diff --git a/app/(app)/alerts/create-alert.tsx b/app/(app)/alerts/create-alert.tsx
index d79a320d..1387bf84 100644
--- a/app/(app)/alerts/create-alert.tsx
+++ b/app/(app)/alerts/create-alert.tsx
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ import { createAlert, testRunAlert } from "@/app/actions/alerts";
 import type { SerpResult } from "@/lib/alerts/valueserp";
 
 // People-tracking templates (name / reputation / impersonation / legal) are
-// withheld from the v1 launch picker pending a trust-and-safety policy.
+// withheld from the v1 picker pending a trust-and-safety policy.
 const PICKABLE = ALERT_CATEGORIES.filter((c) => !c.gated);
 
 const RECENCIES: { value: Recency; label: string }[] = [
@@ -17,13 +17,7 @@ const RECENCIES: { value: Recency; label: string }[] = [
   { value: "any", label: "Any time" },
 ];
 
-export function CreateAlert({
-  remainingSlots,
-  allowHourly,
-}: {
-  remainingSlots: number;
-  allowHourly: boolean;
-}) {
+export function CreateAlert({ remainingSlots }: { remainingSlots: number }) {
   const router = useRouter();
   const [pending, startTransition] = useTransition();
   const [categoryKey, setCategoryKey] = useState(PICKABLE[0].key);
@@ -49,18 +43,13 @@ export function CreateAlert({
   function runTest() {
     setError(null);
     setNotice(null);
-    if (!term.trim()) {
-      setError(`${category.inputLabel} is required.`);
-      return;
-    }
+    if (!term.trim()) return setError(`${category.inputLabel} is required.`);
     startTransition(async () => {
       const res = await testRunAlert({ category: categoryKey, term, customQuery: term });
-      if (!res.ok) {
-        setError(res.error);
-        return;
-      }
+      if (!res.ok) return setError(res.error);
       setPreview(res.results);
-      if (res.results.length === 0) setNotice("No current results — you'll be emailed when something new appears.");
+      if (res.results.length === 0)
+        setNotice("No current results — you'll be emailed when something new appears.");
     });
   }
 
@@ -68,22 +57,10 @@ export function CreateAlert({
     e.preventDefault();
     setError(null);
     setNotice(null);
-    if (!term.trim()) {
-      setError(`${category.inputLabel} is required.`);
-      return;
-    }
+    if (!term.trim()) return setError(`${category.inputLabel} is required.`);
     startTransition(async () => {
-      const res = await createAlert({
-        category: categoryKey,
-        term,
-        customQuery: term,
-        recency,
-        frequency,
-      });
-      if (!res.ok) {
-        setError(res.error);
-        return;
-      }
+      const res = await createAlert({ category: categoryKey, term, customQuery: term, recency, frequency });
+      if (!res.ok) return setError(res.error);
       setTerm("");
       setPreview(null);
       setNotice("Alert created. First check runs shortly.");
@@ -135,11 +112,9 @@ export function CreateAlert({
           value={frequency}
           onChange={(e) => setFrequency(e.target.value as "daily" | "hourly")}
           aria-label="Check frequency"
-          disabled={!allowHourly}
-          title={allowHourly ? "" : "Hourly checks are a paid feature"}
         >
           <option value="daily">Daily</option>
-          <option value="hourly">Hourly{allowHourly ? "" : " (paid)"}</option>
+          <option value="hourly">Hourly</option>
         </select>
       </div>
 
@@ -166,13 +141,7 @@ export function CreateAlert({
             Current results preview (you'll only be emailed NEW ones)
           </p>
           {preview.map((r) => (
-            <a
-              key={r.url}
-              href={r.url}
-              target="_blank"
-              rel="noreferrer"
-              className="block text-sm"
-            >
+            <a key={r.url} href={r.url} target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" className="block text-sm">
               <span className="font-medium text-[var(--color-accent)]">{r.title || r.url}</span>
               <span className="block truncate text-xs text-[var(--color-muted)]">{r.url}</span>
             </a>
diff --git a/app/(app)/alerts/page.tsx b/app/(app)/alerts/page.tsx
index ca4ec2f8..a63a18f5 100644
--- a/app/(app)/alerts/page.tsx
+++ b/app/(app)/alerts/page.tsx
@@ -27,8 +27,12 @@ type AlertRow = {
 
 function fmt(ts: string | null): string {
   if (!ts) return "not yet";
-  const d = new Date(ts);
-  return d.toLocaleString(undefined, { month: "short", day: "numeric", hour: "numeric", minute: "2-digit" });
+  return new Date(ts).toLocaleString(undefined, {
+    month: "short",
+    day: "numeric",
+    hour: "numeric",
+    minute: "2-digit",
+  });
 }
 
 export default async function AlertsPage({
@@ -42,10 +46,9 @@ export default async function AlertsPage({
   const {
     data: { user },
   } = await supabase.auth.getUser();
-  if (!user) redirect("/login");
+  if (!user) redirect("/login?next=/alerts");
 
-  // Post-signup: create the alert carried in the magic-link redirect, then
-  // strip the params so a refresh can't double-create.
+  // Post-signup magic-link redirect: create the pending alert, then clean the URL.
   if (newCat && getCategory(newCat)) {
     await createAlert({ category: newCat, term: term ?? "", customQuery: term ?? "" });
     redirect("/alerts");
@@ -84,15 +87,10 @@ export default async function AlertsPage({
         <div className="flex gap-2 text-xs">
           <span className="badge">{activeCount}/{cap} active</span>
           <span className="badge">{Math.max(0, budget - used)} checks left this month</span>
-          {plan === "free" && (
-            <Link href="/settings/billing" className="badge badge-pass">
-              Upgrade
-            </Link>
-          )}
         </div>
       </div>
 
-      <CreateAlert remainingSlots={remaining} allowHourly={plan !== "free"} />
+      <CreateAlert remainingSlots={remaining} />
 
       <div className="space-y-3">
         <h2 className="text-sm font-semibold uppercase tracking-wide text-[var(--color-muted)]">
diff --git a/lib/alerts/limits.ts b/lib/alerts/limits.ts
index 4b63211c..e278f381 100644
--- a/lib/alerts/limits.ts
+++ b/lib/alerts/limits.ts
@@ -25,9 +25,11 @@ export const SERP_CALLS_PER_MONTH: Record<Plan, number> = {
   team: 1_000_000,
 };
 
-// Only paid plans may run hourly; free is daily.
-export function allowedFrequencies(plan: Plan): Array<"daily" | "hourly"> {
-  return plan === "free" ? ["daily"] : ["daily", "hourly"];
+// Hourly is currently free for everyone (no paywall on frequency yet — the
+// per-account monthly SERP-call budget is what bounds cost). Revisit if/when
+// hourly becomes a paid lever.
+export function allowedFrequencies(_plan: Plan): Array<"daily" | "hourly"> {
+  return ["daily", "hourly"];
 }
 
 // Results requested per poll and surfaced per email. Capping at 10 keeps SERP