Tool profile
Stoplight: cost, fit and limits
Stoplight is an API design and documentation platform, part of SmartBear, with a visual OpenAPI and JSON Schema designer, interactive docs and mock servers for teams that design APIs before building them. It is sold under the Stoplight brand by SmartBear Software.
What to know first
Stoplight has a free plan for one user and one project, Basic New at $44 a month billed annually with three users, Startup at $113 with eight users, Pro Team at $362 with fifteen users, and a custom Enterprise tier. Each paid plan has a 14 day trial. The reviewed product pages name no AI features, so the case for Stoplight rests on design-first tooling.
Stoplight at a glance
| Maker | SmartBear Software (copyright line on the Stoplight pricing page; Stoplight is part of SmartBear), Not stated on the vendor pages |
|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes |
| Entry price | Free for 1 user; Basic New is $44 per month billed annually |
| API access | No |
| Category | Best AI API Documentation Tools in 2026, rank 10 of 11 |
| Website | stoplight.io |
Who Stoplight is best for
Design-first API teams
A visual designer for OpenAPI and JSON Schema with instant mock servers lets teams agree the contract before code exists.
Teams that enforce style rules
Pro Team adds shared style guides and workspace groups, and the vendor maintains the open-source Spectral linter, so naming and error rules apply across an API portfolio.
Small teams on a budget
Basic New at $44 a month billed annually includes three users and unlimited projects, with extra users at $11 or $14, which stays cheap for a team of four.
Stoplight plans and pricing
| Plan | Price | What it includes |
|---|---|---|
| Free | Free | 1 user and 1 project, no teams; the plan covers a single person trying the designer on one Git-based project. |
| Basic New | $44 per month billed annually, $56 billed monthly | Visual designer for OpenAPI and JSON Schema, interactive docs and instant mock servers; 3 users included, $11 or $14 per extra user; unlimited projects. |
| Startup | $113 per month billed annually, $147 billed monthly | Adds private projects, multi-branch support, custom domains, theming and favicon, Google Analytics integration and approved email domains; 8 users included. |
| Pro Team | $362 per month billed annually, $453 billed monthly | Adds up to 20 teams, shared style guides, workspace groups, branding removed, self-hosted Git providers, activity logs, LDAP and SAML SSO and component libraries; 15 users included. |
Checked November 2026.
What Stoplight does
- Visual API designer
- Edits OpenAPI and JSON Schema through a visual interface, so product managers and engineers can change a contract without writing YAML by hand. Basic New includes the designer, with unlimited projects for three users.
- Interactive docs and mocks
- Produces interactive API documentation and instant mock servers, so front-end teams can build against a contract before the backend exists. Basic New includes both, and Startup adds private projects and custom domains for documentation sites.
- Reusable components
- Reusable models and components are shared across an API portfolio, and Pro Team adds component libraries, which keeps shared schemas consistent. Basic New includes unlimited projects, which suits teams with many small services.
- Open-source tools
- The vendor maintains Spectral, Prism and Elements as open-source libraries. Teams can use them in CI without a paid Stoplight plan. Spectral, Prism and Elements are listed on the product page, with the hosted designer on top.
- Branching and access
- Multi-branch support starts on Startup, and Pro Team adds LDAP and SAML SSO and self-hosted Git providers for organizations with stricter rules. Startup adds a Google Analytics integration and approved email domains for the documentation site.
How Stoplight handles your data
Stoplight's product pages point to the SmartBear privacy notice, which says it does not apply to Customer Data, so the vendor's policy on training, content retention and hosting for customer API content was not found. The notice says personal information is kept in line with the uses described and is processed and stored inside and outside the United States. No certifications are named on the pages we opened. The pricing page notes that a project is a Git repository and that every user who can log in counts toward per-user pricing.
Where Stoplight falls short in practice
- No AI features named. The product pages reviewed name no AI features, so reader assistants, MCP servers and llms.txt files are not on the pages we read. Apiary, the other design-first tool here, names none either.
- Free is a single-user plan. Free allows 1 user and 1 project with no teams, and private projects start on Startup at $113 billed annually, so collaboration needs a paid plan.
- Per-user pricing compounds. Every user who can log in counts toward the price. Extra users cost $11 or $14 on Basic New, and Pro Team caps teams at 20 with Enterprise by quote.
Works with
Alternatives to Stoplight
Stoplight: common questions
Does Stoplight have AI features?
The product pages reviewed name no AI features. The focus is a visual OpenAPI and JSON Schema designer, interactive docs, mock servers and the open-source Spectral, Prism and Elements libraries. Buyers who need a reader assistant or MCP server should compare ReadMe, Mintlify or Scalar.
How much does Stoplight cost for a small team?
Basic New is $44 a month billed annually, or $56 billed monthly, with 3 users included and $11 or $14 per extra user. Startup is $113 with 8 users, and Pro Team is $362 with 15. Each paid plan has a 14 day trial.
What does Stoplight's free plan allow?
Free is listed with 1 user and 1 project, with no teams. It is enough to try the designer on one Git repository. A project is a Git repository, so a second repository needs a paid plan, as does adding a collaborator.
Which Stoplight plan has private projects?
Private projects start on Startup at $113 a month billed annually, which also adds multi-branch support, custom domains, theming and a Google Analytics integration. Basic New covers unlimited projects with the visual designer, docs and mock servers, but not private ones.
Does Stoplight support SSO?
LDAP and SAML SSO are listed on Pro Team at $362 a month billed annually, together with shared style guides, activity logs and self-hosted Git providers. Enterprise adds custom payment terms, invoicing and priority support under custom pricing. Startup has no SSO listed.