IBM Quantum account and Open Plan

To run circuits on real IBM quantum computers you need an account on the IBM Quantum Platform and an instance on a pricing plan. The Open Plan is free and is the right choice for learning and for the examples in this repository. Simulators (Qiskit Aer, Armadillo) need no account at all.

Note

IBM changes its sign-up flow and plan limits from time to time. The links in References are the authority. If a step here differs from what you see on screen, follow the screen and the IBM docs.

Note

The IBM setup in this section is for the Python track only, for now. Running on IBM hardware from C++ is not set up yet.

What the Open Plan gives you

  • Cost: free.

  • Usage: up to 10 minutes of QPU time per 28-day rolling window. IBM has also offered a limited-time opt-in for extra minutes to active Open Plan users. Check the plans page for the current offer.

  • Region: Open Plan instances are available in us-east only.

  • Audience: IBM recommends it for people learning quantum computing and exploring IBM’s quantum technology.

  • Tracking: your usage appears on the Platform dashboard and on the Workloads page.

Ten minutes sounds small, but a circuit run typically takes seconds of QPU time. Test everything on a simulator first, then spend hardware time only on the final runs.

Step 1: Create an IBM Cloud account

The IBM Quantum Platform sits on top of IBM Cloud, so you need an IBM Cloud account first.

  1. Go to https://cloud.ibm.com/registration.

  2. Sign up with your email, verify it, and complete the profile.

Step 2: Log in to the IBM Quantum Platform

  1. Go to https://quantum.cloud.ibm.com.

  2. Log in with your IBMid or with a Google account.

  3. In the header, check the account switcher and the region switcher. Make sure the account you just created is selected. Open Plan instances live in us-east.

Step 3: Create an Open Plan instance

An instance is what your jobs are billed and tracked against.

  1. Open the Instances page (https://quantum.cloud.ibm.com/instances). From the dashboard you can reach it with View all.

  2. Click Create instance.

  3. Enter a name (for example qalgos). Tags are optional.

  4. Select the Open Plan as the pricing plan.

  5. Review the QPUs available to the instance. The defaults are fine.

  6. Leave the access group at its default unless you are sharing the instance with collaborators.

  7. Click Create instance.

The new instance appears on the Instances page together with its CRN (Cloud Resource Name), a long identifier that starts with crn:v1:. You will need it, or the instance name, in the next page.

See also

Next: Credentials and first connection shows how to create an API key and connect Qiskit to your instance.

References