Duck.ai is free to use, but there is a daily limit on usage.
Can I pay to increase the usage limit?
DuckDuckGo subscribers on the Plus plan have access to higher usage limits than the free version of Duck.ai. Pro plan subscribers get 2x higher usage limits than the Plus plan.
DuckDuckGo subscription limits.
DuckDuckGo subscribers have two usage limits, a daily and weekly limit, that they can access to suit their needs. Once their daily limit is reached, subscribers can choose to start using their weekly limit to continue their current session. This can be done until the weekly limit is consumed, after which Duck.ai will be unavailable until the weekly limit resets. Daily limits reset at midnight UTC, and weekly limits reset every Sunday at midnight UTC. Current daily and weekly usage can be seen in Duck.ai settings.
Why do I hit a usage limit immediately after starting a conversation?
Due to the way we anonymously enforce usage limits, you may see this error message when using a VPN or cellular network. Try switching VPN locations or switching from a cellular network to WiFi, and see if that resolves the issue. If the issue persists, please use the Share Feedback button at the bottom of the chat page to report it.
How can I better manage my usage limits?
- Match the model to the task. Lower cost models use your limits more efficiently than higher cost models, so for lighter tasks like quick summaries or rewrites, switch to a low cost model and save the high cost models for harder work.
- Use "Fast" mode by default. Keep your chat in "Fast" mode and save the reasoning effort for when you need more work done on a complex problem.
- Start fresh when you switch topics. Long conversations can cost more, so begin a new chat whenever you change subjects.
See this page for more information on model costs and how to choose the best model for specific use cases.
Is the method to impose these limits private?
Yes. Per our strict Privacy Policy, “We don’t save your IP address or any unique identifiers alongside your searches or visits to our websites. We also never log IP addresses or any unique identifiers to disk.” The same applies to Duck.ai chats. To impose usage limits, we use a similar method as we do in search to prevent abuse. While we cannot divulge the exact method in order to protect our system from bad actors and misuse, it is engineered in such a way that makes it completely anonymous. For more info on how we manage that technically in other contexts, please see this help page.