HighLevel Pricing – Plans, Credits, and Usage Costs
HighLevel pricing has two components: a monthly subscription (covering platform access and features) plus usage-based LC credits (covering SMS, MMS, calls, email sends, and AI features). The subscription is a flat monthly fee per plan tier. LC credits are a balance that draws down as communication features are used – auto-recharge maintains the balance automatically. Subscription and usage are billed separately. For current plan prices, check the HighLevel pricing page – plans and rates update periodically.
This post covers how HighLevel pricing is structured, what LC credits are and how they work, what is covered by the subscription vs. billed through credits, how auto-recharge works, how agencies can offset costs through rebilling, and what to consider when budgeting for HighLevel.
Reading time: about 5 minutes.
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How HighLevel Pricing Is Structured
HighLevel uses a two-part pricing model: a flat monthly subscription fee that covers access to the platform and its features, plus a separate usage-based billing system (LC credits) for communication costs like SMS, calls, and email sends.
Understanding this two-part structure is important before budgeting for HighLevel. The subscription cost is predictable and fixed.
The usage cost varies based on how actively the account sends messages, makes calls, and uses AI features. Total monthly cost is subscription plus usage – and for accounts with high communication volumes, the usage cost can be as significant as the subscription cost.
The Subscription Component
The subscription covers access to HighLevel’s platform features. Workflow Builder, funnels, websites, email builder, calendar and booking pages, Social Planner, reputation management dashboard, CRM and contacts, pipelines, reporting – all of the feature interfaces are included in the subscription at the appropriate plan tier.
HighLevel offers multiple subscription plan tiers. Lower-tier plans are designed for individual businesses or agencies with fewer clients.
Higher-tier plans include additional sub-accounts, agency features like SaaS Mode and white-labeling, and higher usage allowances where applicable. The plan selection determines what agency-level features are available and how many sub-accounts the subscription supports.
Because HighLevel pricing changes, specific current plan prices are not listed here – they would quickly become inaccurate. The plan structure (multiple tiers with increasing features and agency capabilities) is stable; the specific dollar amounts are best verified on the current HighLevel pricing page.
LC Credits – The Usage Component
LC credits are HighLevel’s internal billing unit for usage-based costs. They work like a prepaid balance: the account starts with a credit balance (either included with the plan or purchased separately), and credits are deducted as usage-billed features are used.
When the balance approaches zero, auto-recharge adds more credits to keep the balance funded.
LC credits cover costs that vary by volume – things where the cost to HighLevel depends on how much the account uses. A flat subscription cannot cover per-SMS costs because the cost to HighLevel depends on whether the account sends 100 messages or 100,000 messages.
LC credits handle the variable portion of the cost structure.
Some HighLevel plans include a starting LC credit allocation as part of the subscription – a fixed credit amount per month. When that included allocation is exhausted, the account draws from a separately purchased credit balance.
Other plans may not include credits in the subscription and require the full credit balance to be purchased separately.
What Features Cost LC Credits
The features billed through LC credits rather than the flat subscription: outbound SMS (charged per segment – a segment is typically 160 characters), inbound SMS (charged per message received), MMS messages (higher cost than SMS), outbound calls (charged per minute), inbound calls (charged per minute), phone number monthly fees (the cost of maintaining each provisioned LC Phone number), voicemail drops, email sends through LC Email (charged per email above included allowances), and certain AI features.
Features that do NOT cost LC credits: building funnels, creating workflows, designing email templates, configuring calendars, using the CRM, running the Social Planner, building websites, managing the reputation dashboard (viewing reviews), and most platform configuration and building activities. Credits are charged for the act of sending a communication – not for the platform features that support communication.
Auto-Recharge
Auto-recharge is the configuration that prevents the LC credits balance from running out unexpectedly. In the account settings, configure a minimum threshold balance and a recharge amount.
When the balance drops to the threshold, HighLevel automatically charges the payment method on file for the recharge amount – adding credits to the balance so communication features continue without interruption.
Setting auto-recharge is essential for any account using SMS automations. If the credits balance reaches zero and auto-recharge is not configured, automated SMS workflows stop sending – silently, without notification.
Leads stop receiving follow-up. Appointment reminders stop firing.
The workflow appears active but communications are not going out.
The appropriate auto-recharge threshold and amount depends on the account’s communication volume. An account sending 5,000 SMS per month needs a larger minimum threshold than one sending 500.
Configure the threshold to cover at least a week of typical usage – enough buffer to notice the recharge event and adjust if something unexpected changes the usage volume.
Plan Tiers Overview
HighLevel’s plan structure typically offers a progression from single-location business plans to multi-client agency plans to full agency platform plans with SaaS Mode and white-labeling. The specific plan names and price points change over time as HighLevel updates its offerings – but the general structure is consistent: lower-tier plans for smaller use cases, higher-tier plans for larger agencies with more clients and more advanced reselling requirements.
For an agency evaluating which plan to choose: the key decision factors are the number of sub-accounts needed (client count), whether white-labeling is required, whether SaaS Mode is part of the business model, and whether the white-label mobile app is needed. Each of these capabilities typically requires a higher plan tier.
For a single local business evaluating HighLevel: the decision is simpler – the plan that includes the communication features and automation capabilities needed for the business’s size and usage level.
