| copyright | lastupdated | ||
|---|---|---|---|
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2019-02-13 |
{:shortdesc: .shortdesc} {:codeblock: .codeblock} {:screen: .screen} {:tip: .tip} {:new_window: target="_blank"}
{: #accounts}
{{site.data.keyword.Bluemix_notm}} has three different account types: Lite, Pay-As-You-Go, and Subscription. You get a free Lite account as soon as you sign up. Pay-As-You-Go and Subscription are our billable account options, each offering different features. Compare each account and choose the one that best suits your needs. {:shortdesc}
{: #compare}
The following table provides a comparison of Lite, Pay-As-You-Go, and Subscription accounts. For more details about each account, see the sections that follow.
| Lite | Pay-As-You-Go | Subscription | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Access to free Cloud Foundry memory | 256 MB | 512 MB | 512 MB |
Access to Lite service plans  {: new_window} |
 |
|
|
| Access to all free plans | |
|
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| Access to the full {{site.data.keyword.Bluemix_notm}} catalog | |
|
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| Access to multiple Cloud Foundry regions | |
|
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| No time restrictions | |
|
|
| Guaranteed zero cost | |
||
| Discounted pricing | |
||
| Best for learning or building proof of concepts | |
|
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| Fit for production use cases | |
|
|
| {: caption="Table 1. Comparison of {{site.data.keyword.Bluemix_notm}} accounts" caption-side="top"} |
{: #liteaccount}
Sign up for a Lite account to start building your apps and exploring services with select free Lite plans, which are displayed with a Lite tag 
in the {{site.data.keyword.Bluemix_notm}} console. Your Lite account doesn't expire and your credit card isn't required.
You have access to a single resource group that's created for you and named Default. All of your service's instances that are managed by {{site.data.keyword.Bluemix_notm}} Identity and Access Management (IAM) are automatically added to this resource group. You can update the name of this resource group at any time. See Renaming a resource group for the detailed steps.
Each resource group is free. When you create a connection between a service that is managed by IAM and a Cloud Foundry app, you create an alias, which is a service instance, that counts toward your quota. See Managing connections. {: tip}
{: #lite-account-features}
Check out the following list of key features that are available in a Lite account:
- The account is free - no credit card required.
- The account never expires.
- You can use one org in one {{site.data.keyword.Bluemix_notm}} region.
- Basic {{site.data.keyword.Bluemix_notm}} support for free. Basic support is provided for non-production environments or workloads where traditional severities are not used and specific response times are not stipulated.
- You receive email notifications about your account status and quota limits.
- Your Cloud Foundry apps can access up to 256 MB of free, instantaneous runtime memory.
- You can provision one instance of any service in the {{site.data.keyword.Bluemix_notm}} catalog {: new_window} that has a Lite plan.
- After 10 days of no development activity, your apps go to sleep. You can wake up your apps by continuing to work on them.
- After 30 days of no development activity, your service instances with Lite plans are deleted.
{: #upgrade-lite-account}
You can upgrade to a Pay-As-You-Go account or Subscription account. For more information, see How do I upgrade or convert my account type?.
You get a promotional credit of $200 after you upgrade to a Pay-As-You-Go account, and the credit is automatically applied to your account. Your $200 credit is valid for 30 days and is automatically applied to your invoice. The credit cannot be used with third-party offerings.
{: #paygo}
With a Pay-As-You-Go account, you can create multiple resource groups to easily manage quota and view billing usage for a set of resources. Your charges are based on your use of {{site.data.keyword.Bluemix_notm}} computing and services. You're eligible for free runtime and service allowances. If you use more than the free allowance, you receive a monthly {{site.data.keyword.Bluemix_notm}} invoice. The invoice is in United States dollars (USD) and provides details about your resource charges.
Also, with a Pay-As-You-Go account, you can order optional items such as advanced or premium support options. Contact {{site.data.keyword.Bluemix_notm}} Sales{: new_window} 
for more information.
{: #upgrade-to-subscription}
To upgrade your Pay-As-You-Go account to a Subscription account, contact {{site.data.keyword.Bluemix_notm}} Sales{: new_window} .
{: #subscription-account}
With a Subscription account, you can create multiple resource groups to easily manage quota and view billing usage for a set of resources. You commit to a combined a minimum spending amount each month and receive a subscription discount that is applied to that minimum charge. You're charged the non-discounted rate for any usage that exceeds your total subscription amount. To view your subscription, go to Manage > Billing and usage, and select Subscriptions.
If you have a subscription account, you can create most of the services that are available from the {{site.data.keyword.Bluemix_notm}} catalog{: new_window} . However, some services use a specific pricing plan that requires you to purchase it separately.
With {{site.data.keyword.Bluemix_dedicated_notm}}, you must sign up for a one year minimum term that includes:
- VPN connectivity back to your infrastructure
- Fully redundant environment in a {{site.data.keyword.BluSoftlayer_notm}} data center
- All supported runtimes ({{site.data.keyword.runtime_liberty_short}}, {{site.data.keyword.runtime_nodejs_short}}, and built-in open source runtimes)
- All dedicated services that you selected and all public {{site.data.keyword.Bluemix_notm}} services
- Standard {{site.data.keyword.Bluemix_notm}} support
You can also order optional items such as {{site.data.keyword.BluDirectLink}} or advanced or premium support options. Contact {{site.data.keyword.Bluemix_notm}} Sales{: new_window} for more information.
What you pay each month during that term is based on the dedicated services that you want, plus a Subscription account that gives you access to all public services. Usage charges of the services in {{site.data.keyword.Bluemix_notm}} Public are calculated based on your Subscription account agreement. You receive an invoice for any services that you use beyond that subscription agreement. Contact your IBM designated account representative or {{site.data.keyword.Bluemix_notm}} Sales{: new_window} to get started on your agreement.