Rate Limits and Usage
Learn how execution limits work across plans, when you will see 429 responses, and how to make the most of your quota.
How execution limits work
Every time you run a Flow, it counts as one execution. Each plan includes an execution pool that resets on a daily or monthly schedule.
Plan | Execution pool | Burst rate (per 10s) | What happens at the limit |
|---|---|---|---|
Build (free) | 50/day | — | Slow mode starts |
Startup | 15,000/month | 50 requests | Overage billing starts |
Growth | 60,000/month | 200 requests | Overage billing starts |
Team | 300,000/month | 500 requests | Overage billing starts |
Enterprise | Unlimited | Unlimited | — |
Burst rate is the maximum number of Flow executions allowed in a 10-second window. If you exceed it, the API returns 429 until the window resets, which can take up to 10 seconds.
On paid plans, your monthly execution pool is a soft cap. You are not blocked when you use it up. Overage is billed at the end of the period. On paid plans, you only see 429 responses when you exceed the burst rate.
These limits apply to Flow executions, not to individual AI model calls. Model providers enforce their own limits separately, especially when you use Platform Keys vs. Bring Your Own Key (BYOK).
Slow mode on Build
On the Build plan, your first 50 Flow executions each day run at full speed. After that, your workspace enters slow mode.
Each request is delayed by 10 seconds
Up to 10 requests per hour are allowed
Requests are still processed, so you can keep testing and demoing
If you reach the hourly limit in slow mode, the API returns 429 and includes a Retry-After header to tell you when to try again. Upgrading to a paid plan removes slow mode and gives you a monthly execution pool with a higher burst rate.
You can check whether you are in slow mode from the dashboard header. Look for the Slow mode indicator.
Platform keys and BYOK
Your API key setup affects which AI provider limits apply to your requests.
Platform keys are shared across Runtype users. They are useful for getting started and for development, but they can be throttled during peak usage.
BYOK gives you dedicated limits from your AI provider. Use it for production workloads or when you need more consistent response times. To set up BYOK, follow Connecting AI model providers.
Check your usage
You can monitor usage from the dashboard and from API responses.
The header shows your current execution usage or a Slow mode indicator
Use Billing and plans to review plan details and upgrade options
Execution responses also include headers such as X-Quota-Remaining and RateLimit-Remaining. When you have used 80% or more of your execution pool, the response includes X-Quota-Warning.
Tips for staying within your limits
Cache repeated results in Records when you do not need to run the same Flow again
Lower concurrency and add delay steps for large workloads
Add retry logic that respects the
Retry-Afterheader on429responses
Upgrade when your usage grows
You can upgrade from Settings → Billing or from upgrade prompts shown near your limit.
Build → Startup: move from 50/day with slow mode to 15,000/month
Startup → Growth → Team: increase both your execution pool and burst rate
Team → Enterprise: get custom limits, unlimited executions, and dedicated support
If you are consistently using 80% or more of your pool, it is a good time to upgrade. Higher plans also give you a higher burst rate.
If you are hitting limits in production
Check your current usage in Settings → Billing
Switch to BYOK if you are using platform keys
Add delays between high-frequency steps in your Flows
Pause non-critical scheduled jobs temporarily
Upgrade your plan if your current tier no longer fits your traffic
For plan details, see Billing and plans. For model configuration, see Connecting AI model providers and Platform Keys vs. Bring Your Own Key (BYOK).
Next steps
Connecting AI model providers to set up BYOK for dedicated provider limits
Platform Keys vs. Bring Your Own Key (BYOK) to choose the right model access setup
Billing and plans to review plan options and upgrade paths
What are Flows? to understand what counts as an execution
What are Records? to reduce unnecessary executions by caching reusable results