We’re changing how pricing works on Layer, starting on September 2nd. The goal is simple: Make it easier for game teams of all sizes to access powerful AI tools - and only pay for what they create.
We’re making it easier for studios to create amazing content.
We’re making Layer more flexible, open, and accessible for every game team. The old per-seat pricing is gone - now you can add as many people to your workspace as you want, at no extra cost. You only pay for what you create, through a Creative Unit (CU) subscription that scales with your production needs.
Best of all, every creator can now access all of Layer’s core product features. That means no more feature gates: Every studio, from a one-person team to a AAA publisher, can use the same powerful tools.
This shift is about democratizing access to production-ready AI – giving every game studio, regardless of size or budget, the same creative power and freedom to build.
No plans. No gated features. Just pay for what you create.
The Layer platform has grown fast. What started as a 2D concept tool is now a full creative engine for game studios - with real large-scale production use across everything from concept art, UI, cinematics, to core in-game assets.
However, our old pricing wasn’t built for that. Generation limits were rigid, features were locked behind seat tiers, and there were challenges scaling usage across different sized game teams.
Layer’s vision is to unlock powerful AI tools for every team at any price, which is why our new billing plans:
✅ Removes seat pricing so teams can create and collaborate more easily.
✅ Gives studios better access to all modalities (2D, 3D, Video, Audio)
✅ Lets you scale your usage with simple top-ups when you need more
If you're exploring Layer, you now get access to advanced features like video and 3D on the Free plan. If you need production-ready content, Studio lets you pay based on how much you use - not how many people are in the room.
Introducing Creative Units (CU) - your currency for creation
With Layer, your usage is pooled into a single currency that works across all models and features. Instead of managing separate balances for 2D, 3D, video, or audio, your team can create freely across them all. This keeps accounting simple, and lets you focus entirely on production.
Okay, we know what you’re probably thinking - what is a Creative Unit and how do costs change across models ? It’s pretty straightforward, just think of Creative Units like credits for compute. Every time you generate something on Layer, it uses CUs based on how intensive the task is. For example:
A small 2D image generated on SDXL might cost just a fraction of a unit.
A medium 2D image generated using FLUX Pro may cost a few units.
A long video using Veo 3 may cost a few dozen units.
Basically: the more complex the generation, the higher cost in Creative Units.
You get a new batch of CUs every month depending on your plan, and you can track your usage in the new Billing Dashboard. Need more? Top up with a CU pack. Up to 10% of total subscription units roll over month-on-month.
Purchasing Creative Units for your workspace
Getting a subscription for Creative Units (CUs) is easy. Starting at $60 for 1000 CUs, you can choose the perfect amount to support your workspace - and scale up and down as needed. Or you can buy single-use packs of Creative Units for $40 / 500 units, giving you the flexibility to purchase units only when you need them.
We designed this system so game teams could easily scale their content production needs at every stage of the lifecycle. Doing early ideation and just need some images? No problem. Need to go big with UA video production after launch? We got you.
Tracking what you’re creating on Layer
All workspaces now have a built-in Usage dashboard that tracks what everyone on your team is creating. This can be segmented by model type, modality, date, and more - giving you an in-depth view of how many Creative Units you’re spending.
What happens to current customers?
Goodbye complex plans! Hello simple subscriptions! Things are getting a lot more streamlined.
Going forward we have just three types of Layer users: Free, Studio, and Enterprise. If you have any active subscription, you will be in Studio, or Enterprise if that was set up directly with the Layer team. This means that the majority of Layer creators will be in Studio.
Your subscription will remain the same unless you decide to change it. If you keep your current subscription, it will automatically grant you a number of Creative Units equal to or greater than the value of your existing plan in CU packages.
The great thing is that all our product features are the same for everyone on Layer. This means that you never have to worry about different models or functionality being gated behind a plan.
All customers: You’ll now see a new Billing Dashboard that shows usage, estimated monthly costs, and CU burn rates per action/model. We built it specifically to give you visibility before any changes take effect.
Free customers: If you’re a Free user, you will no longer have unlimited generations, but instead a set number of Creative Units to try out the platform. Free plans now have 50 CUs - with an additional 250 CUs if you add a business email.
Pro or studio customers: If you’re on a Pro or Studio plan now, you’ll remain on your current plan until you choose to update it or cancel. If you do nothing, you’ll still be subscribed and will automatically receive Creative Units equal to or greater than the value of your existing plan in CU packages - but you won’t be able to take advantage of the new subscription model’s flexibility or features until you switch over.
Enterprise customers: will be reached out to directly from the Layer team (this has likely already happened) and transitioned to the new subscription system.
TL;DR
Pricing for seats has been removed, with cost shifting to a consumption based model.
There’s a new Creative Units (CU) system where you’ll pay for what you create on Layer.
Changes will come into effect on the 2nd of September 2025 and all users will be able to adjust usage on their subscription page.
Check out our pricing full Docs/FAQ for more details.
This shift reflects what we’ve learned from thousands of game teams using Layer every day - and sets us up for what’s next. In the meantime, if you have questions or want to plan your transition just let us know.
Thanks for building with us.
- Burcu & Volkan
Co-Founders, Layer
