Pricing · macOS

Helmsman is free.

If your Mac is strong, the AI features are free too, set up for you. Pro puts the AI on our cloud and unlocks the fleet.

Notify me at launch Pick your lane

Pick your lane.

The whole core app is free, permanently. One subscription exists, and it sells the two things only a crew can ship: hosted frontier models and the fleet.

Free

$0forever

Everything you need to run a fleet on one Mac.

The session grid: up to twelve real terminals per deck, fifty sessions in all
Localhost manager and the MDR reader
AI features included when your Mac can run local models. Helmsman checks your hardware and sets everything up
Prompts never leave the machine
No account needed

Your own Anthropic key

Bring your own key anytime for sharper AI output. A key buys model quality, never the power features.

Notify me at launch

Pro at launch

$12per month

or $96 billed yearly ($8/mo)

Frontier models, zero setup, and the full fleet.

AI features on Helmsman's cloud with frontier Claude models. Nothing to install, no key to manage
Fleet MCP: your agents can steer the whole grid themselves
Multi-machine: every Mac you own, one helm

Fair use, not metering

A generous fair-use cap, set so heavy daily use fits comfortably. It exists to stop abuse, not to meter you.

Notify me at launch

What runs where.

Three ways to run the same app. Your own key upgrades the free lane, it is not a tier; only the AI engine and the fleet change.

Capability	Free	+ Your key	Pro
Core app: grid, terminals, localhost manager	Included	Included	Included
AI features: prompt enhance, dictation polish	Local models on a strong Mac	Your Anthropic key	Helmsman cloud, frontier Claude
Fleet MCP (agents steer the grid) and multi-machine	No	No	Yes

Parallel agents on one Mac are table stakes.

That part costs nothing, and stays free. Pro buys what a free tool cannot ship: frontier models with zero setup, and a fleet that outgrows one machine.

Fair questions.

Is any of this for sale today?

Not yet. Helmsman is in beta and free, and beta time is never billed after the fact. When Pro turns on it applies going forward, and only if you upgrade.

Is the free version crippled?

No. The core app is identical on every tier, and on a capable Mac the AI features run free, locally, with your prompts never leaving the machine.

I already have an Anthropic API key. Do I need Pro?

Your key gets you cloud-quality AI output for free. Pro adds the hosted convenience and the power features: fleet MCP, multi-machine.

Is there a usage limit on Pro's AI?

A generous fair-use cap, set so heavy daily use fits comfortably. It exists to stop abuse, not to meter you.

What does "strong enough Mac" mean?

Apple Silicon with 16 GB or more of unified memory. Helmsman checks for you and tells you plainly.

Nothing to buy today.

Helmsman is in beta and free. One email when the app ships, and Pro news lands here first.