NoctisNode billing explained: cycles, plans and the balance model
A clear explanation of how billing works — monthly cycles, prepaid balances, per-server debits, plan changes mid-cycle, and how the model differs from a subscription.
Billing is the part of a hosting relationship people understand least and get burned by most. NoctisNode's model is deliberately simple — prepaid balance, monthly cycles, no subscription — and this guide explains exactly how it behaves, including the edge cases around plan changes and multiple servers.
Prepaid balance, not a subscription
You deposit crypto, it credits to a balance, and each monthly cycle is debited from that balance. There is no card, no auto-renewal, and no recurring charge. This is not a stylistic choice: recurring card billing is precisely the mechanism that ties a hosting relationship to a verified identity, so the model was built to avoid it.
The monthly cycle
Each server's plan price is charged once per month. A $6 Wisp and a $25 Nocturne together debit $31 per cycle from the same account-wide balance. There is no per-invoice minimum, no setup fee, and no charge for stopped or undeployed servers.
| Plan | Monthly | What it is for |
|---|---|---|
| Wisp | $6 | VPN endpoint, Tor relay, small bot |
| Pulse | $10 | Small self-hosted services |
| Umbra | $15 | Docker stacks, mail, small local models |
| Nocturne | $25 | Nodes and heavier services |
| R1 dedicated | $89 | Ryzen 9 7950X · 64 GB ECC |
| R2 Pro dedicated | $169 | EPYC 9354 · 128 GB ECC |
| R3 Max dedicated | $299 | EPYC 9654 · 256 GB ECC · 10 Gbps |
Changing plans mid-cycle
You can move between tiers at any time. The new price applies from the next cycle boundary, so upgrading mid-month does not prorate a surprise charge — you simply start paying the new rate on the next debit. This is the practical advantage of cycle-based billing over per-hour metering.
Deploying and destroying
You are billed for what is running. A destroyed server stops accruing the debit at the next boundary, and a newly deployed one starts accruing then. Because debits are per cycle rather than hourly, there is no bill for the hours a server existed mid-month.
Note · Keep in mind the flip side of no auto-renewal: nothing tops the balance up for you. If the balance hits zero, the server suspends at the cycle boundary — recoverable, but avoidable with a small buffer.
Why this model and not a subscription
- ▹No card means no billing identity — the provider never learns who you are from how you pay.
- ▹No auto-renewal means no surprise recurring charge to leak or to dispute.
- ▹Prepaid means you are always in control of exactly how long the relationship lasts.
- ▹Cycle-based rather than metered means no bill shaped by an unexpected traffic spike.
Checking what you are paying
The panel shows the current balance and the running debit. If you script against the account, the finance API exposes the same figures. For the full documentation, see the billing section of the docs.
FAQ
QDo I get charged for unused servers?
ANo. You are billed per cycle for servers that are running; a destroyed server stops the debit at the next boundary.
QDo you prorate when I change plans?
ANo. The new price applies from the next cycle boundary, so mid-cycle changes do not prorate.
QIs there a minimum account balance?
ANo minimum. The practical minimum is one cycle of whatever plan you run, so the balance does not hit zero mid-month.
QHow do dedicated servers bill?
AThe same way — monthly cycle from the account balance. R1 is $89, R2 Pro $169, R3 Max $299.