> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.nodemaven.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Create an Account

> Sign up, verify your email, choose a plan, and generate your first proxy.

Creating a NodeMaven account takes two steps: sign up, then verify your email. You then need to choose and pay for a plan before you can generate any proxies, which this article covers in Step 3.

## Step 1 - Sign up

1. Go to the [signup page](https://dashboard.nodemaven.com/accounts/signup/).
2. Enter your email address and choose a password.
3. Agree to the Terms of Service.
4. Click **Get Started**.

You can also sign up with Google. If you do and later want a password as well, see [Can I set a password after signing up with Google?](/billing/google-sign-in)

![NodeMaven signup page](https://downloads.intercomcdn.com/i/o/yvkc0rpk/2589519785/24933a0c3682cebab4dc5b91f782/image.png)

## Step 2 - Verify your email

1. Check your inbox for a confirmation email from NodeMaven.
2. Click **Verify Email Address**.

You are taken to your dashboard. If the email hasn't arrived after a few minutes, check your spam folder.

![Verify email address](https://downloads.intercomcdn.com/i/o/yvkc0rpk/2589528657/674ad233d8b44d7e4d2bdd6dd66e/Verify%2Bemail.png)

## Step 3 - Choose and pay for a plan

**You need an active plan before you can generate proxies.** A new account cannot produce a proxy string until a plan is paid for.

You have four options.

### Traffic plans: Residential and Mobile

Go to **Pricing** in the left navigation and pick one:

| **Plan** | **What it is** | **Good for** |
| - | - | - |
| **Trial Plan** | 750 MB for \$3.50, one purchase per account. No expiry - it ends when the traffic runs out. Coupons don't apply. Click **Get Trial**. | Testing before committing |
| **Monthly subscription** | Billed monthly, traffic added automatically on payment. Unused traffic rolls over when you renew. | Regular, predictable usage |
| **Pay-as-you-go** | Buy traffic whenever you need it. No expiry, no automatic charges. Unused traffic carries over. Click **Buy Traffic Now**. | Occasional or unpredictable usage |

**All three include both Residential and Mobile proxies.** You buy traffic, not a product. The same balance works on Residential, on Mobile, or on both at once, in whatever proportion you like. There is no Mobile plan to upgrade to and nothing extra to buy.

For full details see [How do monthly subscriptions work?](/billing/monthly-subscriptions) and [How does Pay-as-you-go work?](/billing/pay-as-you-go)

![Pricing page with plan options](https://downloads.intercomcdn.com/i/o/yvkc0rpk/2589543485/0622f4508ee460fdb38023d449ac/image.png)

### What happens to leftover traffic when you change plans

Three situations, three different outcomes:

| **If you** | **Your remaining traffic** |
| - | - |
| **Upgrade to a larger subscription** | Transfers to the new plan |
| **Let a subscription lapse or cancel it, then buy another subscription** | Freezes while you have no active plan, then comes back when the new one starts |
| **Cancel a subscription and switch to Pay-as-you-go** | Is lost |

The third one catches people out. You cannot move from an active subscription to Pay-as-you-go without cancelling first, and cancelling removes whatever traffic is left. **Use up your remaining traffic before making that switch.**

See [How to Cancel Your Subscription](/billing/cancel) and [How to Unfreeze Your Traffic](/billing/unfreeze-traffic).

### ISP proxies

ISP proxies (also called Static Residential) are the fourth option and work differently. They are billed per IP with unlimited traffic, so they do not use a traffic balance at all. Buy them from the **ISP proxies** page rather than from Pricing.

![ISP proxies page](https://downloads.intercomcdn.com/i/o/yvkc0rpk/2589557617/3ef2046ed01001c1e00c2290cc28/image.png)

<Note>
  Buying traffic does not give you ISP proxies, and buying ISP proxies does not add traffic to your balance. See [Getting started with ISP proxies.](/quickstart/isp-proxies)
</Note>

## Step 4 - Generate your first proxy

With a plan active, you're ready to set up a proxy. Pick the guide for your product:

* [Getting Started with Residential proxies](/quickstart/residential-proxies)
* [Getting Started with Mobile proxies](/quickstart/mobile-proxies)
* [Getting started with ISP proxies](/quickstart/isp-proxies)

## Where to find your account details

Everything below lives in the left navigation:

* **Traffic balance** - shown as "Traffic left" in the header on every page
* **Dashboard** - usage charts and breakdowns
* **Billing** - invoices and payment history
* **Profile** - password, email, API key
* **Get FREE traffic** - referral program and bonus traffic


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