Gamma gives every free account 400 AI credits — enough for roughly 10 full presentations with edits. Once they are gone, AI generation stops completely. Here is every legitimate way to earn more credits for free, how to stretch the ones you have, and what your options are when the balance hits zero.
How Gamma credits work
- 400 credits on signup — this is a lifetime allocation, not monthly
- Generating a full presentation costs roughly 40 credits
- Regenerating a card costs about 5 credits
- AI chat edits and image generation cost roughly 10 credits each
- Credits do not refresh on free plans
At typical usage, heavy users exhaust their credits within weeks. Light users (one deck per month with minimal regeneration) can stretch them for several months.
Ways to earn more free credits
1. Referral program (the only reliable method)
Gamma awards bonus credits for each person who signs up through your referral link. The exact amount varies (historically 200 credits per referral), and there is a cap — invites stop paying out after a handful of successful referrals.
To find your referral link: open Gamma, click your profile icon, and look for the "Earn credits" or "Invite friends" option.
2. Promotional events (rare and unpredictable)
Gamma occasionally runs credit promotions — bonus credits for completing onboarding steps, seasonal campaigns, or partner integrations. These are not reliable and cannot be planned around.
3. Education discount (paid, but cheaper)
Students and teachers can apply for an education discount (~50% off Plus). This gives unlimited credits on a paid plan at roughly $5/month instead of $10. Verification takes 1-2 weeks.
How to make credits last longer
The biggest credit drain is regeneration. Every time you ask Gamma to redo a card or tweak content via AI chat, you spend credits. Manual edits are free.
- Write your content before generating. Paste a clear outline or full text into the prompt — one good generation beats three mediocre ones
- Edit text manually after generating. Click into text boxes and type. Only use AI regeneration when the layout itself needs to change
- Avoid "improve" and "make it better" prompts. These burn credits with unpredictable results. Be specific about what to change
- Generate fewer cards per deck. A 10-card deck costs less than a 20-card deck. Add slides manually if you need more
What to do when credits run out
When your credit balance is zero, you can still:
- View, present, and share all existing decks
- Edit text, images, and formatting manually (no AI needed)
- Export as PDF or PPTX (with the free-plan watermark)
- Remove the watermark from exports using GammaRemover (free, browser-based)
What you cannot do: generate new decks, regenerate cards, or use AI chat to edit content.
Your options at zero credits
| Option | Cost | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Referral credits | Free | 200 credits per successful invite (capped) |
| Continue without AI | Free | Manual editing + watermark-free exports via GammaRemover |
| Education discount | ~$5/month | Unlimited credits + no watermark on new exports |
| Gamma Plus | ~$10/month | Unlimited credits + branding controls |
| Switch tools | Free | SlideGMM or Google Slides (no watermark, no credit limits) |
What does NOT work (avoid these)
- Creating multiple accounts — Gamma tracks by email and device. Multiple accounts violate their terms and risk all accounts being banned
- Email alias tricks — some guides suggest using Gmail "+" aliases to self-refer. This may work short-term but risks account flagging
- "Unlimited credits" hacks — any site or video promising unlimited free Gamma credits is either outdated, fake, or violates Gamma's terms
Frequently asked questions
Do Gamma credits refresh monthly? No. The 400 free credits are a one-time lifetime allocation. Only paid plans (Plus, Pro) get monthly credit refreshes.
How many presentations can I make with 400 credits? Roughly 10 full presentations with light editing, or about 5 if you heavily regenerate and use AI chat features. The exact number depends on deck length and how much you iterate.
Is there a way to check my remaining credits? Yes. In Gamma, click your profile icon or the credits indicator in the sidebar. It shows your current balance and usage history.
What happens to my decks when credits run out? Nothing — they are still yours. You can view, edit manually, present, share, and export them. You just cannot use AI features to create new content.