Berth pricing guide details
Pricing Overview
Berth is free and open-source under the Apache-2.0 license. There are no paid tiers, no usage limits, and no account required. The entire platform, including the Mac desktop app, CLI, remote agent binary, and MCP server, is available at zero cost. Berth is built in Rust and distributed as a single binary for Linux agents, with a Homebrew tap for macOS installation. The project focuses on self-hosted deployment for AI-generated code, meaning your code runs on your own hardware and never touches Berth's infrastructure. This architecture eliminates the vendor lock-in and escalating costs that come with cloud deployment platforms. For teams evaluating deployment tools, Berth's pricing proposition is straightforward: full functionality with no financial commitment, no credit card required, and no feature gates behind a paywall. The open-source model ensures that the tool remains free regardless of how many users, deployments, or applications you run.
Plan Comparison
Berth offers a single tier with all features included. Unlike competing deployment platforms that gate capabilities behind paid plans, every Berth feature is available from day one with no upgrade path required.
| Feature | Berth (Free) | Typical Cloud PaaS (Paid) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Varies by provider |
| Runtime Detection (Python, Node, Go, Rust, Shell) | Yes | Varies |
| Remote Agents (Linux) | Yes | N/A (cloud-hosted) |
| Cron Scheduling | Yes | Often paid add-on |
| Live Log Streaming (xterm.js, ANSI color) | Yes | Yes |
| Instant Public URLs with TLS | Yes | Yes |
| Persistent Storage (/data directory + REST API) | Yes | Often limited on free tiers |
| gVisor Sandboxing | Yes | Container isolation varies |
| MCP Server (17 tools via JSON-RPC) | Yes | No |
| Multi-User Support | Yes | Paid tier feature |
| CLI Parity (every GUI action as CLI command) | Yes | Partial |
| Secret Management (encrypted, auto-rotated) | Yes | Often paid |
| Self-Hosted (your hardware) | Yes | No |
| Execution Time Limits | None | Often capped |
| Docker/YAML Required | No | Often yes |
Berth auto-detects runtimes by parsing requirements.txt, package.json, go.mod, and Cargo.toml, eliminating Dockerfiles and YAML configuration entirely. Remote agents run as a single Rust binary on any Linux box with persistent execution and store-and-forward events. The free NATS relay handles NAT traversal without opening inbound ports, meaning agents work behind any firewall. Cron scheduling runs agent-side with @every, @hourly, and standard cron expressions, executing even when your Mac is asleep. The MCP server exposes 17 tools via JSON-RPC, enabling Claude Code, Cursor, Codex, and Windsurf to deploy, monitor, and manage code programmatically. Secret management encrypts API keys on the server and injects them at runtime, keeping sensitive credentials out of chat histories and .env files.
Hidden Costs and Considerations
Berth itself is free, but self-hosted deployment means you provide the infrastructure. Running remote agents requires a Linux server, whether a VPS, on-premise machine, or cloud VM. Teams should account for server provisioning, maintenance, security patching, and monitoring as ongoing operational expenses. The NATS relay for NAT traversal is currently free but is provided by Synadia Cloud, introducing a third-party dependency worth monitoring. For organizations with existing Linux infrastructure, Berth adds no incremental cost whatsoever. For those starting from scratch, the server hosting represents the primary ongoing expense. Berth's zero-config approach reduces DevOps overhead, but teams running production workloads should plan for server redundancy and backup strategies.
How Berth Pricing Compares
Berth occupies a unique position as a free, self-hosted deployment tool in a market dominated by cloud platforms with tiered pricing. The comparison below shows how Berth stacks up against developer tools in the same category.
| Tool | Starting Price | Model | Deployment Model |
|---|---|---|---|
| Berth | Free | Open-Source (Apache-2.0) | Self-hosted (Mac + Linux) |
| Retool | Free tier, then $75/mo | Freemium | Cloud-hosted |
| Claude Usage Tracker | $4/user/mo | Freemium | Cloud-hosted |
| Appsmith | Free tier, then $15/mo | Freemium | Cloud or self-hosted |
Berth is the only fully free option with no feature limitations or user caps. Retool offers a free tier but gates advanced features behind $75/mo, making it a significant expense for growing teams. Claude Usage Tracker at $4/user/mo scales linearly with team size, reaching $40/mo for a 10-person team. Appsmith provides both cloud and self-hosted options, with cloud plans starting at $15/mo and enterprise pricing reaching $2,500/mo for large organizations.
Berth's Apache-2.0 license means no licensing fees regardless of team size, deployment count, or application volume. The trade-off is that Berth focuses exclusively on AI-generated code deployment with MCP-native workflows rather than general-purpose app building or internal tool development. Teams should evaluate whether Berth's deployment-focused feature set and self-hosted model align with their workflow before committing infrastructure resources. For AI-first development teams using Claude Code, Cursor, or similar tools, Berth eliminates deployment friction entirely at no software cost.