ObjectOSLicense & Pricing
ObjectOS is one product in three editions — Community (open source, free), Cloud and Enterprise — how each is licensed, and how they relate to the ObjectStack framework.
One product, three editions
ObjectOS is the official runtime environment for ObjectStack applications, in three editions: ObjectOS Community (open source, self-hosted, free), ObjectOS Cloud (we operate it) and ObjectOS Enterprise (you operate it, under a commercial license). ObjectStack is the name of the protocol, SDK, CLI and framework the three editions run.
The open-source story has two names and one license. The ObjectStack framework (Apache-2.0) is the protocol, kernel, SDK and CLI; ObjectOS Community is the open-source runtime and Console UI built from it — the production runtime image, the MCP server, permissions and sharing, audit, every protocol capability — everything you need to build, run, and self-host your own applications, free, with no feature gate between development and production. Its code lives in the same objectstack repository. ObjectOS Cloud and ObjectOS Enterprise are what you buy when you want the embedded AI and an officially operated / supported platform on top of that mechanism.
Editions
ObjectOS Community is free. For the two commercial editions there is one rate card, two deliveries, and the AI seat is the only unit of pricing.
| Community | Free | Team | Enterprise | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edition | ObjectOS Community | ObjectOS Cloud | ObjectOS Cloud | ObjectOS Enterprise |
| Delivery | self-managed | cloud | cloud | self-managed (private deployment) |
| Price | Free (Apache-2.0) | Free | $24 / AI seat / mo | Custom (volume) — contact sales |
| In-UI AI (AI Builder + "ask your data") | MCP only (bring your own model) | taste | ✓ | ✓ |
| AI governance (action audit, guardrails, permission scoping) | — | — | — | ✓ |
| Clustering / HA, multi-org self-host, air-gap, SCIM | — | — | — | ✓ |
| Support | community | community | standard | SLA + dedicated |
Two contract options under ObjectOS Enterprise sit between Team and a full private deployment, priced as before: Business (SSO and AI governance on ObjectOS Cloud, $54 / AI seat / mo, or $45 / AI seat / mo billed annually; priority support) and Business Self-Managed (the single-node entry option, $540 / AI seat / yr). Both are sold by contract — contact sales.
Want to self-host for free? That's ObjectOS Community (MCP-only AI: bring your own model). See ObjectOS Community below.
Open mechanism, closed intelligence. Everything you need to model data and run apps is open source (ObjectOS Community, on the ObjectStack framework). Cloud and Enterprise layer on the embedded intelligence — the in-product AI Builder and the "ask your data" assistant, governed and audited — plus operational scale and official support.
You pay only for AI seats. The only billed seat is the AI seat; viewers, non-AI app users, and developers building over MCP are free, with no per-user seat tax (a clean contrast to the $150–300/user incumbents).
Cloud or self-managed
Self-managed ObjectOS is ObjectOS Community (free) or ObjectOS Enterprise (licensed). Cloud is Free and Team; everything above Team is an Enterprise contract.
- Cloud (Free / Team) — fully hosted, self-serve. The price includes hosting and a generous monthly AI allowance (we run the model).
- Enterprise — licensed ObjectOS, sold by contract, in three shapes:
- Business — a contract option on ObjectOS Cloud: SSO / SAML and AI governance (action audit, guardrails, permission scoping) on the hosted service, $54 / AI seat / mo or $45 / AI seat / mo billed annually, priority support.
- Business Self-Managed — the single-node entry option: the Business plan delivered as a single-node Docker license for 10–25 AI seats ($540/AI seat/yr, annual): in-UI AI and AI governance on your own infrastructure, bring your own model / key (you pay your own LLM cost — no platform AI bill or metering), card-paid, standard support. If the license lapses, the runtime keeps running and your data stays intact — the paid features simply switch off (it never bricks).
- Full private deployment — for everything beyond that: clustering / HA / multi-node, multi-organization self-host, data residency and air-gapped operation, SCIM and identity lifecycle, compliance attestations, SLA and dedicated support, and offline / invoice payment. Sold as an annual license with multi-year price-lock options; on non-renewal your deployment keeps the last paid version perpetually (you lose updates and support, never your system or data). Pricing is volume-based — contact sales.
