kitio.aiButterfish vs Stakpak
A side-by-side look at pricing plans, free tiers, features, pros and cons, updated for 2026. Butterfish is completely free, while Stakpak is freemium.
At a glance
Best for
Pricing model
Starting price
Free plan
Made by
Based in
Rating
Key features
- AI prompts inside bash and zsh
- Shell history as context
- Command autocomplete from AI
- Goal mode agent
- Neovim plugin
- Autonomous app monitoring
- Auto-healing and fixes
- Cloud cost scans
- Network sandbox
- Secret substitution
- LLM gateway
| Feature | Butterfish | Stakpak |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Open-source shell wrapper that adds AI prompts to bash and zsh | Open-source agent that monitors and fixes your apps in production |
| Category | Coding | Coding |
| Pricing model | Free | Freemium |
| Starting price | Free | $15/mo |
| Free plan | Yes, fully free | Yes |
| Made by | Peter Bakkum | Stakpak |
| Based in | – | – |
| Rating | No ratings yet | No ratings yet |
| Key features |
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Pricing compared
Butterfish is completely free, while Stakpak is freemium.
Free plan
Cheapest paid plan
Top plan
Free trial
5 plans
Open Source
Free
- Self-hosted agent
- Bring your own model
Hacker
$15/mo
- 3 apps on autopilot
- $10 gateway credits a month
- Private skills and audit logs
Builder
$45/mo
- 10 apps on autopilot
- $35 gateway credits a month
- $5 per extra app
Team
$450/mo
- 50 apps, unlimited users
- $350 shared credits a month
- SSO and Slack integration
Enterprise
Custom
- Unlimited apps
- Dedicated support and onboarding
Prices in USD, checked Nov 5, 2026 or later. Plans change often, so confirm on each tool's site before you buy.
Pros and cons
Butterfish
- Free and MIT licensed
- No copy and paste between tools
- Keeps your existing shell setup
- Needs your own OpenAI-compatible API key
- No Windows support
- Agent mode can run commands on your system
Stakpak
- Open source under Apache 2.0
- Keeps secrets away from model providers
- Runs on your own machines
- Hosted plans charge fees on credit top-ups
- Future plans may change after the Vercel deal
- Needs care when granting production access
Which one should you choose?
Choose Butterfish if you want:
- Free and MIT licensed
- No copy and paste between tools
- Keeps your existing shell setup
Watch out: needs your own openai-compatible api key.
Choose Stakpak if you want:
- Open source under Apache 2.0
- Keeps secrets away from model providers
- Runs on your own machines
Watch out: hosted plans charge fees on credit top-ups.
Butterfish vs Stakpak FAQ
What is the difference between Butterfish and Stakpak?
Butterfish: Open-source shell wrapper that adds AI prompts to bash and zsh. Stakpak: Open-source agent that monitors and fixes your apps in production. Both are coding tools.
Is Butterfish or Stakpak cheaper?
Butterfish is completely free, while Stakpak is freemium.
Do Butterfish and Stakpak have free plans?
Butterfish: Yes, fully free. Stakpak: Yes.
Who makes Butterfish?
Butterfish is made by Peter Bakkum.
Who makes Stakpak?
Stakpak is made by Stakpak.
Which should I choose, Butterfish or Stakpak?
Choose Butterfish if you value free and mit licensed and no copy and paste between tools. Choose Stakpak if you value open source under apache 2.0 and keeps secrets away from model providers.