven Operator for Kubernetes </docs/tools/kubernetes>` - and the `Aiven services <https://docs.aiven.io/>`_. You don't need a credit card to sign up.

If you create services on the :doc:`free plan </docs/platform/concepts/free-plan>`, they will continue to run alongside your free 30-day trial without affecting your trial credits. Free plan services also continue running after the trial has expired.

Trial features and limitations
-------------------------------

The trial credits can be used for any paid services and plan sizes as well functionality like virtual private cloud peering.

Trials include:

* Up to 10 VMs

* 1 :doc:`Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) </docs/platform/howto/manage-vpc-peering>`

* Up to 10 VPC peering connections


There are some limitations:

* You can only have one trial

* Trials can only be started in your default project, which is created when you sign up

* Trial credits cannot be transferred to another project

* You can't create new services if your remaining credits would be spent too quickly


Add a payment card
-------------------

To keep your services running after the trial period, :doc:`add a payment card </docs/platform/howto/manage-payment-card>`. Without a payment card, services are automatically powered down after credits run out, but they can be powered on again after a card is added.