There is no per-node charge — clustering / scale is folded into Enterprise.
When you might want each
| Scenario | Choose |
|---|---|
| You want the platform hosted and operated for you | ObjectOS Cloud (Free → Team) |
| You need SSO and AI governance on the hosted service | Business, a contract option of ObjectOS Enterprise on ObjectOS Cloud |
| You must run on your own single node and want the in-product AI, ≤25 AI seats | Business Self-Managed, a contract option of ObjectOS Enterprise (single-node entry) |
| You need clustering / HA, multi-org, air-gap, SCIM, compliance attestations, SLAs, or offline payment | ObjectOS Enterprise, full private deployment |
| You self-host ObjectOS Community but need a supported distribution with a commercial contract (SLA, security-patch priority, named escalation) | ObjectOS Runtime Subscription — contact sales |
| You want free self-hosting and bring your own AI over MCP | ObjectOS Community (open source) |
| You need OEM / redistribution rights under the ObjectOS or ObjectStack name | Commercial agreement — contact sales |
ObjectOS Community
ObjectOS Community — the runtime image and the Console UI — and the ObjectStack framework it is built from are licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0: no copyleft, an express patent grant, free forever — no seats, no usage tier, no license server, no key, no telemetry. Run it on your laptop, your servers, your customers' servers, or a 1000-pod cluster; the license is the same in every case. Your AI path there is the open MCP server: point your own Claude Code (or any MCP client) at your deployment and it can query and operate your data with your own model.
What's Apache-2.0 (in the objectstack repository): the runtime image, all
@objectstack/* npm packages (runtime, plugins, services, drivers, adapters,
CLI, client SDKs), the templates repository, and the Console UI, including
the Account app it serves. Documentation is CC-BY-4.0.
Full text: LICENSE
Trademarks
"ObjectOS" and the ObjectOS logo are trademarks and are not covered by any code license. You may truthfully say your product is built on or compatible with ObjectOS / ObjectStack; using the names or logos in your own product, company, or domain name requires written permission. See TRADEMARK.md.
Third-party components
ObjectOS builds on the ObjectStack framework and several upstream open-source projects (Node.js, Hono, Zod, Better Auth, AI SDK, …). Each ships with its own license — all Apache-2.0, MIT, or BSD-style permissive licenses compatible with commercial use. See the SBOM published with each release for the full inventory.
FAQ
Is ObjectOS open source?
ObjectOS Community is: the runtime and Console are Apache-2.0, free, and developed in the open in the objectstack repository, alongside the ObjectStack framework they are built from. ObjectOS Cloud and ObjectOS Enterprise are the commercial editions — the embedded AI, hosting and operations, SSO and support on top of that same mechanism.
Can I use ObjectStack in a closed-source SaaS I sell to my customers?
Yes. Apache-2.0 has no copyleft and no royalty — you don't need to share your code, and you owe nothing if your product makes money.
Can I self-host ObjectOS without paying?
Yes — that is ObjectOS Community: the same open mechanism, self-hosted, with MCP-only AI (bring your own model). The licensed self-managed edition is ObjectOS Enterprise, and both of its options (Business Self-Managed on a single node, or a full Enterprise deployment) add the in-product AI, AI governance and commercial support.
Does the software stop working if I don't renew?
It never bricks. Business Self-Managed degrades to the free-mechanism behavior (paid features switch off; your data and runtime keep working). A full Enterprise deployment keeps the last paid version perpetually — you lose updates, new AI capabilities, and support, not your system.
Does ObjectOS phone home?
ObjectOS Enterprise validates its license online; air-gapped Enterprise licenses validate offline. ObjectOS Community has no telemetry, no license check, and no update ping.
What if I want a contractual warranty on ObjectOS Community?
That's the ObjectOS Runtime Subscription — a support contract on ObjectOS Community (official distribution, SLA, security-patch priority) with zero feature difference. Contact sales@objectstack.ai.
Will ObjectOS Community and the framework always be free?
Yes. Apache-2.0 grants are irrevocable, and everything already released stays licensed as released.