License & Pricing

ObjectOS is a commercial product

ObjectOS is the official runtime environment for ObjectStack applications, sold in two deliveries: ObjectOS Cloud (we operate it) and ObjectOS Self-Managed (you operate it, under a commercial license). There is no open-source edition of ObjectOS.

The open-source story lives under its own brand: the ObjectStack framework (Apache-2.0) is everything you need to build, run, and self-host your own applications — the protocol, kernel, CLI, production runtime, Console, and the MCP server — free, with no feature gate between development and production. If you want free self-hosting, you want ObjectStack, and it is excellent. ObjectOS is what you buy when you want the embedded AI and an officially operated / supported platform on top of that mechanism.

Editions

One rate card, two deliveries. The AI seat is the only unit of pricing in every edition.

Want to self-host for free? That's the open-source ObjectStack framework (MCP-only AI) — a different brand, not an ObjectOS edition. See the open-source alternative below.

Open mechanism, closed intelligence. Everything you need to model data and run apps is open-source (ObjectStack). ObjectOS layers 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

• Cloud (Free / Team / Business) — fully hosted, self-serve. The price includes hosting and a generous monthly AI allowance (we run the model).
• Business Self-Managed — 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).
• ObjectOS Enterprise — 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

The open-source alternative

The ObjectStack framework is 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 framework repository): the runtime image, all @objectstack/* npm packages (runtime, plugins, services, drivers, adapters, CLI, client SDKs), the templates repository, and the Console and Account UIs. 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

Q: Is ObjectOS open source? A: No. ObjectOS is a commercial product with no open-source edition. The open-source platform it runs on is the ObjectStack framework (Apache-2.0) — build and self-host your own apps with it, free.

Q: Can I use ObjectStack in a closed-source SaaS I sell to my customers? A: 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.

Q: Can I self-host ObjectOS without paying? A: No — self-managed ObjectOS (Business Self-Managed or Enterprise) is licensed. Free self-hosting is the ObjectStack framework, which is the same open mechanism with MCP-only AI.

Q: Does the software stop working if I don't renew? A: It never bricks. Business Self-Managed degrades to the free-mechanism behavior (paid features switch off; your data and runtime keep working). Enterprise keeps the last paid version perpetually — you lose updates, new AI capabilities, and support, not your system.

Q: Does ObjectOS phone home? A: ObjectOS Self-Managed validates its license online (Enterprise air-gapped licenses are offline-validated). The open-source ObjectStack runtime has no telemetry, no license check, and no update ping.

Q: What if I want a contractual warranty on the free runtime? A: That's the ObjectOS Runtime Subscription — a support contract on the open-source ObjectStack runtime (official distribution, SLA, security-patch priority) with zero feature difference. Contact sales@objectstack.ai.

Q: Will the open-source framework always be free? A: Yes. Apache-2.0 grants are irrevocable, and everything already released stays licensed as released.