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Mana Credits

Mana is VariantLab's credit system. Every AI-powered operation consumes Mana.

What is Mana?​

Mana represents AI processing credits:

  • Used for all AI operations (generation, detection, variations)
  • Each operation has a fixed Mana cost depending on model and settings
  • Balance shown in the top-right corner
  • Credits never expire

Checking Your Balance​

Your current Mana balance appears:

  • In the top-right corner of the app (all pages)
  • In Settings > Usage (with lifetime stats)
  • In Settings > Billing (with purchase options)

How Mana is Used​

Mana is consumed when you:

ActionApproximate Cost
Generate image~1.5 - ~8 Mana
Detect traits~1 - ~3 Mana
Generate variation~1.5 - ~8 Mana
Create combinations1 Mana per 100
Export files1 Mana per 100

See Mana Costs for detailed pricing.

Free Actions​

These actions don't consume Mana:

  • Creating and deleting projects
  • Uploading your own images
  • Manual mask editing (brush/eraser)
  • Creating empty mask slots
  • Reordering layers
  • Changing settings
  • Viewing and previewing images
  • Downloading completed exports

Getting Mana​

New Account Bonus​

New accounts receive bonus Mana credits to get started.

Purchasing​

Visit Settings > Billing to purchase more Mana:

PackageManaPrice
Starter250$20
Creator500$40
Pro1,000$80
Studio2,000$160

Payments are processed securely via Stripe.

Running Low on Mana​

When your balance is insufficient:

  1. The action button shows "Insufficient Mana"
  2. A dialog shows required vs. available Mana
  3. Click "Buy Mana" to go to billing

No work is lost - just top up and continue.

Mana Tips​

Saving Mana​

  1. Use Flash for iteration - Switch to Pro only for finals
  2. Batch detection - "Detect All" is more efficient
  3. Favorite selectively - Only include your best work
  4. Set combination limits - Don't generate more than you need

Planning Usage​

Before starting a project, estimate costs:

5 base images × 1.5 = 7.5 Mana
3 traits detected = 1 Mana
4 variations × 3 traits × 2 = 24 Mana
200 combinations = 2 Mana
200 exports = 2 Mana
---
Total: ~37 Mana

Refunds​

Mana is refunded automatically if an operation fails:

  • Generation errors
  • Server issues
  • Incomplete operations

Check your transaction history to verify refunds.