Total Cost for Agencies
For agencies, the total monthly HighLevel cost is the subscription plus the LC credits usage across all client sub-accounts. When an agency manages 20 client sub-accounts and each client sub-account sends 500 SMS per month, the total SMS volume across all sub-accounts is 10,000 messages – and the corresponding credit cost is 20 times the per-account volume.
Understanding total usage across sub-accounts is important for agencies evaluating whether HighLevel is cost-effective versus maintaining separate tool subscriptions per client. The typical outcome: the agency subscription plus aggregate usage costs is significantly less than the sum of per-client tool licensing at comparable functionality levels.
Offsetting Costs Through Rebilling
Agencies can offset or eliminate LC credit costs through the Rebilling feature. When Rebilling is enabled for a client sub-account, HighLevel charges usage costs to the client’s sub-account at the agency’s configured markup – rather than charging the agency’s main account.
The client pays the rebilled rate. The agency pays HighLevel’s base rate.
The markup is agency revenue.
Well-configured rebilling can make the agency’s LC credit costs revenue-neutral. An agency that charges clients $0.02 per SMS segment while paying HighLevel $0.01 per segment collects a margin on every message.
At meaningful SMS volume across multiple clients, this margin accumulates into meaningful monthly revenue that offsets or exceeds the agency’s total HighLevel subscription cost.
Budgeting for HighLevel
Budgeting for HighLevel accurately requires estimating both the subscription cost and the expected LC credit usage. For the subscription, check the current pricing page and select the appropriate plan tier for the business or agency use case.
For LC credits, estimate the monthly usage: how many SMS messages will be sent (include automated sequences, campaigns, review requests, reminders), how many outbound and inbound calls, how many email sends, and how many phone numbers will be provisioned. Use HighLevel’s current LC credit rate per unit to calculate the estimated monthly credit spend.
Add a 20% buffer for variance.
For agencies: estimate usage per sub-account and multiply by the number of active sub-accounts. If rebilling is enabled, factor the rebilled revenue against the usage cost.
The net cost after rebilling revenue is what the agency actually pays for platform infrastructure.
Consolidation Savings
The cost comparison that makes HighLevel compelling for most businesses and agencies is the consolidation calculation: what does the business currently pay per month for all the individual tools HighLevel replaces?
A typical local business stack before HighLevel includes: a CRM subscription, an email marketing subscription, a scheduling tool, a review management platform, and potentially a funnel builder and SMS tool. The sum of those subscriptions often exceeds HighLevel’s total cost (subscription plus typical usage).
The consolidation savings cover or exceed the HighLevel subscription cost while reducing the number of tools to log into, manage, and pay for.
For agencies, the consolidation math is even more favorable. Per-client tool licensing across multiple clients adds up quickly.
One HighLevel agency subscription covering all clients at the same cost as a single client’s tool stack is often 5 to 10 times more economical per client served.
Common Questions
HighLevel pricing = flat monthly subscription (platform access) + LC credits (usage-based costs for SMS, calls, email). The subscription covers features; LC credits cover per-message and per-call costs. Configure auto-recharge to keep the credits balance funded. Agencies can offset usage costs through rebilling – charging clients at a markup on usage costs. For current specific plan prices, check the HighLevel pricing page directly – prices update periodically.
How much does HighLevel cost?
Subscription fee (varies by plan tier) plus LC credits usage (per SMS, per call minute, per phone number). Check the current HighLevel pricing page for specific dollar amounts – pricing updates periodically.
What are LC credits in HighLevel?
HighLevel’s billing unit for usage-based communication costs. Credits are deducted as SMS messages are sent, calls are made, emails are sent, and phone numbers are maintained.
Auto-recharge keeps the balance funded automatically.
What is included in the HighLevel subscription vs. what costs extra?
Subscription: platform features (Workflow Builder, funnels, CRM, email builder, calendars, Social Planner, reputation dashboard, etc.). Extra via LC credits: SMS sends, call minutes, MMS messages, phone number monthly fees, and certain AI features.
Does HighLevel offer a free trial?
Yes. HighLevel offers a free trial for new accounts. Check the current HighLevel website for the trial offer and duration.
What HighLevel plan is best for a marketing agency?
Depends on client count and needed features. Higher-tier plans include more sub-accounts, white-labeling, and SaaS Mode.
Check the current plan comparison for agency plan options that match the specific sub-account count and feature requirements.
To Wrap It Up
HighLevel pricing is not complicated once the two-part structure is understood: subscription for features, LC credits for usage. The subscription is predictable.
The usage cost scales with communication volume. For most businesses, the total HighLevel cost is lower than the sum of the tools it replaces – which makes the pricing question less about “is HighLevel expensive?” and more about “is HighLevel cheaper than my current stack?”
For agencies, the economics improve further with rebilling – turning usage costs into usage revenue. A well-structured agency operation where rebilling covers usage costs makes HighLevel’s net cost the subscription fee minus the rebilling margin.
At enough client volume, the platform can approach revenue-neutral or revenue-positive on infrastructure costs alone.
The most important pricing action: configure auto-recharge before activating any SMS or call automations. The silent failure mode of an empty credits balance – automations appear active but communications stop – is the most common and most preventable HighLevel operational problem.
Auto-recharge prevents it entirely.
See HighLevel’s current pricing – try it free first, then choose the plan
Free trial available. Check the HighLevel pricing page for current plan costs and LC credit rates.