Timestamp GIT Pricing: Plans for Every Developer

Choosing a Timestamp GIT plan is not just a subscription decision. It is a risk-management decision. The real question is what unprovable prior art could cost you later: a patent dispute, a contractor payment fight, or a competitor claiming they built the same logic independently.

Traditional IP protection is often too expensive at the patent stage and too weak when it relies only on internal Git logs. Timestamp GIT is a managed SaaS and GitHub App that automates cryptographic commit anchoring into the Bitcoin blockchain, so pricing becomes a key factor in adoption. This article breaks down the plans, what each tier actually includes, and where the return on investment shows up.

If you are new to the concept, see Proof of Existence in Software: A Beginner’s Guide.

Why Pricing Matters for Your Prior Art Strategy

Developers and compliance teams need a cost-effective way to prove that code existed at a specific time without adding manual overhead to every commit. The alternative to automated timestamping is not free: patents are expensive, legal fees can dwarf subscription costs, and internal logs are often dismissed as self-serving or manipulatable in a dispute.

Timestamp GIT removes the manual work entirely. You install the GitHub App once, connect a repository, and every commit hash is anchored into Bitcoin automatically each night. There are no CLI tools to run, no raw OpenTimestamps commands to learn, and no manual Bitcoin transaction handling.

That managed workflow makes pricing a central question. The goal is not to charge you for a protocol you could run yourself. The goal is to save you from building, maintaining, and proving a reliable timestamping pipeline.

Timestamp GIT Plans at a Glance

Timestamp GIT pricing is split into three cloud plans plus a self-hosted license option.

All cloud plans include automatic nightly Bitcoin anchoring, .ots receipt delivery, and public verification tools. The Bitcoin confirmation normally takes several hours, so proof writing and delivery follow the nightly anchor cycle.

What You Get at Each Tier

Open Source — Free for Public Repositories

The free plan is designed for open source maintainers and developers who want immediate prior-art protection.

• Automatic commit detection through the GitHub App.
• Nightly batching of commit hashes into a Merkle tree.
• Anchoring of the Merkle root into Bitcoin via OpenTimestamps.
• .ots receipt files pushed back to a dedicated timestamps branch or shadow repository.
• Public status pages and embeddable README badges.
• No credit card required.

This is not a stripped-down trial. It is the full automated pipeline for public work.

Pro Agency — $49/mo for Private Repositories

Pro Agency adds privacy and client-ready evidence on top of the free tier.

• Everything in Open Source, plus private repository support.
• HMAC-protected status URLs so only authorized users can view private repo status.
• Priority support for agencies managing multiple client repositories.
• Public verification badges and PDF reports remain available.

For a dev shop, the Pro plan turns commit history into a professional deliverable. You can show clients exactly when a milestone was stamped, without handing over access to the source repository itself.

You can also check public status endpoints programmatically:

curl -s https://timestampgit.dev/api/statusLast/acme/widget-service

Private repos follow the same API pattern but include an encrypted HMAC in the URL for access control.

Enterprise ZK — $199/mo for Zero-Knowledge Mode

Enterprise ZK changes the architecture so that Timestamp GIT never receives read access to your source repository.

• A 12-line GitHub Action runs on your infrastructure.
• The action pushes only commit hashes to the Timestamp GIT API.
• No source code, file contents, or repository metadata beyond the commit hash leaves your environment.
• Proofs are written to a target repository you control.
• The same nightly Bitcoin anchoring and .ots receipt delivery apply.

This is the right plan for organizations that cannot grant third-party read access to source code, even to a GitHub App. The zero-knowledge boundary is structural: the source repo remains inside your environment.

Docker Self-Hosted — Full Infrastructure Control

For maximum security and air-gapped deployments, Timestamp GIT is available as a Docker image.

• Runs on your own infrastructure.
• Includes the same automated commit-to-Bitcoin pipeline.
• Suitable for networks with no direct external GitHub access or strict data-sovereignty rules.
• Requires a license file and basic Docker knowledge.

A time-limited demo license is available from the Docker License page for evaluation.

Cost/Benefit and ROI: Is Timestamp GIT Worth It?

The most useful way to evaluate Timestamp GIT pricing is against the cost of a single dispute.

For a company facing a patent troll, the legal cost of even preparing a defense can be orders of magnitude larger than a $49/mo Pro subscription. A timestamped commit alone does not win a patent case, but it can create the prior-art evidence that invalidates a claim before litigation spirals.

For freelancers and agencies, the ROI is more direct. A timestamped commit can settle a payment dispute over delivery dates or prove that a client-facing milestone existed at a specific time. Recovering one disputed invoice can cover several years of Pro Agency subscription.

At the arithmetic level:

Pro Agency:   $49/mo  = $588/year
Enterprise ZK: $199/mo = $2,388/year

For startups, the free tier on public repositories provides immediate value at no cost. Private work can start on Pro Agency and move to Enterprise ZK when compliance requirements tighten. Prior-art proof can also strengthen a patent application by establishing an earlier conception date.

