# What does it cost to use Pouta?

Pouta usage is free for Finnish academic use if a project application is
accepted. This uses the same process as the HPC systems at CSC. For a detailed
explanation, see
[Pouta Usage policy](../../cloud/pouta/vm-flavors-and-billing.md).

[Academic and commercial pricing](https://research.csc.fi/purchasing) is also
available for cases where we are unable to provide free access or sufficient
resources.

Accounting and billing is based on Cloud Billing Units. Academic users can
apply for more free Billing Units through the
[CSC customer portal MyCSC](https://my.csc.fi). Paying customers should contact
[CSC Service Desk](../contact.md).
