> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.allium.so/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Billing & limits
> Which MCP tools consume credits, how much data comes back, and why your tool list may be shorter than the docs.
MCP tool calls draw on the same credit pools as the rest of Allium. Most tools are free — only the ones that actually compute or serve data cost anything.
## What costs credits
| Tool group | Cost |
| :------------------------------------------------------------- | :--------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `run_sql_query`, `create_explorer_query`, `run_explorer_query` | **Explorer Units**, based on the warehouse and how long the query runs |
| Realtime and Hyperliquid tools | **Developer Units**, a fixed cost per endpoint |
| `update_explorer_query`, `delete_explorer_query` | Metered as tool calls; no query compute |
| Everything else | Free |
**Free tools:** `search_schemas`, `search_docs`, `browse_docs`, `search_terminal`, `get_terminal_results`, `list_skills`, `get_skill`, `list_compute_profiles`, `get_query_run_results`, `get_explorer_query`, `list_explorer_queries`, `realtime_get_supported_chains`, all dashboard, visual, and sharing tools.
`get_query_run_results` is free — the Explorer Units were charged when the run was queued. Polling for results costs nothing, so poll as long as you need.
**Two different meters.** Realtime and Hyperliquid tools call Allium's Realtime APIs, which charge Developer Units per endpoint. Separately, every metered MCP tool call is checked against your **Explorer Unit** allowance before it runs. In practice that means a realtime tool can be refused when your Explorer Unit allowance is exhausted, even though the call itself is priced in Developer Units. If you hit an unexpected limit error on a realtime tool, check both balances.
### Explorer Units
Query cost scales with the compute profile and query duration. The exact Explorer Unit cost of a run is returned in the `get_query_run_results` response, so your agent can report what a query actually cost.
Running SQL with `run_sql_query` and then saving the same SQL with `create_explorer_query` bills the compute twice. If the result might be reused, use `create_explorer_query(run_on_creation=true)` from the start.
### Developer Units
Realtime tools call Allium's [Realtime APIs](/api/developer/overview) under the hood, so they consume Developer Units at the published per-endpoint rate — 20–60 DU depending on the endpoint. Batched calls multiply the cost by the number of inputs, so a `realtime_token_latest_price` call with 10 payloads costs 10× the single-call rate.
See [API Credits](/api/developer/compute-units) for the full per-endpoint table, and [Realtime data](/ai/mcp/tools-reference/realtime#every-tool-names-its-own-docs) for the tool-to-endpoint mapping.
### When you run out
If your organization is over its credit cap or overage limit, billed tools fail with an error explaining the limit. Free tools keep working. Contact [support@allium.so](mailto:support@allium.so) to raise a limit.
## Row limits
Two separate caps apply to SQL results, and mixing them up is the most common source of "where did the rest of my rows go?".
| Cap | Value | Applies to |
| :----------------- | :--------------------------------------------------- | :----------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Query result rows | **1,000** | A `run_sql_query` run |
| Query result rows | **10,000** by default, configurable per organization | A saved-query run (`create_explorer_query` / `run_explorer_query`) |
| Tool response rows | **50** by default | What `get_query_run_results` hands your agent |
Raise the last one with `row_limit`, or pass `null` or `0` for no tool-side truncation. The default is deliberately small so a wide result doesn't consume your agent's whole context window.
Ad-hoc SQL is capped ten times lower than a saved query. If you need more than 1,000 rows, save the query with `create_explorer_query` rather than reaching for `run_sql_query`.
If you need more than 1,000 rows, aggregate in SQL rather than paginating through raw rows. Blockchain tables are large; a `GROUP BY` is almost always cheaper than moving rows into your agent.
Other limits:
| Limit | Value |
| :---------------------------------------- | :----------------------- |
| `get_query_run_results` poll window | 180 seconds max per call |
| `search_schemas` / `search_terminal` hits | 20 max, 5 by default |
| `get_terminal_results` rows | Set by `max_rows` |
## Tool visibility
A few capabilities are enabled per organization. Where that applies, the tool is **removed from `tools/list` entirely** — your agent never sees it, rather than seeing it and failing on call. Individual skills work the same way: `list_skills` returns only the ones your organization can access.
So the tool list your client shows can legitimately be shorter than the [full tool list](/ai/mcp/tools-reference/overview#full-tool-list).
Visibility fails closed. If authentication fails, gated tools are hidden — so if you expect a tool and don't see it, check that your API key is valid before assuming an access problem. Contact [support@allium.so](mailto:support@allium.so) if it's still missing.
## Related resources
Developer Unit cost per Realtime endpoint
Check your org's consumption in the App
How warehouse size affects Explorer Units
The async run and results flow