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

# Create a project

> Create a new Meilisearch Cloud project from the dashboard in a few steps.

A project is an isolated Meilisearch instance. Creating one takes two steps: choose a plan type, then configure the project.

## Prerequisites

* A Meilisearch Cloud account. [Sign up at cloud.meilisearch.com](https://cloud.meilisearch.com) if you do not have one.

## Step 1: Click "New project"

From the [Cloud dashboard](https://cloud.meilisearch.com), click the **New project** button.

![Meilisearch Cloud projects list with the New project button](https://mintcdn.com/meilisearch-6b28dec2/t0TDpKhlhs5rwWjL/assets/images/platform/infrastructure/new_project_button.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=t0TDpKhlhs5rwWjL\&q=85\&s=59786dca59c908c2e78e68dc4ef3032b)

## Step 2: Choose a plan type

You will be asked to choose between two billing models:

| Plan type | Description |
| - | - |
| **Resource-Based** | Select compute and storage to match your performance needs. You pay a fixed hourly rate for the resources you provision. |
| **Usage-Based** | Pay as you go. Costs adjust automatically based on your actual searches and documents. |

See [Resource-based vs usage-based](https://www.meilisearch.com/docs/capabilities/platform/infrastructure/overview.md#resource-based-vs-usage-based-projects) for guidance on which to choose.

![Create project modal showing Resource-Based and Usage-Based plan type options](https://mintcdn.com/meilisearch-6b28dec2/t0TDpKhlhs5rwWjL/assets/images/platform/infrastructure/plan_type_selection.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=t0TDpKhlhs5rwWjL\&q=85\&s=664c224546245acf5aa8e87e6e3ec9ec)

## Step 3: Configure the project

Both plan types share three common fields:

| Field | Description |
| - | - |
| **Project name** | Between 3 and 40 characters. |
| **Region** | The region where your project is hosted. Cannot be changed after creation. See [Regions](https://www.meilisearch.com/docs/capabilities/platform/infrastructure/regions.md). |
| **Meilisearch version** | The version to deploy. Defaults to the latest stable release. |

### Resource-Based configuration

Select a resource tier (Memory and vCPU). The Cloud UI shows the hourly cost and estimated monthly cost for the selected tier. Resource-based projects include Meilisearch team support. See [resource-based pricing](https://www.meilisearch.com/docs/capabilities/platform/billing/pricing_model.md#resource-based-pricing) for more details.

![Configure resource-based project form showing memory, vCPU, and hourly cost breakdown](https://mintcdn.com/meilisearch-6b28dec2/t0TDpKhlhs5rwWjL/assets/images/platform/infrastructure/resource_based_config.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=t0TDpKhlhs5rwWjL\&q=85\&s=ab56147362c06bd3a37f1f34bb9312b9)

### Usage-Based configuration

Select a plan:

| Plan | Included searches | Included documents | Resources | Support |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| **Build** | 50K/month, then \$0.40 per 1,000 | 100K, then \$0.30 per 1,000 | Shared | Community (Discord) |
| **Custom** | Tailored to your needs | Tailored to your needs | Dedicated | Meilisearch team |

See [usage-based pricing](https://www.meilisearch.com/docs/capabilities/platform/billing/pricing_model.md#usage-based-pricing) for more details.

![Configure usage-based project form showing Build plan option with pricing details](https://mintcdn.com/meilisearch-6b28dec2/t0TDpKhlhs5rwWjL/assets/images/platform/infrastructure/usage_based_config.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=t0TDpKhlhs5rwWjL\&q=85\&s=bcc7d8269a9de5ba1774245c5e3707f2)

## Step 4: Create the project

Click **Create project**. Meilisearch Cloud provisions the instance. The project appears in your dashboard with a **creating** status while it is being provisioned, then becomes available in a few seconds.

![Meilisearch Cloud projects list showing a project with creating status](https://mintcdn.com/meilisearch-6b28dec2/t0TDpKhlhs5rwWjL/assets/images/platform/infrastructure/project_creating.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=t0TDpKhlhs5rwWjL\&q=85\&s=5ab9fc7d6793dd93ceec4c48816e590d)

## Next steps

* [Add documents](https://www.meilisearch.com/docs/getting_started/first_project.md#creating-an-index-and-adding-documents) using your project's API URL and admin key
* [Manage resources](https://www.meilisearch.com/docs/capabilities/platform/infrastructure/manage_resources.md) to scale as your data grows
* [Invite team members](https://www.meilisearch.com/docs/capabilities/platform/teams/overview.md) to collaborate on the project


This documentation is built and hosted on [Mintlify](https://mintlify.com), a developer documentation platform.