PRICING

Helmsmanis 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.

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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 live, real terminals
  • 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.

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Flagship leading a convoy at night

Pro At launch

$12/mo, or $96/yr ($8/mo billed yearly)

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
  • Unlimited sessions: grow the grid past twelve
  • Fleet MCP: your agents can steer the whole grid themselves
  • Multi-machine: every Mac you own, one helm
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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
Sessions beyond twelve No No Yes
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: sessions beyond twelve, 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.

No account, no tracking. Leave the list anytime.