Mintlify's OSS Program: who qualifies and what you get

Key takeaways

• Non-commercial open source projects get Mintlify Pro free, forever.
• Projects need an open source license, no venture or revenue funding, and no for-profit owner.
• Applying takes a 5-minute form and no credit card.
• Approved projects get the full Pro plan, plus 5,000 AI credits a month.
• Docs stay as Markdown and MDX files in the project's Git repository.

The Mintlify OSS Program gives eligible open source projects Mintlify Pro for free, with no end date and nothing to renew. Whether your project qualifies comes down to three things: its license, how it's funded, and who owns it. This guide walks through what you get, how each criterion works, and how to apply.

What an approved project gets

If your project is approved, you get the full Mintlify Pro plan, the same one companies pay for. That includes everything in the free Starter plan, like a custom domain, the web editor, an MCP server, and the API playground, plus the features below.

What you get	Why it matters for maintainers
Unlimited editor seats	Every maintainer and regular contributor can fix docs, with no five-seat cap
Writing agent	Tag it in Slack or the editor and it drafts the update, so a docs fix doesn't wait for someone's free evening
Automations	Docs update from the same pull requests as your code, so releases don't leave pages behind
Mintlify Assistant	Answers users from your docs around the clock, which takes repeat questions off your issue tracker
Preview deployments	Review a contributor's docs change on a live preview before merge, the same way you review code
Platform and agent analytics	See what people and agents read, search for, and fail to find, so you know which pages to fix first
Webhooks, developer API, support integrations	Wire docs into the rest of your project's tooling
AI translations, grammar checks, narration	Reach users in more languages with less manual polish

When a project runs on a few volunteer hours a week, this is the part that really pays off. Automations and the writing agent take care of the docs upkeep that usually slips, and the Assistant answers the questions that would otherwise end up in your issue tracker.

5,000 AI credits every month

OSS projects get 5,000 AI credits a month. Credits pay for AI actions at flat prices, which are listed on the pricing page:

• An Assistant answer costs 25 credits, and nothing if the Assistant can't answer.
• An automation run that updates the docs costs 250 credits, and nothing if nothing needs to change.
• The writing agent, in the editor and in Slack, is included with Pro at no credit charge.

As a rough guide, 5,000 credits covers about 200 Assistant answers or 20 automation updates a month, or some mix of the two. If you want the details on what counts as an answer or an update, the credits documentation explains it.

Free forever, not a trial

Every new Mintlify account can try Pro for 14 days, with 5,000 credits in total. The OSS Program works differently. Pro stays on, and your 5,000 credits refresh every month. There's no trial that runs out and no renewal to budget for.

The three criteria to qualify

Your project has to meet all three criteria from the program page.

1. Open source license. The project uses a recognized open source license, such as MIT, Apache 2.0, or GPL.
2. Not venture-backed. The project isn't venture-backed and isn't funded by revenue.
3. Community maintained. No for-profit company owns the project or does most of its maintenance.

A solo maintainer's MIT-licensed CLI qualifies. So does a community-run Apache 2.0 library with maintainers from lots of different employers, or a volunteer-run GPL plugin ecosystem. If you're an independent maintainer or a community-driven project, this program is for you.

On the other hand, a startup's open source SDK doesn't qualify, because a company owns and maintains it. Open-core projects don't qualify either.

Not sure? What to include in your application

Plenty of open source projects have setups that sit somewhere in between, like GitHub Sponsors or Open Collective donations, a foundation acting as fiscal host, or a maintainer whose employer pays for some of their time. If that sounds like your project, don't rule yourself out. Mintlify's team reviews every application by hand, so just describe the facts:

• Your license, with a link to the license file
• Who owns the repository
• Where any money comes from and what it pays for
• Who the active maintainers are, and whether a company employs them to work on the project

If you need more space than the form gives you, email the founders at founders@mintlify.com.

The only real catch

The program is only for non-commercial projects. If a company owns your project, or it's funded by investors or product sales, the OSS Program isn't the right fit. You can still publish your docs on the free Starter plan, though, and it includes hosting, a custom domain, and the API playground.

Lock-in is low, too. Your docs are Markdown and MDX files that sit in your Git repository next to your code, and contributors change them through the same pull requests they already use.

How to apply

1. Check the project against the three criteria above.
2. Fill out the OSS Program application. It takes about 5 minutes and no credit card.
3. Mintlify's team reviews it by hand, and most applications get a decision within 1 to 2 business days.
4. If you're approved, Mintlify emails you a code to apply at checkout.

You don't need to wait for approval to publish, though. Create a free account at app.mintlify.com/signup, connect your repository, and follow the quickstart. Your docs go live on Starter right away, and once you're approved, the code upgrades your account to Pro.

If your project doesn't qualify

• Free Starter plan. Starter is free forever and includes hosting, a custom domain, the web editor, authentication, an MCP server, and the API playground, with up to 5 editor seats.
• Startup Program. If you're a startup, the Mintlify Startup Program gives you 50% off Pro for 12 months, or 12 months free if you're in the current YC batch. To qualify, your company needs to be less than 2 years old, have raised less than $2M, and never have paid for a Mintlify plan.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Mintlify free for open source projects?

Yes. Through the OSS Program, non-commercial open source projects get Mintlify Pro free, forever. A project qualifies with a recognized open source license, no venture or revenue funding, and no for-profit owner or primary maintainer. Any project can also use the free Starter plan.

Is Mintlify open source?

No. Mintlify is a hosted, proprietary docs platform. Docs content stays portable as Markdown and MDX files in the project's Git repository, and Mintlify builds and hosts the site from them. Mintlify also publishes some open source tools, such as the Mintlify agent skill.

Can open-core projects qualify for the OSS Program?

No. The program is only for projects that no for-profit company owns or funds. If an early-stage startup backs the project, the Startup Program is a better fit.

Do I need a credit card to apply?

No. The application is a 5-minute form, and you won't need a card. If you're approved, Mintlify emails you a code to apply at checkout.

What happens if my project gets funding later?

Email founders@mintlify.com when your funding or ownership changes, and ask what it means for your plan. If the project turns into an early-stage startup, the Startup Program may be a better fit.