September 21, 2026
Replit's agent runs without credits by default: Free Mode is included in Core for $20 a month
Free Mode does not use subscription credits: Replit has moved routine agent work to a cheaper model.
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We did the math. Free Mode checks out.
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On July 30, OpenAI cut the price of GPT-5.6 Luna by 80%. Three weeks later, Replit made it the default model for its agent.
For Core and Pro subscribers, that changes the math: routine agent work can run without watching the credit counter.
Then and now. Economy Mode was renamed Power Mode, while Free Mode took over as the default. It does not use Power or Max Mode credits, and Auto-routing selects the model: you cannot choose it manually in this mode.
How to turn it on. Select Free Mode from the Agent settings dropdown or switch with ⌘+Shift+I (Ctrl+Shift+I on Windows). The mode works on Starter, Core, and Pro plans, while Settings → Usage shows the remaining limit and reset date.
Core costs $20 per month and includes up to 30 hours of chat and up to 60 projects on Free Mode, plus $20 in credits for the most powerful models. Limits refresh every 5 hours, and Pro limits are higher.
Replit promises "30 times more built" on the same subscription. Company president Michele Catasta explains the bet: "Many tasks do not need the smartest tier; they need smaller, faster, and cheaper models."
Routine auto-runs do not work in Free Mode: they require Power or Max Mode with a run budget.
Next, cheaper models will take over routine work, while subscription credits remain for demanding tasks.
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