Trials

Only one tool has a time-boxed trial in the code: the Photoshop plugin, tracked under the tool name photoshop. The same trial also unlocks the Photopea and browser versions of the plugin, because all three environments check the same tools.photoshop permission and the same trial record.

The trial exists for signed-in accounts that do not have tools.photoshop access. That permission comes with Plugin Pass, Standard, Pro, Max and the referrer tier. If an account already has one of those, starting a trial returns "Already has full access" and there is nothing to trial.

There is no trial for the browser tools, the editor, credits or any AI tool. Those use the free plan's daily limits and the 50 signup credits instead.

The Photoshop plugin trial lasts 60 minutes. The server sets the end time when the trial starts and nothing the client does can extend it.

If the sign-in itself lapses during the free hour, the panel now shows its sign-in card again (a new link code) rather than an error with no way in; the hour's clock is untouched (2026-09-23).

A person without access who opens the plugin lands on the no-access screen at /plugin/no-access. If they are eligible it shows a button "Try free for 60 minutes" with the note "One-time trial. No card, no subscription." Clicking it shows "Starting your free hour..." then "Free hour started. Enjoy!" and sends them back into the plugin environment they came from (Photoshop, Photopea or browser).

If the trial cannot start, the screen explains why:

• "Your free hour has already been used on this account." (the account had a trial before)
• "A trial is already running for this account." (an active trial exists, usually from another session)
• "Free trial unavailable."
• "Could not start trial. Please try again." or "Network error starting trial." for transient failures

During the trial a trial indicator with a countdown is shown inside the plugin. The countdown is driven by the server's expiry time, not the device clock.

Where the free hour sits in the plugin gate (order as of 2026-09-20): an active subscription that includes the plugin opens it first, with no Discord check; otherwise the Discord permission after a role sync; and only when neither grants access is the free hour looked at. So a subscriber is never put on a trial, and an account under review cannot start one.

While a trial is running, the plugin sends a heartbeat to the server every 30 seconds. The heartbeat proves the session is still alive and returns the remaining time. It never extends the trial.

If the server does not receive a heartbeat for 90 seconds, it treats the client as gone and ends the trial with the reason heartbeat_lost. On the client side, two consecutive failed heartbeats also end the trial and show "Connection lost. Trial ended." When the tab is hidden or closed, the plugin sends a final heartbeat so the server notices the gap promptly.

Practical consequences:

• Closing Photoshop or losing internet for more than about a minute and a half ends the trial early, and the hour is used up. It cannot be restarted.
• The 60 minutes run in real time from the start, whether or not the plugin is open. Pausing is not possible.
• A trial is per account, not per device. Opening the plugin from a second device during the trial sees the same countdown.

Each account gets exactly one Photoshop plugin trial, ever. This is enforced by a unique database index on the account and tool, so it cannot be bypassed by retrying, logging out or switching devices. Creating another Discord account to get another hour is against the Terms of Service.

Trials are not refunded or reset when they end early through a lost connection. Staff can reset a trial manually if a genuine outage is confirmed; ask in the staff channel (verify the process, there is no self-service reset).

When the hour is up the plugin shows "Your free hour has ended." and redirects to the no-access screen, which now reads "Your free hour has already been used on this account." and offers the subscription paths and a "Re-authenticate and check access" button for people who have since subscribed.

Work already sent to Photoshop stays in Photoshop; the trial only controls access to the plugin's live 3D preview and sync features. Binary game file imports (YFT, YDD, YTD) are flagged as unavailable during a trial in the access response, so the plugin may hide them for trial users (verify what the plugin shows).

To keep using the plugin after the trial, the person needs Plugin Pass ($8/month or $90/year), or Standard, Pro or Max, all of which include the plugin.

Separately from the free hour, /store/free-trial/{product_id} starts a Stripe Checkout for Plugin Pass with a free trial period. The page shows "Preparing your trial..." and redirects straight to Stripe.

Facts from the code:

• Only Plugin Pass (the LITE product) is eligible. Any other product returns "Product not eligible for free trial". A Stripe price id can be passed instead of the product id, as long as it belongs to Plugin Pass.
• The trial period is 8 days (TRIAL_DAYS = 8). Comments and metadata in the file still say "14 days"; the code sends trial_end 8 days out, so 8 is what Stripe applies (verify which is intended).
• A payment method is required at checkout ("payment_method_collection: 'always'"), and promotion codes are accepted. The subscription converts to a paid monthly Plugin Pass when the trial ends unless it is cancelled in the Stripe customer portal first.
• Success returns to /editor; cancelling returns to /app?plans=all. A failure redirects to /pricing?error=trial_failed.
• The person must be logged in; otherwise they are sent to log in and back.

Whether this page is currently linked from the pricing or plugin pages is not confirmed in the code read for this doc (verify). The public plugin page mentions "Free trial · no card", which refers to the 60 minute free hour, not this Stripe trial.

Is there a free trial of the Photoshop plugin? Yes. Signed-in accounts without a plan get one free hour. Open the plugin, and on the no-access screen click "Try free for 60 minutes". No card needed.

My trial ended after a few minutes. Why? The trial ends if the plugin loses contact with the server for more than 90 seconds, for example when Photoshop is closed or the internet drops. It shows "Connection lost. Trial ended." The hour is then used and cannot be restarted.

Can I get another trial? No. It is one trial per account for life. Staff can only reset it manually after confirming a real outage (verify).

Does the trial pause when I close Photoshop? No. The 60 minutes run in real time from when you click start, and closing the plugin for more than about 90 seconds ends it early.

Does the trial work in Photopea or the browser plugin? Yes. All three environments share the same photoshop trial and the same access check.

Is there a trial for the AI tools or the editor? No. The free plan gives 50 signup credits and daily limits on the browser tools instead.

What is the 8 day free trial in the store? /store/free-trial/... starts a Stripe subscription to Plugin Pass with the first 8 days free. It needs a card and bills $8/month after the trial unless cancelled in the customer portal.

Since 2026-09-20 this part of the site is available in English, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Polish and Dutch. It follows the browser's language on a first visit, and the language menu (the icon beside the profile in /app, or in the top navigation on public pages) changes it. Nothing about how it works, what it costs or what a plan includes differs by language; only the words do. File names, format names (GLB, YDR, YTD), product and model names, code, and some error lines that come from the server stay in English. Details and known gaps: Languages and translation.