What is fair use on Shadow PC?
Fair use is a monthly quota of usage hours for your Shadow PC. It helps balance infrastructure costs across users and differentiate between plans.
Without this quota, some users would consume several hundred hours per month, which wouldn't be sustainable for the service as a whole.
How does fair use work?
- The quota is based on Shadow uptime hours (the time your machine is powered on, from start to shutdown).
- Only VM starts triggered from your client application count toward the quota. Technical starts performed internally (maintenance, updates) are not counted.
- The quota depends on your plan: each subscription has its own number of hours.
- The counter resets on the 1st of every month.
What happens when I reach my quota?
There are two scenarios:
| Situation | What happens |
|---|---|
| The quota is reached during an active session | Your session is not cut off immediately. It continues normally until your VM's automatic shutdown kicks in (due to inactivity, etc.). |
| The quota is reached and you try to reconnect | The connection is blocked. A message will explain the reason, along with the date your quota will reset. |
You'll be able to use your VM normally again as soon as your quota resets, on the 1st of the following month.
Does fair use apply to all plans?
Fair use is configured individually depending on your plan. It currently only applies to plans subscribed after April 29, 2026; some older plans are not affected.
How can I check what fair use is applied on my account?
You can view the details of your plan's capabilities (including fair use, if it applies to your plan) directly from your customer account, by clicking the small "i" icon next to your plan name.
FAQ
Will my session end abruptly when I reach my quota?
No. If you're already connected, your current session won't be interrupted right away, it's only on a future connection attempt that access will be blocked until your quota resets.
Can I buy extra hours if my quota runs out?
This isn't currently possible. You'll need to wait for your monthly quota reset.
Does my quota roll over to the next month if I don't use it all?
No, there's no rollover: the quota resets to zero each month, with no accumulation of unused hours.
How do I know how many hours I have left?
Your usage details will soon available from your customer account, via the info icon next to your plan.