Freemium tiered subscription plus custom Enterprise pricing, from Free plan available; Pro plan starts at $72 per month
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Last updated
July 19, 2026
Founded
2023
Headquarters
San Francisco, California, USA
Free PlanWindowsWeb AppAPIAIFreemiumMac
Overview
Scalar is an API platform founded in 2023 by Marc Laventure and Cameron Rohani, headquartered in San Francisco and run by a small team of around ten people. It is built around the open-source Scalar project, a popular renderer for OpenAPI and Swagger specifications that also ships a standalone interactive REST API client.
The commercial Scalar platform layers hosted documentation, an API registry, SDK generation, and developer portal tooling on top of that open-source foundation, letting teams turn an OpenAPI specification into a full branded developer portal with a live, interactive request runner.
Key Features
Scalar parses OpenAPI/Swagger specs and renders interactive documentation with a built-in request runner that lets developers test API calls directly from the docs. Its open-source REST client supports collections, environments, and pre/post-request scripting.
Paid plans add custom domains, Git sync for docs-as-code workflows, Markdown/MDX authoring, generated SDKs in multiple languages, hosted MCP servers for AI agent integration, API versioning, and full developer portal features like landing pages and guides.
Pricing
The Free plan includes hosted docs, the API client, one editor seat, unlimited viewers, and 50 monthly AI credits, limited to three APIs in the registry. The Pro plan costs 72 dollars per month and adds custom domains, Git sync, SDK generation, hosted MCP servers, and 500 monthly AI credits.
Enterprise pricing is custom and adds SSO/SAML, RBAC, SLA-backed priority support, and migration services. Additional SDK languages on the Pro plan cost 100 dollars each per month.
Key Features
OpenAPI-based interactive documentation — Renders API reference docs directly from an OpenAPI/Swagger specification, including an interactive request runner.
Open-source REST API client — Includes a standalone API client with collections, environments, and pre/post-request scripting, free to use on the Free plan.
SDK generation — Pro plan generates client SDKs in languages such as TypeScript, Python, C#, Java, PHP, and Go.
Hosted MCP servers — Lets teams expose their API to AI coding agents via a hosted Model Context Protocol server.
Git sync and docs-as-code — Pro plan supports syncing documentation content from a Git repository with Markdown and MDX support.
API registry — Tracks and organizes multiple API specifications; the Free plan is capped at three APIs.
Custom domains and developer portals — Pro and Enterprise plans support custom domains, landing pages, and guides for a fully branded developer portal.
Enterprise security and support — Enterprise plan adds SSO/SAML, role-based access control, and SLA-backed priority support.
Pros & Cons
Pros
Built on a widely adopted open-source project, giving credibility and a large existing user base
Free plan includes a genuinely useful API client and hosted docs, not just a stripped-down demo
Combines documentation, API client, and SDK generation in a single platform
Early mover on hosted MCP servers for AI agent integration with APIs
Cons
Small team (around 10 people) as of 2023 founding may limit support responsiveness at scale
Free plan is capped at just 3 APIs in the registry
Additional SDK languages on the Pro plan cost extra (100 dollars each per month)
Enterprise features like SSO require custom pricing and a sales conversation
Pricing
Free $0 monthly
Pro $72/month monthly
Enterprise Custom custom
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Scalar used for?
Scalar is used to generate interactive API reference documentation from OpenAPI/Swagger specs, paired with an API client, SDK generation, and developer portal tooling.
How much does Scalar cost?
Scalar has a free plan, a Pro plan at 72 dollars per month, and custom Enterprise pricing.
Who founded Scalar and when?
Scalar was founded in 2023 by Marc Laventure (CEO) and Cameron Rohani.
Is Scalar open source?
Yes, the core Scalar renderer and API client are open source and available on GitHub; the hosted platform adds commercial features on top.
Where is Scalar headquartered?
Scalar is headquartered in San Francisco, California.
Does Scalar support generating SDKs?
Yes, the Pro plan can generate client SDKs in languages including TypeScript, Python, C#, Java, PHP, and Go.
What is Agent Scalar?
Agent Scalar is Scalar's AI agent feature, included as a monthly credit allowance on both the Free and Pro plans.
Can Scalar expose APIs to AI coding agents?
Yes, the Pro plan includes hosted MCP (Model Context Protocol) servers that let AI agents interact with a team's API.