# Title: LiveKit Cloud free-tier limit exceeded during Flutter development testing

**URL:** <https://community.livekit.io/t/title-livekit-cloud-free-tier-limit-exceeded-during-flutter-development-testing/2251>\
**Category:** Getting Started\
**Created:** [October 12, 2026, 9:19pm UTC](https://community.livekit.io/t/title-livekit-cloud-free-tier-limit-exceeded-during-flutter-development-testing/2251 "2026-10-12T21:19:07Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![SULEMAN\_MANFUL](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex001/user_avatar/community.livekit.io/suleman_manful/32/2784_2.png) [@SULEMAN\_MANFUL](https://community.livekit.io/u/SULEMAN_MANFUL)\
**Post date:** [October 12, 2026, 9:19pm UTC](https://community.livekit.io/t/title-livekit-cloud-free-tier-limit-exceeded-during-flutter-development-testing/2251/1 "2026-10-12T21:19:07Z")

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**Category:** Getting Started

**Message:**

Hello LiveKit team,

I’m developing AppAfrik, a Flutter application that uses LiveKit Cloud for community live video sessions.

My project dashboard reports that I have exceeded the free-tier limit. My app now displays this error:

“connection minutes limit exceeded. please contact the project owner.”

The Usage dashboard shows approximately 4,586 WebRTC participant minutes for the past 7 days.

I am still developing and testing with a few devices. Could you please clarify:

1. What is the free-tier participant-minute allowance?

2. Does the allowance reset, and if so, when?

3. Is there a way to restore testing access or receive additional development usage?

4. What is the least expensive option for continuing development and testing with a few devices?

5. What participant-minute allowance and additional usage charges apply to the Ship plan?

I would appreciate your guidance before upgrading.

Thank you.

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**Author:** ![darryncampbell](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex001/user_avatar/community.livekit.io/darryncampbell/32/20_2.png) [@darryncampbell](https://community.livekit.io/u/darryncampbell)\
**Post date:** [October 13, 2026, 8:07am UTC](https://community.livekit.io/t/title-livekit-cloud-free-tier-limit-exceeded-during-flutter-development-testing/2251/2 "2026-10-13T08:07:36Z")

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Hi, I can’t check your actual project because I can only find your `ship` project, but to answer your questions:

> [@SULEMAN\_MANFUL](#):
>
> 1. What is the free-tier participant-minute allowance?

For free tier, this is currently 5000 minutes, [Pricing | LiveKit](https://livekit.com/pricing#webrtc-minutes)

> [@SULEMAN\_MANFUL](#):
>
> 1. Does the allowance reset, and if so, when?

Yes, monthly, on the 1st.

> [@SULEMAN\_MANFUL](#):
>
> 1. Is there a way to restore testing access or receive additional development usage?

Unfortunately not.

> [@SULEMAN\_MANFUL](#):
>
> 1. What is the least expensive option for continuing development and testing with a few devices?

Some users will try to bypass the restriction by creating another account with a different email. Since this is against our terms and conditions, I can’t recommend this approach, though I’m sure some leeway would be given for a paying customer such as yourself doing this once.

> [@SULEMAN\_MANFUL](#):
>
> 1. What participant-minute allowance and additional usage charges apply to the Ship plan?

On ship you get 150,000 minutes included then the cost is $0.0005 per minute.