简体中文
EnglishStrut Free vs Self-Hosted vs Pro: Which Plan Fits Your Deck?
Updated
Strut offers three ways to run the same spatial presentation tool: a Free hosted plan ($0), self-hosting the open-source app (free, unlimited, private), and Pro at $2.50/mo per user. Choose Free if your decks can be public and you want zero setup. Choose self-hosting if you need unlimited private decks and don't mind running the app yourself. Choose Pro if you want private decks, white-labeling, and hosted storage without managing infrastructure.
The three options at a glance
| Free | Self-hosted | Pro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost | $0 | Free, forever | $2.50/mo per user |
| Deck privacy | Public only | Unlimited & private | Private decks |
| Deck limit | Unlimited public decks | Unlimited | Not stated |
| Sharing | Shareable links, present & export | Same app, your own hosting | Custom share domain & white-label |
| Image storage | Not stated as hosted | Your own infrastructure | Unlimited hosted image storage |
| AI features | Your OpenRouter key | Your OpenRouter key | Your OpenRouter key |
| Setup effort | None — start in the hosted app | You run and maintain it | None |
Free: best for public, shareable decks
The Free plan costs $0 and gives you unlimited public decks, shareable links, and the ability to present and export. It runs in Strut's hosted app, so there's nothing to install or maintain.
The trade-off is privacy: decks are public. If you're presenting something meant for a general audience — a portfolio piece, a teaching deck, a conference talk — this is usually fine. If the content is client work, internal strategy, or anything you wouldn't want indexed, Free isn't the right fit.
AI features work on Free, but you bring your own OpenRouter key rather than using a bundled AI quota.
Self-hosting: best for privacy without a subscription
Strut's entire app is open source, and the site states you can self-host it for free, forever, with unlimited and private decks. This is the option that removes both the privacy limit and the per-user cost at the same time.
What you take on in exchange:
- You provision and maintain the server or environment it runs on.
- You handle updates and any storage for images yourself.
- You're responsible for uptime and access control.
If you already run other self-hosted tools and want private spatial decks without a recurring fee, this is the strongest fit. If you'd rather not manage infrastructure, skip to Pro.
Pro: best for private decks without the ops work
Pro is $2.50/mo per user and adds what the Free plan lacks while keeping the hosted, zero-maintenance experience:
- Private decks — the main reason to upgrade from Free.
- Custom share domain & white-label — present under your own branding rather than Strut's.
- Unlimited hosted image storage — useful if your slides lean on images and you don't want to manage storage yourself.
AI features still use your own OpenRouter key, so Pro doesn't change how AI authoring is billed.
How to decide
- Decks are public and you want zero setup → Free.
- Decks must be private, you're comfortable running software → Self-host.
- Decks must be private, you want no infrastructure work, and you need branding or hosted image storage → Pro.
- You need private decks but not white-labeling or hosted storage → Self-hosting covers it for free, if you'll run it.
One thing to verify before committing: the site lists "Simple pricing" and a Pro tier, but doesn't state a deck limit for Pro or confirm whether hosted image storage exists on Free. If unlimited private decks on a hosted plan matter to you, check the pricing page or the app directly rather than assuming Pro removes every limit.