Self-host is free and good. Here's when hosted is worth it.

The one thing self-host can't give you

Slack session credentials can rotate and require reconnection on either path. Hosted Pro does not claim otherwise. It adds encrypted opt-in credential storage across worker restarts, saved schedules, signed downstream delivery, and Workers AI inference (slack_catch_me_up, slack_triage, slack_smart_search, slack_workflow_brief, continuity_shadow_report, continuity_asana_discrepancy_report).

npm install path

21 tools, MIT licensed, 20,703 npm downloads from Jan 1 through Aug 17, 2026. Full runtime and token control on your machine.

Docker path

The public repo carries full self-host docs, release notes, and issue tracking.

Decision matrix

• Self-host — $0: 21 tools, local transport control, MIT licensed, no monthly plan. Workflow-profile primitives ship in OSS. Session token rotates ~every 2 weeks.
• Cloud Free: $0 (no card) — hosted inference with real quotas: 2,000 requests + 25 AI tool calls per month.
• Cloud Individual: $19/mo — unlimited requests + unlimited inference tools + saved schedules + Slack OAuth (read-only by default) + 1 workspace.
• Cloud Small team: $49/mo flat for up to 5 operators + shared workflow profiles.
• Safeguard: $199/mo (waitlist) — agent approval gates, workspace memory, and workspace-wide audit remain in development; join the waitlist.

When to self-host

• You want full control over runtime and tokens
• You prefer npm or Docker over a managed endpoint
• You're comfortable operating the transport and re-auth yourself
• You do not need hosted summaries, triage, search, or contract generation

When to stay hosted

• You want encrypted credential persistence across worker restarts, with reconnection when Slack rotates the session
• You need hosted summaries, action-item extraction, and decision briefs
• You want Claude first and Gemini CLI second without building your own remote transport

Team still deciding?

Send the workspace context to deployment review. That keeps plan fit, support expectations, and security questions on the hosted surface instead of scattered across email.