Forem is free.
Verified Sep 2026 from the official pricing page.
Is Forem worth the price?
Forem the software is $0.
Official README: GNU Affero GPL v3. You run it.
It powers DEV.to. pgvector is a hard requirement.
A Gemini API key is optional. forem.com/pricing is a random DEV user page, not a SKU grid.
This is best for someone who will host a community, not someone buying Forem Cloud seats (those $ are not on this repo page).
Pricing Plans
Self-host
Free
- Official: free software under GNU AGPL v3
- Powers DEV.to
- Kamal deploy docs included
Hidden Costs & Gotchas
You pay Postgres, Redis, object storage, and whoever runs Kamal.
pgvector 0.8+ is required. The app will not migrate without it.
AGPL means network use can force you to share source. Read LICENSE.md.
No hosted Forem Cloud $ on the README.
Which Plan Do You Need?
AGPL. $0 official license.
How Forem compares
5 of 6 direct competitors offer a free plan.
Forem Pricing FAQ
How much does Forem cost?
Forem is free to use. No subscription or one-time fee is required for the core product.
Does Forem have a free plan?
Yes. Forem offers a free plan called "Self-host". It includes: Official: free software under GNU AGPL v3, Powers DEV.to, Kamal deploy docs included.
What are alternatives to Forem?
Alternatives to Forem include Ghost, DEV Community, Hashnode, Medium. DEV Community is fully free. Ghost starts at $18/month; Hashnode starts at $9/month; Medium starts at $5/month.
Forem alternatives
Direct competitors. Starting prices match the table above.
Sources
- Official Forem pricing — github.com/forem/forem (verified Sep 2026)
- Cite this data: Toolradar, Forem pricing verified Sep 2026, toolradar.com/tools/forem/pricing
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