Stoplight Free Plan 2026: What's Included & What's Not
Honest breakdown of the free tier limits and features
Stoplight pricing varies by team size and features, ranging from $11 to $453 per month in 2026. Your actual cost depends on the tier you choose, contract length, and negotiated discounts.
Use the interactive pricing calculator to estimate your exact cost based on team size and requirements.
- Free tier: No free tier available
- Billing: Monthly and annual (save 15-20%)
- Hidden costs: Add ~35% for implementation, support, and training
Stoplight offers a freemium model with limited features; upgrade to unlock more.
What's Included in the Free Plan
- Stoplight Studio (desktop app)
- OpenAPI design tools
- Basic documentation generation
- Local file editing
- Git integration
- Mock servers
- API linting
- Unlimited projects
- Community support
What's NOT Included (Paid Only)
- Everything in Free
- Cloud-hosted workspace
- Team collaboration
- Up to 5 users included
- Hosted documentation
- Custom domains
- Public and private projects
- Version control
- Style guides
- Standard support
Free Plan Limits
| Limit | Free Plan | Paid Plans |
|---|---|---|
| users | Individual use | Unlimited/Higher |
| projects | Unlimited (local) | Unlimited/Higher |
| collaboration | Limited | Unlimited/Higher |
You'll Need to Upgrade When...
- You exceed the user limit
- You need features like Everything in Free or Cloud-hosted workspace
- You require premium support or SLA guarantees
- You need to remove branding or watermarks
- You need advanced integrations or API access
Hidden Restrictions on Free Plan
- Stoplight branding may appear on your content or communications
- Support is limited to community forums or email with longer response times
- Export options may be restricted or include watermarks
- API access is typically limited or not available
- Advanced reporting and analytics require paid plans
Free vs Paid: Which Do You Need?
Free Plan is Enough If...
- You're an individual or very small team
- You need only basic features
- You don't mind usage limits
- Branding on output is acceptable
- Community support is sufficient
You Need Paid If...
- Your team is growing beyond limits
- You need advanced features
- Professional branding is required
- You need priority support
- Integrations/API access is critical
Free vs Starter Plan Comparison
| Free $0 | Starter $99/per month | |
|---|---|---|
| Features | 9 included | 11+ included |
| Support | Community/Email | Priority Support |
| Branding | Stoplight branding | Your branding |
| Best For | Individual developers and students learning API design or working on personal projects | Small teams collaborating on API design and needing hosted documentation for internal or external use |
Frequently Asked Questions
01 Is Stoplight free?
Yes, Stoplight offers a freemium plan with 9 core features included. However, there are limits on users, projects that may require upgrading.
02 What's included in Stoplight's free plan?
Stoplight's free plan includes: Stoplight Studio (desktop app), OpenAPI design tools, Basic documentation generation, Local file editing, Git integration, and 4 more features. Key limits include users: Individual use, projects: Unlimited (local), collaboration: Limited.
03 What's NOT included in Stoplight's free plan?
The free plan excludes: Everything in Free, Cloud-hosted workspace, Team collaboration, Up to 5 users included, Hosted documentation. You'll also have Stoplight branding and limited support options.
04 When should I upgrade from Stoplight's free plan?
Consider upgrading when: you hit user or storage limits, need features like Everything in Free or Cloud-hosted workspace, require premium support, or want to remove branding. The cheapest paid plan starts at $99/per month.
05 Is Stoplight's free plan really free forever?
Yes, Stoplight's free plan is available indefinitely with no time limit. However, feature and usage limits may restrict what you can do without upgrading to a paid plan.
Get Stoplight pricing updates
We'll notify you when pricing changes or new free features are added.