Applitools Free Plan Limits for Visual Testing: Checkpoints, Users, and Concurrency
Applitools’ terms describe a free trial with up to 100 visual checkpoints per month per permitted user. Here’s what counts, how concurrency works, and how to plan around the limits.
Applitools’ current Terms of Service state that a Free Trial Service permitted user can use up to 100 visual checkpoints per month. A checkpoint is one execution of a visual validation, so rerunning a validation counts again. The terms also default to one concurrent test execution per permitted user. Applitools calls this a free trial; the available sources do not establish a separate, always-free perpetual plan. Applitools Terms of Service
This is the practical answer to “How many Applitools checkpoints do I get for free?”: plan for 100 executions of visual validation each month for the permitted trial user, and verify the allowance displayed for your account and any applicable order or special program terms before committing a team workflow.
What the 100-checkpoint limit means
The terms define a checkpoint as a single execution of a visual validation of a target application’s page image. In other words, count validations executed, rather than test files, pages in your repository, or people who view a report. Each time your test executes a visual validation, it consumes a checkpoint. Run the same validation again and it counts again. A test that performs multiple visual validations can therefore consume multiple checkpoints in one run. See the checkpoint definition in the terms.
| Question | Practical interpretation |
|---|---|
| How many trial checkpoints? | Up to 100 per month per permitted user, under the current terms. |
| What uses one checkpoint? | One execution of a visual validation. |
| Does rerunning count? | Yes. A new execution of the validation counts again. |
| Can a multi-step test use more than one? | Yes, if it executes multiple visual validations. |
| How many trial users? | The terms permit one specific user by default. Additional users require an applicable agreement. |
| How many simultaneous test executions? | One per permitted user by default, unless an order form specifies otherwise. |
How to estimate your monthly usage
Estimate from the number of visual validations your automation actually executes, including reruns and repeated runs in continuous integration. Do not count only the number of test cases: a single test can perform more than one visual validation, and the same test can execute several times in a month.
- List each visual validation in your test flow. Count each validation execution, not just each test file.
- Multiply by how often the flow runs in a typical month. Include scheduled runs, pull request runs, manual reruns, and any retry behavior that executes the validation again.
- Add validations from other flows that use the same permitted user or account allowance.
- Compare the estimate with 100. Keep room for debugging and reruns instead of budgeting every checkpoint for the happy path.
Example: A suite with 5 visual validations that runs once each weekday for about 20 working days would execute about 100 checkpoints in that month, before any retries or manual reruns. If each validation is run twice in CI, that same schedule would use about 200 executions. These are arithmetic examples, not Applitools benchmarks or a guarantee about how a particular account reports usage.
Trial access, permitted users, and concurrency
The terms describe free access as the Free Trial Service, for internal, non-commercial evaluation. They state that service access is for one specific permitted user unless otherwise agreed in an order form. That user’s login credentials cannot be shared within the organization or with a third party. Do not multiply the allowance by creating or sharing logins; confirm the appropriate team access with Applitools.
Unless an order form says otherwise, the concurrent-execution limit is one per permitted user. Applitools defines concurrent executions as simultaneously opening more than one test from the account. A CI setup that launches overlapping jobs may therefore exceed the default even when its total monthly checkpoint count is below 100. Schedule visual test jobs to avoid overlap, or check the account’s applicable terms if parallel execution is required. The terms cover permitted users and concurrency.
Is there an always-free Applitools plan?
The sources reviewed describe free access as a trial, not as a verified perpetual free tier. The terms call it the “Free Trial Service,” and the pricing page presents a “Start a free trial” action alongside paid plans. Because offers and account entitlements can change, treat the 100-checkpoint figure as the current terms-based trial limit, then confirm what the registration flow and your account show. Applitools pricing page.
There may be special offers or separate program terms. Do not assume an allowance advertised for a beta, SDK, or other limited program applies to the standard Eyes trial. Check its scope, eligible SDKs, duration, and terms separately.
What happens if you exceed the limit?
The current terms say Applitools may reduce functionality or service performance until an excess is corrected. They also say that if checkpoint or concurrency breaches happen more than three times, Applitools may terminate the agreement with immediate effect. This is contractual language, not a prediction that every account will receive the same operational response. Review the terms and your account status rather than building a workflow around repeated overages. Terms on exceeding limits.
Paid plan context and cost planning
At the time of research, Applitools’ pricing page displayed Starter at $667 per month, paid annually, with 100,000 component checkpoints or 1,000 page checkpoints. It also displayed Professional and Enterprise tiers. Treat these as the page’s displayed offer, not a quote: confirm current pricing, the definition of the quantities relevant to your project, and any terms directly with Applitools before budgeting. Current Applitools pricing.
