Choose your Dagu deployment model.
Self-hosted on your own infrastructure
Dagu is GPLv3 and free forever. Please consider purchasing licenses to support open source sustainability. Paid license enables useful features for using in a team.
- Full workflow automation and monitoring
- Web UI with DAG visualization
- Docker, SSH, and HTTP executors
- Cron scheduling & retries
- Up to 2 API keys for automation
$50 per Dagu server, billed monthly
- SSO (OIDC)
- Role-Based Access Control
- Audit logging
- Standard email support
- Managed GitHub App
- Incident routing
For teams building event-driven workflow infrastructure in complex environments
- Architecture consulting for distributed setup
- Custom implementation
- MCP OIDC/SSO setup guidance
- Initial migration support
- Dedicated meetings
Create a 14-day self-host license trial in minutes β 14 days, No credit card required. Start free license trial
Managed control plane
A dedicated Dagu instance isolated from other tenants, operated by us. For teams who'd rather not deal with servers, upgrades, or networking. Request Medium or larger when you need more headroom.
Hosted Instance Small
The managed Small instance with the runtime profile below.
Monthly billing. Dedicated instance.
- Dedicated GKE + gVisor instance isolated from other tenants
- CPU: 50m request / 100m limit
- Memory: 128Mi request / 2Gi limit
- Storage: 1Gi persistent volume + 1Gi temporary storage
- Dagu defaults: maxActiveRuns 1; queues standard 2, heavy 1, priority 1
Request-based
Medium and Larger
Medium and larger hosted instances are request-based for now.
Contact usDedicated runtime
Your instance is provisioned separately instead of being packed into a shared multi-tenant runtime, and includes managed enterprise controls and incident routing without a separate self-host license. Notification routing is included across deployments.
gVisor isolation
Hosted workloads run on GKE inside a gVisor sandbox boundary. The managed instance does not expose a Docker daemon or Docker socket; Docker actions can run on a private worker connected to the managed Dagu server.
Persistent workspace
Instance storage stays attached until you delete the instance.
Web terminal access
Open the browser terminal to inspect files, adjust config, and operate Dagu directly.
How billing cycles work
Self-host licenses and managed instances are billed as separate Stripe subscriptions. The billing portal shows the exact renewal dates for each subscription.
Self-host licenses
Each licensed Dagu server is $50/month. Workers are included. Plan and interval changes are handled through Stripe and prorated when they affect the current billing period.
Managed instances
Hosted Instance Small is billed monthly per instance. Saving a payment method does not start billing. Failed instances are not kept on billing; added instances and shutdowns are prorated during the month. Stopped instances continue billing because storage is retained. Any prorated credit is a Stripe invoice credit for future Dagu invoices in the same billing account and currency, not a transferable credit or automatic refund.
Deployment models
Choose where the Dagu server runs and where your workflows execute.
Community self-host
- Control plane
- Your infrastructure, using the open-source Dagu server.
- Execution
- Local execution and workers run on machines you operate.
- Best for
- Teams that want the free GPLv3 engine with no managed control plane.
Enterprise self-host
- Control plane
- Your infrastructure, with licensed Dagu servers for SSO, RBAC, audit logging, the managed GitHub App, and incident routing. Notification routing is available without a license.
- Execution
- Workers run in your infrastructure and are not licensed separately.
- Best for
- Teams that need enterprise controls while keeping Dagu inside their own security boundary.
Managed Dagu server + private workers
- Control plane
- A full Dagu server running in a dedicated, isolated gVisor instance on GKE, operated by Dagu with the managed license and incident routing included. Notification routing is included across deployments.
- Execution
- Run workflows directly in the managed Dagu server, or attach private workers for Docker, private networks, and custom runtimes.
- Best for
- Teams that want Dagu to run the full server while selected execution can stay close to their systems.
Managed Dagu is a full Dagu server. Private workers are optional, and let Docker steps, private network access, secrets, and data-heavy work stay inside your infrastructure.
Which deployment model fits your team?
Hosted Dagu and Self-Host solve different problems. Pick the model that matches your operational preference.
| Β | Hosted Dagu | Self-Hosted Dagu |
|---|---|---|
| Billing unit | $20 per hosted Small instance, billed monthly | Community is free; paid self-host licenses are $50 per Dagu server per month |
| Isolation model | Dedicated instance isolated from other tenants, with gVisor sandboxing | Isolation is defined by the infrastructure and controls you operate |
| Who operates it | Dagu manages the platform, networking, and runtime environment | Your team operates the servers, upgrades, and surrounding infrastructure |
| Scaling path | Buy additional hosted instances; request Medium and larger for now | Add licensed servers at $50/server/month, and add workers without extra license cost |
| Security features | Managed GKE + gVisor isolation, controlled network policy, browser access, no Docker socket exposure, notification routing, and incident routing | SSO, RBAC, audit logging, the managed GitHub App, and incident routing via the self-host license; notification routing is included without a license |
| Best for | Teams that want Dagu running quickly without owning platform operations | Teams that need Dagu inside their own environment and security boundary |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a hosted instance?
A hosted instance is a dedicated Dagu environment managed by Dagu. It is isolated from other tenants, includes enterprise security features for that instance, and is billed separately from self-host licenses.
How much is a self-host license?
Community remains free and open source. Notification routing and up to 2 API keys are available without a license. A paid self-host license is $50 per Dagu server per month, removes the Community API key cap, and adds SSO, RBAC, audit logging, the managed GitHub App, incident routing, and support. Workers are included and are not licensed separately. This helps fund ongoing development and maintenance while keeping Community free.
What does Hosted Instance Small include?
Hosted Instance Small is a dedicated GKE + gVisor Dagu instance for $20 per month. Its configured profile is 50m CPU request / 100m CPU limit, 128Mi memory request / 2Gi memory limit, 1Gi persistent storage, 1Gi temporary storage, maxActiveRuns 1, and queues set to standard 2, heavy 1, and priority 1. Browser terminal access, notification routing, managed enterprise controls, and incident routing are included.
How do Medium and larger hosted instances work?
Medium and larger hosted instances are request-based for now. Contact the Dagu team and we will size the instance around your workload.
Can hosted deployments run Docker steps?
Not inside the managed instance. Managed instances run on GKE with gVisor isolation and do not expose a Docker daemon or Docker socket. Docker actions can run on a private worker in your infrastructure, attached to the managed Dagu server with the worker mTLS bundle.
Does hosted have annual billing?
Not yet. Hosted Instance Small is currently billed monthly. Self-host license pricing is shown monthly at $50 per Dagu server.
How does the license trial work?
Create a free trial license from the Dagu console, enable the paid self-host features on your self-hosted deployment, and evaluate them for 14 days. No credit card is required to start.
What happens if provisioning fails, or if I stop or shut down a hosted instance?
Failed instances are not kept on billing. Stop keeps persistent storage and monthly billing. Shutdown removes retained resources and stops future billing after cleanup; unused monthly time is handled as a Stripe invoice credit or adjustment for your Dagu billing customer. It applies automatically to future Dagu invoices in the same account and currency, not to other merchants or separate Stripe accounts, and it is not an automatic card refund.
