# How the free trial works

_Category: Plans and billing_

Every HelpCenter.io account starts with a 14-day free trial. You don't need a credit card, so you can build and publish a real help center before you decide to pay.

**Length:** 14 days · **Credit card:** Not needed · **Features:** Those of the plan you picked when you signed up

## What the trial includes

- **The features of your plan.** If you signed up from a plan on the [pricing page](https://helpcenter.io/pricing), you're trying that plan. If you signed up without picking one, you're trying Growth.
- **AI.** A Catalyst trial includes AI Answers and AI writing help. On Bootstrap and Growth they come with the AI add-on, which you can add once you activate your subscription.
- **Your team.** You can send up to 10 invitations during the trial, within your plan's team size.
- **A private start.** New help centers start private, so only your team can see them. [Make your help center public](https://self.helpcenter.io/content/make-your-help-center-public) when it's ready. Going public needs an activated plan, and activating early keeps your trial.

Want to try a different plan? Email support@helpcenter.io and we'll switch your trial.

## See how many days are left

1. At the bottom of the left menu, click your avatar, then **Billing & Invoices**.
2. Under **Let's get you started**, you see the plan you're trying and the days left in your trial. Click **Change** to compare it with the other plans.

![Screen recording. Billing & Invoices shows your plan and the trial days left. Click Change to compare plans.](https://helpcenter-io.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/self/rv5lxN5N78Devy11VK8Q6rmMYFEHjcnUOUJ8tPGv.gif)
The days left in your trial appear under the page title.

During the last 7 days, a banner at the top of the dashboard counts down ("Your trial expires in 5 days") with an **Activate Now** button.

## Keep your help center after the trial

Choose a plan and add a payment method whenever you're ready. Activating early doesn't cut your trial short: you keep the days you have left, and your first payment is taken when the trial ends. See [Choose a plan and start your subscription](https://self.helpcenter.io/content/activate-your-subscription).

## When the trial ends

If you haven't activated a plan, your help center goes offline. Visitors see a page that says "This Help Center is Taking a Break", and the dashboard asks you to activate your subscription. Your articles, categories and settings are kept, and activating brings everything back right away. See [What happens when a trial or subscription ends?](https://self.helpcenter.io/content/when-a-subscription-ends)

## Adding more help centers

To create a second help center, activate your subscription first. The new help center gets its own subscription, which starts with the rest of your trial, or with 5 free days if your trial is over. See [Create another help center](https://self.helpcenter.io/content/create-another-help-center).

## Decided HelpCenter.io isn't for you?

You don't need to do anything. We never asked for a card, so nothing is charged. You can delete your help center yourself (see [Export or delete a help center](https://self.helpcenter.io/content/delete-a-help-center)), or email support@helpcenter.io to have your account deleted. We'd be grateful to hear what was missing.

## Related articles

- [Choose a plan and start your subscription](https://self.helpcenter.io/content/activate-your-subscription)
- [What happens when a trial or subscription ends?](https://self.helpcenter.io/content/when-a-subscription-ends)
- [Plans and pricing](https://self.helpcenter.io/content/plans-and-pricing)
- [Will I be charged as soon as I activate?](https://self.helpcenter.io/content/will-i-get-immediately-charged-when-i-activate-my-subscription-plan)