The Tool Desk
Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Chromatic’s current self-serve plans start at $179 per month after Free: Starter includes 35,000 billed snapshots and lists extra snapshots at $0.008 each. Pro costs $399 per month for 85,000 billed snapshots; Chromatic does not currently publish a Pro overage rate. Enterprise pricing is custom. If you use all 5,000 snapshots on Free, testing and review pause until the allowance resets or you upgrade. Chromatic’s pricing page was checked on October 3, 2026; pricing can change.
Chromatic plan prices and included snapshots
The figures below are the self-serve prices and allowances displayed on Chromatic’s pricing page on October 3, 2026. The inspected page does not state regional currency qualifications.
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| Plan | Monthly price | Included billed snapshots per month | Extra usage listed | Browser coverage and plan notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 5,000 | Testing pauses at the limit | Chrome; unlimited projects, users, and collaborators |
| Starter | $179 | 35,000 | $0.008 per additional billed snapshot | Adds Safari, Firefox, and Edge testing |
| Pro | $399 | 85,000 | Not stated on the current pricing page | Adds a custom domain to Starter features |
| Enterprise | Custom | Unlimited snapshots listed | Custom terms | Includes Pro features and listed enterprise controls; contact sales |
Do not assume Pro has Starter’s $0.008 overage rate: Chromatic does not show a Pro rate on its current pricing page. Paid plans are self-serve monthly subscriptions, not annual subscriptions, according to Chromatic’s billing documentation.
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What happens when you use the Free allowance
Once the account has used its 5,000 included billed snapshots, testing and review pause until the allowance resets unless you upgrade. This is a stop rather than an automatic charge for Free-plan overage. See Chromatic’s snapshot-limit FAQ.
What happens when a paid plan exceeds its allowance
Paid accounts can continue testing and review after using the snapshots included in the plan. Additional billed snapshots are charged at the end of the billing period. Plan changes are prorated by day, and the monthly billing cycle is based on the subscription date, as described in Chromatic’s billing documentation.
Why snapshot usage is not the same as story count
The allowance applies to billed snapshots, not simply to the number of stories in a Storybook. Usage is affected by tests, builds, browsers, modes, and applicable test types. Visual and accessibility tests incur billed snapshots; interaction tests do not. Chromatic sums project usage at the account level.
How different snapshots are counted
- A captured snapshot counts as 1 billed snapshot.
- A copied TurboSnap snapshot counts as 0.2 billed snapshots.
- A bypassed snapshot counts as 0 billed snapshots.
TurboSnap can reuse previous snapshots for tests it identifies as unaffected by code or dependency changes. A build with no changed test dependency can be bypassed. These mechanisms may reduce usage, but the savings depend on the project’s changes and test setup.
How to estimate or control your bill
- Check the account’s billing usage page for actual billed-snapshot use across projects; story count alone is not a reliable estimate.
- Account for visual and accessibility tests, the number of builds, and browser and mode coverage when forecasting usage.
- Review whether TurboSnap can copy or bypass unaffected tests in your setup, while treating the 0.2 copied-snapshot weight as a usage rule rather than a guaranteed percentage saving.
- Set usage alerts and compare projected use with the plan allowance before the billing period ends.
Sponsored free plan for qualifying open-source projects
Chromatic describes a sponsored free plan with 35,000 monthly snapshots and Chrome-only testing for qualifying open-source design systems or UI component libraries. Published community-project criteria include exceeding one of these thresholds: 100 contributors, 40,000 weekly npm downloads, or 10,000 GitHub stars. Certain company-built and government design systems have separate contributor criteria. Eligibility is reviewed: contact Chromatic to check whether a project qualifies; the allowance is not automatic. Details are on Chromatic’s open-source sponsorship page.
When free Storybook publishing does not use snapshots
Chromatic says its free Storybook publishing service alone incurs no billed snapshots when UI Test and UI Review are disabled. That is a limited publishing-only use case, not an expanded allowance for visual testing.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.ScreenshotNeo: an alternative for API-based webpage captures
If what you need is a webpage screenshot API rather than Storybook visual testing and review, try ScreenshotNeo first. It serves a different purpose: one GET request returns a screenshot or PDF, with clean-shot handling for consent banners and popups and billing that excludes failed captures and cache hits. It is not a substitute for Chromatic’s visual-regression workflow.
ScreenshotNeo offers 1,000 screenshots a month free with no card; paid plans start at $5 for 3,000. An MCP server lets AI agents use its screenshot tools. Sign up for the free plan.
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