Is Postiz free? Software cost versus operating cost
Postiz's self-hosted software is available under the AGPL-3.0 license. You can run that version without a Postiz Cloud subscription, but you supply the infrastructure and operate it. The hosted service has a seven-day trial, with Standard advertised at $29 monthly or a $23 monthly equivalent on annual billing. Standard currently includes five channels and unlimited monthly posts. Official repository, Postiz Cloud pricing.
The useful comparison is the total cost of a working publishing setup. A server that starts successfully is only part of that setup: it still needs storage, backups, functioning integrations and someone responsible when a scheduled post fails.
What you operate when you self-host
Postiz documents a light-use floor of two virtual CPUs, 2 GB RAM and 20 GB disk. Its recommended configuration is four virtual CPUs, 8 GB RAM and 50 GB disk plus persistent upload storage. The bundled deployment includes Postgres, Redis and Temporal. Treat the minimum as a limited starting point rather than a promise that it will handle a busy team or large media library. System requirements.
A sensible operating budget includes:
- The server and persistent media storage
- Backups and a way to restore them
- A domain and any supporting services you need
- Applicable social-provider or AI API charges
- Initial setup and integration work
- Updates, monitoring and recovery time
The documented Docker Compose route assembles the service stack. It does not remove your responsibility for the machine, retained data or the integrations attached to it.
A channel in the interface may still need configuration
Most self-hosted integrations require the operator to register a developer application with the destination platform and configure its keys. Postiz lists ten providers that do not require operator-side app registration, although users may still need to supply their own connection credentials. Examples include Bluesky, WordPress and several publishing/community services. Provider setup overview.
Scroll sideways to compare every column.
| Before you budget a network | Question to answer |
|---|---|
| Developer application | Who owns the app, and does the platform require review or paid API access? |
| Connection | Is the correct callback URL configured for your deployment? |
| Publishing format | Does the integration support the required media and account type? |
| Ongoing operation | Who handles expired access, changed provider requirements and failed posts? |
Postiz warns that unconfigured providers can still appear in Add Channel. Their presence is not evidence that the connection will work. Begin with the actual networks you need, rather than valuing every logo as a ready-to-use integration. Provider configuration behavior.
A cost worksheet you can adapt
Use this calculation for the first year:
Annual operating cost = 12 × (monthly infrastructure + monthly provider charges + monthly maintenance hours × hourly value) + setup hours × hourly value.
For later years, remove completed setup work and add any expected migration or major-upgrade work. Keep cash expenditure and the value of your time visible separately.
Here is an illustrative five-channel, one-operator scenario. Assume infrastructure including backups costs $15/month, initial setup takes four hours, maintenance takes half an hour a month, and your time is valued at $40/hour. Provider and AI charges are set to $0 for this example; replace that assumption if your selected integrations incur charges. These are budgeting inputs, not hosting quotes or measured installation times.
Scroll sideways to compare every column.
| Cost component | First year | Later year with the same assumptions |
|---|---|---|
| Infrastructure: $15 × 12 | $180 | $180 |
| Setup: 4 hours × $40 | $160 | $0 |
| Maintenance: 0.5 hours × $40 × 12 | $240 | $240 |
| Self-hosted total, including time | $580 | $420 |
| Cloud Standard, 12 monthly payments | $348 | $348 |
| Cloud Standard, advertised annual rate × 12 | $276 | $276 |
The Cloud totals use the current advertised rates, with no tax added. The example assumes all dollar amounts are in the same billing currency. Confirm currency, tax and exact annual checkout totals before making a purchase comparison.
If you count only infrastructure cash, self-hosting is $96 below the advertised $276 annual Cloud total in this example. Once time is included, the result reverses. After setup, the $8 monthly gap between $23 Cloud and $15 infrastructure buys just 12 minutes at $40/hour. Maintenance above that level makes self-hosting more expensive under these assumptions.
When self-hosting still makes sense
Cost is only one reason to self-host. Control over deployment, retention and customization may justify the work. Existing infrastructure and an experienced operator can also change the numbers substantially. Conversely, needing developer-app approvals on several networks can make the integration work more important than the server bill.
Compare equivalent channel and team needs, and check the release you will deploy against the hosted features you need. Postiz says its hosted agent features ship first, so immediate feature parity should not be assumed. Cloud feature and self-hosting FAQ.
Choose self-hosting when someone genuinely wants to own the system. Choose Cloud when the goal is to publish with less operational responsibility. The Mixpost review and Mixpost versus Postiz provide another self-hosted comparison; Publora is relevant when a hosted publishing API is the main requirement.