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The AI builder lets you build an app by describing it to a coding agent, right in your browser. You get a split screen: a web terminal running the agent on the left, and a live preview of your app on the right that refreshes as you build. The model is deliberately different from other AI app builders: you bring your own AI, and you pay a flat price for the pod it runs on.
  • Building has no credits. The agent is Anthropic’s Claude Code or OpenAI’s Codex CLI, running inside your own pod and signed in with your own account or API key. InstaPods is not the AI provider and takes no cut of your AI usage, so there are no build credits, no per-message limits, and no token markup from us.
  • Running has no credits. Your app, its database, cron jobs, and background workers run on a flat-priced pod with no per-query, per-run, or per-operation metering.

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What you need

  • An InstaPods account with a payment method on file (a builder pod is a normal billable pod; your first card add grants a one-time $10 credit).
  • Your own AI subscription or API key: a Claude account (for Claude Code) or an OpenAI account / API key (for Codex). This is a real requirement, not a hidden fee, and there is no InstaPods markup on your AI usage.

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Start a build

  1. Open AI from the dashboard sidebar (or visit /dashboard/ai).
  2. Pick your agent (Claude Code or Codex) and a template:
    • Node.js - Express, Next.js, and full-stack Node.
    • Static - HTML, CSS, and JS served by nginx.
    • PHP - PHP 8.3 + nginx, serving files as you edit.
    • Python - Flask and FastAPI.
  3. Click to create the pod. It launches in seconds and the split-screen builder opens.
  4. In the terminal, the agent prompts you to sign in with your own Claude or OpenAI account (or paste an API key) on first run. This credential lives in your own pod, not in a shared service.
  5. Describe what you want to build. The agent writes the code; the preview on the right updates as it goes. The preview is served at a temporary *.instapods.app URL.

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After it builds

Your builder pod is a normal pod, so everything else works the same way:
  • Add a managed database (Postgres, MySQL, Redis, MongoDB) from the pod’s Services tab, with auto-generated credentials. Build (7/mo)includesPostgresinthepod;Grow(7/mo) includes Postgres in the pod; Grow (15/mo) adds Redis.
  • Custom domain - map one CNAME to the pod and HTTPS is auto-issued. See Environment variables for app config.
  • Keep iterating - the agent stays in the terminal. You can also connect a GitHub repo and use Git deployment for an external workflow.

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Pricing

You pay for the pod, flat, per month: Launch 3,Build3, Build 7, Grow $15. There are no credits and no usage metering on top, regardless of how many AI messages you send or how busy your app’s database gets. The AI cost is whatever your own Claude or Codex plan costs you, billed by Anthropic or OpenAI directly.

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How it compares

Most AI app builders are also the AI vendor and the host, so they meter both your AI messages and your app’s runtime as credits. The InstaPods builder removes both meters by not being the AI provider and not being a usage-billed host. For the full breakdown, see Lovable run credits explained (and the fix). If you already built an app in another tool and just want to host it, use Import from AI builders or Git deployment instead.