For a useful comparison with the trial, first determine whether your workload measures page checkpoints or component checkpoints on the paid offer, then estimate your monthly executions and team access needs. The trial’s 100 checkpoints per permitted user and the pricing page’s displayed paid quantities use different plan contexts; do not compare them as though they were identical entitlements.
Planning checklist
- Count visual validation executions, including repeat runs and CI retries.
- Estimate a normal month and a busy month, not just one local run.
- Reserve trial capacity for debugging and baseline updates.
- Check whether CI can open more than one test simultaneously.
- Use each person’s authorized account access; do not share credentials.
- Confirm whether your work qualifies for the trial’s internal, non-commercial evaluation use.
- Check the current account allowance and any order form or special program terms.
- If the workflow needs more capacity, ask Applitools to confirm the applicable paid plan and quote.
Troubleshooting checkpoint and access problems
| Symptom | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| “Checkpoint Limit Exceeded” or a similar limit error | The account reached its current plan maximum; the exact entitlement depends on the account’s plan. | Check account usage and plan details, then reduce unnecessary repeated validations or contact Applitools about the appropriate plan. The Applitools Figma plugin help notes that this message can indicate the current plan maximum was reached; it does not establish a universal trial allowance. |
| Usage is higher than the number of test files | Usage counts validation executions. One test can execute multiple validations, and reruns count again. | Inspect the test flow and CI history. Count validations per run, then multiply by runs and retries. |
| Tests fail or slow down when CI jobs overlap | The default trial concurrency limit is one simultaneous test execution per permitted user. | Serialize visual test jobs, or confirm whether your order form or account provides a different limit. |
| A teammate cannot use the same account login | The terms restrict the permitted user and prohibit sharing that user’s credentials. | Ask Applitools about authorized additional users and the applicable order form. |
| A beta allowance does not appear in the regular account | Beta terms can be restricted by time period or SDK scope and do not automatically apply to standard trial access. | Read the specific beta agreement and confirm eligibility; use the standard account’s displayed entitlement for planning. |
ScreenshotNeo as an alternative for capturing pages
Applitools is for visual testing and validation. If your immediate task is to capture a website as an image or PDF—for documentation, review, or a visual reference—ScreenshotNeo is a website screenshot API and MCP server from Yorker Media. A screenshot capture is not a replacement for visual regression testing: it gives you an image or PDF, while the Applitools question here concerns executed visual validations and their plan limits.
One-call website screenshot
Replace YOUR_API_KEY with your ScreenshotNeo key. The API accepts one GET request with a URL and returns a screenshot or PDF. See the ScreenshotNeo API documentation for options and response details.
curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://stripe.com -o shot.webpOther supported request examples:
import requests
r = requests.get(
"https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot",
params={"access_key": "YOUR_API_KEY", "url": "https://stripe.com"},
timeout=90,
)
open("shot.webp", "wb").write(r.content)const q = new URLSearchParams({ access_key: 'YOUR_API_KEY', url: 'https://stripe.com' });
const res = await fetch(`https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot?${q}`);
if (!res.ok) throw new Error(`Screenshot request failed: ${res.status}`);
await import('node:fs/promises').then(fs => fs.writeFile('shot.webp', Buffer.from(await res.arrayBuffer())));Or skip the browser setup
ScreenshotNeo removes cookie banners, newsletter popups, and chat widgets before the shot; each cleanup step can be turned off. Bot checks, blank pages, timeouts, failed loads, and cache hits are not billed, and response headers report the page verdict and billing status. Its MCP server provides take_screenshot, get_page_info, and capture_pdf tools for AI agents and MCP clients. The free plan includes 1,000 screenshots per month with no card; paid plans start at $5 for 3,000 screenshots. Every feature is on every plan. Read the API docs or sign up free for 1,000 screenshots a month, no card.
Frequently asked questions
Does a screenshot that I save locally use an Applitools checkpoint?
The terms define a checkpoint by a visual validation execution through the service. A local screenshot alone is not that defined event; check the SDK flow and account usage if your test uploads or validates it with Applitools.
Can I safely plan for exactly 100 validations every month?
Use 100 as the stated monthly cap, not as a promise that your workflow will have spare capacity. Leave headroom for retries and confirm current account terms before relying on trial access.
Does using ScreenshotNeo consume an Applitools checkpoint?
No Applitools checkpoint is described as being consumed by a ScreenshotNeo API capture. They are separate services. ScreenshotNeo captures pages; Applitools checkpoints are executions of visual validations under Applitools terms.
Where should I confirm my exact entitlement?
Check the plan and usage shown in your Applitools account and any order form or special program agreement that applies. The published terms may change.
