Eden's credit system is designed to bill you accurately based on your actual AI usage. Different models and the amount of context you use affect the cost, so understanding how to work efficiently can help you get more value from every credit.

"Credits" is how some AI tools, including Eden, translate "Tokens" into something we can measure internally. Tokens are how AI models read and write. Think of them as pieces of words.

Our credit system almost directly correlates to token usage.

Why Eden Works Differently

In Eden, you can easily work with large files and videos because we automatically transcribe and analyze content—including every frame of video. This means you can reference entire documents, YouTube videos, podcasts, and more without worrying about context limits. However, this powerful capability also means that how you structure your work impacts your credit usage.

In Eden, it can be very easy to burn through your plans AI usage.

Understanding Context in Longer Chats

"Context" is the information the AI considers when generating responses.

This is how every AI tool works. The more you add to a chat, the more context is taken in with each message. Meaning, long chats use a lot more credits, regardless of if it's in Eden or not.

In Eden, context can include your conversation history, any @ mentioned workspace items, and project content. As conversations grow longer, the context window expands, which increases credit usage with each new message.

The strategy to making the most of your credits is simple: keep conversations focused, summarize valuable insights into reusable documents, and start fresh chats when you shift to a new topic. This approach gives you the benefits of deep context without the costs of carrying unnecessary history forward.

If you still run out of credits fast, the way you work may be better suited for the [Creator or Pro plan](https://eden.so/pricing).

File processing and storage are included in your subscription tier—only AI usage consumes credits. Any file or link you add to your workspace is transcribed and analyzed. This is baked into your plans cost along with storage amount, since Eden is a cloud drive, not only an AI tool.

By working thoughtfully with these strategies, you can make every credit count while enjoying Eden's powerful capabilities.

Tips to Maximize Your Credits

1. Create New Chats Frequently

Long conversations accumulate context with every exchange. Each time the AI responds, it processes the entire conversation history again. Starting fresh chats for different topics prevents unnecessary context stacking and keeps your usage efficient.

2. Summarize and Create "Knowledge Documents"

When a chat becomes long or produces valuable insights, ask the AI to summarize all relevant key points so you can reference it in another chat without losing much context. Save that summary as a note or document in your workspace. In future chats, simply @ mention that document instead of chatting in the old conversation. This gives you the same context with a fraction of the token cost.

Keep in mind: Sending a simple message like "hello" to a long chat uses the same amount as if you were resending that entire chat.

3. Choose the Right Model for the Task

Eden defaults to our "Best" model for high-quality results, but not every task needs the most expensive option. Use premium models like Claude Opus 4.5 for complex analysis, creative work, or when accuracy is critical. Switch to less expensive models like Gemini Flash for simple questions, quick lookups, or routine tasks.

4. Be Specific and Concise in Your Prompts

Every word in your prompt costs tokens. Be direct and clear—remove unnecessary explanations, examples, or verbosity. Specific prompts reduce back-and-forth exchanges and help the AI understand what you need on the first try.

5. Use Projects to Organize Your Work

Projects give you a dedicated space for specific projects you're working on, allowing you to centralize relevant files and conversations. Instead of repeatedly uploading or mentioning the same files across different chats, add them to a project once. This reduces redundant context and keeps your work organized.

When chatting inside a Project, Eden AI searches for the most relevant information before pulling them into the chats context.

6. Reference Files Selectively

When working with large documents or videos, @mention only the files that are directly relevant to your current question. If Eden AI doesn't have what it needs, it can query across your entire workspace with synthesized, sourced answers, so you don't need to include everything in every conversation.

7. Edit Files Directly

Rather than asking the AI to regenerate entire documents, use Eden's direct editing feature to make targeted changes yourself. This preserves the AI's output while avoiding unnecessary regeneration costs.