> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://elephas.app/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Elephas Free Trial: What's Included

> The Elephas free trial gives you 7 days on one computer with no card required. See what is included, the AI usage limit, and what happens when the trial ends.

The Elephas free trial gives you 7 days to try Elephas with your own documents, on one computer, with no card required. Nothing is charged when it ends, and your Brains and chats stay on your computer.

## Before you start

* Install Elephas on your [Mac](/docs/getting-started/install-elephas-on-mac) or [Windows PC](/docs/getting-started/install-elephas-on-windows).
* You need an Elephas account. You create one in your browser when you start the trial.
* Each account gets one free trial.

## Steps

You can start the trial in two places.

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="From your first question">
    1. Add a few documents and ask a question.
    2. Elephas shows **Start your free trial to get this answer**, with **No card needed. Nothing is charged. Your question is kept.**
    3. Click **Start Free Trial**. Your browser opens so you can sign in or create your account.
    4. Switch back to Elephas. You see **Free trial started. 7 days left.** and your question is answered.
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="From Settings">
    1. On Mac, choose **Elephas › Settings…** or press **⌘,**. On Windows, choose **File › Settings…** or press **Ctrl+,**.
    2. Choose **Plan & Billing** and sign in under **Elephas Account** if you have not yet.
    3. Under **Current Plan**, click **Start Free Trial**.
    4. **Current Plan** now shows **Free trial until** followed by the exact end date and time.
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

## What's included

In the app's own words: "Try Elephas free for 7 days on 1 device: \$1 of included AI, plus your own key and the on-device model. No card needed and nothing is charged. Sync needs the Professional plan."

| Included | Not included |
| - | - |
| Your Brains, local indexing, Ask with citations and chat history | [Personal Sync](/docs/sync-and-devices/personal-sync-overview) (Professional plan only) |
| Elephas AI, up to \$1 of usage over the whole trial | Team workspaces (bought separately) |
| [Your own API key](/docs/ai-options/use-your-own-api-key) for the full 7 days | More than one computer at a time |
| [Local AI](/docs/ai-options/run-local-ai) for the full 7 days | |

## How it works

* **The clock starts when you click Start Free Trial.** Installing Elephas, adding documents or signing in does not start it. The trial lasts exactly 7 days from that moment, and Plan & Billing shows the end date and time.
* **Elephas AI on the trial has a total limit and a daily share.** The \$1 covers the whole trial and does not refill. Each trial day also has its own share, so you can't use it all in one sitting. **Settings › AI** shows **Trial AI usage** and today's usage, with the time today's share resets.
* **One question at a time on Elephas AI.** If you ask while another trial answer is still running, Elephas asks you to wait for it to finish.
* **Your own API key and Local AI keep working** until the trial ends, even after the trial's Elephas AI usage is used up. Your provider bills your own key directly.
* **One computer.** The trial works on 1 device. To try it on a different computer, move it there with **Use This Device Instead**. See [device limits](/docs/plans-and-billing/device-limits).
* **No automatic charge.** No card is collected, so nothing can be charged. To keep going after 7 days, you choose a plan yourself.
* **Indexing happens on your computer. Always.** When you ask with Elephas AI, your question and the matching passages are sent to answer it, with personal details that Elephas detects hidden first. See [what data is sent to AI](/docs/privacy-and-security/what-data-is-sent-to-ai).

## What happens when the trial ends

Elephas shows **Your free trial has ended. Choose a plan to continue.** Elephas AI, your own API key and Local AI stop answering. Your Brains, documents and chats stay on your computer and you can still browse and search them. See [when your plan ends](/docs/plans-and-billing/when-your-plan-ends).

## Troubleshooting

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="This account has already used its free trial or has a plan">
    Each account gets one trial, and an account that already has a plan can't start one. Reinstalling Elephas does not reset it. [Choose a plan](/docs/plans-and-billing/plans-and-pricing) to continue.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Free trials are not available right now. Try again later.">
    Trials are paused for a while on the Elephas side. Nothing is wrong with your account. Try again later, or [contact support](/docs/troubleshooting/contact-support).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Today's included trial AI is used up">
    You reached the trial's share for today. It resets at the time shown. Until then, your own API key and Local AI still work. See [AI allowance used up](/docs/troubleshooting/ai-allowance-used-up).
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## FAQ

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Do I need a credit card to start the trial?">
    No. The trial needs only an Elephas account. No card is collected.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Will I be charged when the trial ends?">
    No. Nothing is charged, ever, unless you choose a plan and complete checkout yourself.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Is $1 of AI usage a balance I can spend or get back?">
    No. It is a usage limit for the trial, not money in an account. It has no cash value.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I extend my trial or get a second one?">
    No. Each account gets one 7-day trial. If something went wrong during your trial, [contact support](/docs/troubleshooting/contact-support).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Do I lose my documents if I don't buy a plan?">
    No. Your Brains, documents and chats stay on your computer. Elephas never deletes them because a trial or plan ended.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="If I buy a plan during the trial, do I keep the rest of the trial?">
    Your paid plan starts as soon as payment is confirmed, and the trial ends. Your Brains, chats and settings carry over unchanged. Unused trial usage does not carry over.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Related articles

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Plans and pricing" href="/docs/plans-and-billing/plans-and-pricing" />

  <Card title="Quick start" href="/docs/getting-started/quick-start" />

  <Card title="When your plan ends" href="/docs/plans-and-billing/when-your-plan-ends" />

  <Card title="Account and sign-in" href="/docs/getting-started/create-account-and-sign-in" />
</CardGroup>


This documentation is built and hosted on [Mintlify](https://mintlify.com), a developer documentation platform.