# What Lindy credits cost, and what the open-source alternative costs instead

> Lindy runs on credits, and its own pages list what they cost, while Kortix, the open-source AI Operating System, is the one you host yourself. Lindy's homepage starts plans at $29.99 a month and top-ups at $10 per 1,000 credits, and self-hosting Kortix is free.

URL: https://lindyalternative.com/lindy-pricing

Lindy pricing · checked October 2026

**The open-source AI Operating System**

`terminal`

```sh
$ kortix self-host start
```

Source: https://kortix.com/docs

Run it on Kortix Cloud, in your VPC, or on your own on-prem network. Self-host is free.

[Try Kortix](https://kortix.com) · [Compare with Kortix](https://lindyalternative.com/kortix-vs-lindy)

Open source · Any model, your keys · Self-host, VPC, or on-prem

_Price by price_

## Kortix and Lindy, price by price

Kortix comes first because it is the one we recommend for teams that want to own the stack; every Lindy figure in the table comes from Lindy's own pages.

| | Kortix (recommended) | Lindy |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Open source | Yes. Read it, fork it, audit it. | No. A hosted service with no self-hosting option. |
| Where it runs | Cloud, your VPC, or on-prem. | Lindy's cloud only. |
| Cost to start | Self-hosting is free. | $50 in free credits, last 7 days. |
| Team price | $40 per seat per month. | From $49.99 a month for 5,000 credits. |
| Credits included | 2,500 per seat per month, pooled. | 5,000 credits, one shared pool. |

## How Lindy's credit model works

Lindy is a hosted AI teammate, and it bills in credits. As of October 2026, [Lindy's homepage](https://www.lindy.ai/) offers "$50 in credits for free" with no credit card, and says those free credits last 7 days. The same page's FAQ starts plans at $29.99 a month and says everyone on a plan draws from one shared pool of credits. [Lindy's pricing page](https://www.lindy.ai/pricing) lists its Team plan from $49.99 a month for 5,000 credits each.

The credit price holds together. Lindy's homepage FAQ puts credits at "about a cent each" and an admin's top-ups at "$10 per 1,000". Run the arithmetic: $10 for 1,000 credits is one cent a credit, and $49.99 for 5,000 credits is just under a cent each. The $50 of free credits is about 5,000 credits.

```text
Lindy, from its own pages
  $50 free credits        last 7 days
  $29.99 a month          plans start here
  $49.99 a month          5,000 credits (Team)
  about a cent each       credit value
  $10 per 1,000           admin top-ups
  no rollover             monthly credits reset
```

Two rules shape the monthly total. Lindy's pages say monthly credits refresh each cycle and do not roll over, so an unused pool is gone at reset. When the pool runs low, Lindy pauses until credits reset. Billing is per active seat: the homepage says anyone who signs up, joins the workspace, or @mentions Lindy in Slack takes a seat.

## What owning an open-source setup costs instead

Kortix is the open-source AI Operating System: your agents, their skills, your company memory, and every connector in one git repo you own. You can run the whole stack on your own infrastructure, and self-hosting is free.

Ownership changes the arithmetic. You bring the machines and your own model keys, with no per-credit meter. Kortix Cloud is the managed option beside it: Kortix's pricing page lists a free tier at $0 with 200 credits a month and one project, and a team plan at $40 per seat per month with 2,500 credits a month per seat, pooled. Any model, your keys, on the cloud, in your VPC, or on-prem.

[Self-hosting](/self-hosting) walks through the install if you want the stack on your own machines. For the feature view rather than the price view, [Kortix vs Lindy](/kortix-vs-lindy) sets the two side by side.

_FAQ_

## Lindy pricing questions, answered

### How much do Lindy credits cost?

Lindy's homepage FAQ says credits run about a cent each and top-ups cost $10 per 1,000. Plans there start at $29.99 a month.

### Do Lindy credits roll over?

No. Lindy's pages say monthly credits refresh each cycle and do not roll over.

### What happens when a team's pool runs low?

Lindy pauses until credits reset, per Lindy's pages.

### What does Kortix cost instead?

Self-hosting the open-source stack is free. Kortix's pricing page lists a team plan at $40 per seat per month with 2,500 credits a month per seat, pooled.

## Own the stack instead of renting credits

Self-host the open-source stack for free, or run it on Kortix Cloud.

[Try Kortix](https://kortix.com) · [See the self-hosting guide](https://lindyalternative.com/self-hosting)

Open source · Any model, your keys · Self-host, VPC, or on-prem