CloudSmith is completely free and open source under the Apache 2.0 license. Choose the deployment model that fits your environment — on-premises, cloud-managed, or hybrid — with no licensing cost, no seat fees, no vendor lock-in.
Deployment Models
Every deployment model runs the same open-source platform. Choose based on your operational model, connectivity constraints, and team preference.
Self-hosted control plane running entirely inside your network. No cloud dependency — works air-gapped, disconnected, or behind strict egress rules.
Cloud-managed control plane running in your Azure subscription. CloudSmith agents run on-premises, connecting back to the PaaS hub via the CloudSmith Relay — no inbound firewall holes required.
Bidirectional sync between an on-premises control plane and an Azure-hosted management hub. Run locally when the cloud is unreachable; sync when connected.
Feature Comparison
All three models run the same open-source platform. Differences are operational, not functional — every feature is available in every model.
| Feature | On-Premises | Azure PaaS | Hybrid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deployment & Install | |||
| Install time | ~30 min | ~10 min (azd) | ~45 min |
| Air-gap / offline install | ✓ Bundled + Appliance modes | — Requires Azure | Partial On-prem side only |
| Automated upgrades | Manual via self-update module | ✓ ACA revision rolling | Mixed |
| Infrastructure & Data | |||
| Database location | On-premises (self-managed PG) | Azure (Managed PG Flex) | Both (synced) |
| Data sovereignty | ✓ Data never leaves site | Azure region of your choice | Configurable per-data-class |
| Backup & disaster recovery | Self-managed | Azure Backup (managed) | Both |
| High availability | Manual clustering | ✓ ACA zone redundancy | ACA + on-prem HA |
| Identity & Security | |||
| Authentication | Local admin / Keycloak | Azure Entra ID / local admin | Both (federated) |
| RBAC | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| MFA / SSO | Via Keycloak | ✓ Entra ID | ✓ |
| Secrets management | Local vault | Azure Key Vault | Both |
| Observability | |||
| Telemetry backend | Self-hosted (Prometheus / Loki) | Azure Monitor + App Insights | Both |
| Log retention | Self-managed | Azure Log Analytics | Both |
| OpenTelemetry export | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Multi-site & Scale | |||
| Multi-site management | — Single site | ✓ All sites via one pane | ✓ |
| Disconnected site operation | ✓ | — | ✓ |
| Licensing & Support | |||
| License | Apache 2.0 — free forever | Apache 2.0 — free forever | Apache 2.0 — free forever |
| Per-node fees | ✓ None | ✓ None | ✓ None |
| Commercial support | Community (GitHub) | Community (GitHub) | Community (GitHub) |
Common Questions
There is no catch. CloudSmith is released under the Apache 2.0 license — you can use it commercially, modify it, and redistribute it without paying anyone. The only costs are your own infrastructure (VMs, Azure subscription charges, etc.) which you control entirely.
No. The Standalone On-Premises model runs entirely inside your network with zero Azure dependency. Azure PaaS and Hybrid are options for teams that want a cloud-managed control plane or multi-site visibility — they are not required.
Yes. The Bundled install mode ships all container images and dependencies as a single archive. The Appliance mode provides a pre-built OVA/VHDX. Neither requires internet access after download. See the bundled install guide for details.
The hardware management module supports Dell (iDRAC / Redfish), HPE (iLO), and Lenovo (XCC) out of the box. The Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL) is extensible — community-contributed adapters for additional vendors are welcome.
CloudSmith itself has no licensing cost. You pay only standard Azure resource rates for the services CloudSmith provisions in your subscription: Azure Container Apps, Azure Database for PostgreSQL Flexible Server, Azure Key Vault, and Azure Monitor. The cost estimate guide provides typical monthly figures for a small deployment.
Migrating from On-Premises to PaaS (or vice versa) is supported via the CloudSmith backup and restore pipeline. The migration guide walks through exporting the database, re-deploying to the target model, and reconnecting agents. Expect a short maintenance window during the cutover.
Pick a model and follow the step-by-step install guide — no license key, no sign-up, no waiting.