Billing FAQ
Everything you need to know about plans, billing cycles, host limits, and managing your subscription. For questions not covered here, email support@zerodba.com.
Free Trial
How long is the free trial?
All plans include a 14-day free trial. Your card is required to start the trial but will not be charged until the trial period ends.
What is included in the trial?
The full plan — every feature available on your chosen tier is accessible during the trial. There are no feature restrictions or usage caps beyond your plan's host limit.
What happens at the end of the trial?
At the end of 14 days, your subscription activates and your card is charged for the first billing period. You'll receive an email reminder 3 days before the trial ends. If you cancel before the trial ends, you will not be charged.
Can I cancel during the trial?
Yes. Cancel any time during the trial from the billing portal (click the credit card icon in the dashboard) and you will not be charged.
Plans & Pricing
| Plan | EC2 Hosts | Monthly | Annual |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essentials | Up to 5 | $499 / mo | $4,990 / yr ($416/mo) |
| Professional | Up to 15 | $999 / mo | $9,990 / yr ($833/mo) |
| Advanced | Up to 40 | $1,999 / mo | $19,990 / yr ($1,666/mo) |
| Enterprise | Unlimited | Custom | Custom |
Annual billing saves 2 months vs monthly. Enterprise pricing is custom — email support@zerodba.com.
What does 'up to X hosts' mean?
A host is one EC2 instance. If a single EC2 instance runs multiple SQL Server instances, it still counts as one host. The plan limit is enforced in the dashboard — you'll be notified and blocked from adding hosts beyond your limit.
Does the price include all SQL Server instances on each host?
Yes. If you have 3 SQL Server instances (a default instance plus two named instances) on a single EC2 node, that node counts as one host, and all three SQL Server instances are managed under it.
Is annual billing a single charge or monthly?
Annual billing is a single charge at the start of each annual period. You pay for the full year upfront and receive 2 months free compared to the monthly rate.
What Counts as a Host
How does PatchPilot count hosts?
A host is an EC2 Instance ID. When you run discovery on an EC2 instance, that instance ID is registered against your account. The count in the Discover dialog shows how many of your plan's host slots are currently in use.
What happens if I reach my host limit?
PatchPilot will prevent you from adding more hosts in the Discover dialog with a clear message showing your limit, usage, and remaining slots. Existing hosts continue to work normally. To add more, upgrade your plan.
Can I remove a host to make room for a different one?
Contact support@zerodba.com with the EC2 Instance ID you'd like removed and the reason (decommissioned, replaced, etc.). We'll remove it from your account and free the slot. We're working on a self-service option.
Does a stopped or terminated EC2 instance still count toward my limit?
Yes, until it is removed from your account. If you've decommissioned a host, email support to have it removed.
Managing Your Plan
How do I upgrade to a higher plan?
Click the credit card icon in the top bar of the PatchPilot dashboard to open the billing portal. From there you can upgrade your plan. Upgrades take effect immediately and are prorated for the remainder of the billing period.
Can I downgrade to a lower plan?
Yes, through the billing portal. Downgrades take effect at the end of your current billing period. If you have more hosts registered than the lower plan allows, you will need to remove hosts first — PatchPilot will warn you before the downgrade takes effect.
Can I switch from monthly to annual billing?
Yes. Open the billing portal, select your plan, and choose annual billing. The annual price takes effect at your next renewal. If you switch mid-cycle, you'll be charged the annual rate at your next billing date and receive credit for any unused portion of your current monthly period.
Can I pause my subscription?
Not currently. If you need to pause for business reasons, email support@zerodba.com and we'll work something out. Cancelling and re-subscribing later is also always an option — your data is retained for 90 days after cancellation.
Invoices & Payment
How do I get an invoice?
Invoices are emailed automatically after each charge to the billing email on your Stripe account. You can also download all past invoices from the billing portal (credit card icon in the dashboard) under Billing History.
What payment methods do you accept?
All major credit and debit cards (Visa, Mastercard, Amex, Discover) via Stripe. For Enterprise plans we can accommodate ACH or invoice-based billing — email support@zerodba.com.
How do I update my payment method?
Open the billing portal from the dashboard (credit card icon) and click Payment Methods. You can add a new card and set it as the default.
Is the billing portal secure?
Yes. The billing portal is hosted by Stripe. ZeroDBA never stores your full card number — only the last four digits and expiry are visible to us.
Cancellation
How do I cancel?
Open the billing portal from the dashboard (credit card icon in the top bar) and click Cancel Subscription. Cancellation takes effect at the end of your current billing period — you keep full access until then.
Will I be charged after I cancel?
No. Once you cancel, no further charges will be made. You will retain access until the end of the period you've already paid for.
What happens to my data after cancellation?
Your instance records, job history, and compliance data are retained for 90 days after cancellation. If you resubscribe within that window, your data will be intact. After 90 days, data is permanently deleted.
Can I get a refund?
We don't offer refunds for partially used billing periods. If a patch job run by PatchPilot directly caused a production issue on your instance, email urgent@zerodba.com immediately — these situations are evaluated individually.
I need to cancel because of a specific problem. Can I talk to someone first?
Yes — email support@zerodba.com before cancelling. If there's something we can fix, we'd rather fix it. If you'd still like to cancel after that conversation, we'll make it easy.
Email support@zerodba.com with your account email and a description of your question. We respond within 2 business days.
Email Billing Support