For enterprises, Enterprise ZK reduces the compliance burden of adding a third-party timestamping service. It avoids broad read access to source repositories while still producing mathematically verifiable proof. The self-hosted Docker option carries that further by keeping all infrastructure in-house.

Finally, consider the time savings. Timestamp GIT runs automatically through the GitHub App; there is no per-commit step, no manual OpenTimestamps workflow, and no Bitcoin transaction handling. The hard way would be to operate raw OpenTimestamps tooling yourself. Timestamp GIT hides that complexity behind a managed pipeline.

Upgrade Path: From Free to Enterprise

The plans are designed as a progressive path.

1. Start with Open Source on a public repository to see automatic anchoring and verification in action.
2. Move to Pro Agency when you need private repo support, client-facing badges, or priority support.
3. Adopt Enterprise ZK when compliance requires zero-knowledge handling or when you manage many private repos under stricter access rules.
4. Choose Docker Self-Hosted for air-gapped environments or when infrastructure must remain fully under your control.

Switching is straightforward because the GitHub App and API remain consistent across tiers. The difference is mainly the access model: which side pushes commit hashes, and whether source repos are read by the managed app. Previous proofs remain valid regardless of plan changes.

Self-Hosted vs Cloud: Which Should You Choose?

Cloud: SaaS + GitHub App

The cloud deployment is the simplest option.

• Zero setup beyond installing the GitHub App.
• Automatic updates and maintenance.
• No infrastructure to run.
• Standard Mode works for public and Pro agency private repos.
• Enterprise ZK runs the GitHub Action on your side while still using the managed API.

For most developers and small teams, cloud is the right default.

Self-Hosted: Docker

Self-hosting gives you full data sovereignty.

• Works in air-gapped or offline networks.
• Keeps all timestamping infrastructure internal.
• Requires a license file and your own server resources.
• You manage updates, backups, and availability.

A basic deployment uses Docker Compose:

services:
  timestampgit:
    image: rue1401/timestampgit:prod
    ports:
      - "8080:8080"
    volumes:
      - ./data:/app/data
      - ./license.lic:/app/license.lic:ro
    restart: unless-stopped
  valkey:
    image: valkey/valkey:8
    restart: unless-stopped

Start it with:

docker compose pull
docker compose up -d
docker compose logs -f timestampgit

The application is available at http://localhost:8080. On first launch, a setup wizard guides you through connecting the GitHub App and configuring the instance.

Which should you choose?

Choose cloud if you want simplicity, automatic updates, and no server maintenance. Choose self-hosted if you need air-gapped operation, strict data control, or compliance requiring all infrastructure to remain internal. In security terms, cloud plans already use a zero-knowledge hashing model; self-hosting moves the entire pipeline behind your firewall.

FAQ

Is Timestamp GIT really free for public repositories?

Yes. The Open Source plan is free for public repositories. You get automatic nightly Bitcoin anchoring via the GitHub App, verification badges, and public status pages with no credit card required.

What is the difference between Pro Agency and Enterprise ZK?

Pro Agency costs $49/mo and supports private repositories with the standard GitHub App. That mode requires read access to the source repo because the GitHub App reads the HEAD commit hash. Enterprise ZK costs $199/mo and uses a GitHub Action on your infrastructure to push only commit hashes. Timestamp GIT never gets read access to your source code in Enterprise ZK mode, making it suitable for strict compliance requirements.

Can I self-host Timestamp GIT? How does licensing work?

Yes. Timestamp GIT is available as a Docker image. You can request a time-limited demo license from the Docker License page. For production use, you need a full license. Self-hosting is suitable for air-gapped environments or teams that require full infrastructure control.

What happens if I upgrade or downgrade my plan?

You can change plans at any time. Existing timestamps and proofs remain valid because they are anchored in the Bitcoin blockchain. Upgrading unlocks private repo support or zero-knowledge mode. Downgrading may limit access to those features, but it never invalidates past proofs.

Conclusion: Choose the Plan That Matches Your Risk Model

Timestamp GIT pricing maps directly to access and compliance needs. Free covers public work. Pro Agency covers private repos at $49/mo. Enterprise ZK adds a zero-knowledge GitHub Action at $199/mo. Docker Self-Hosted handles air-gapped and on-premises deployments.

The proof itself stays the same across every plan: your commit hash is anchored into Bitcoin, and you receive an immutable .ots receipt that can be verified independently. Choose the plan that fits how much source-code access you are willing to grant and where the pipeline must run.

To compare plans and connect your first repository, visit Timestamp GIT.

Related posts

• Proof of Existence in Software: A Beginner’s Guide
• How to Verify Your Git Commit Timestamps
• Defend Your Software Against Patent Trolls with Timestamps