Pricing
Success first.
Why there is no pricing yet
We could charge. We chose not to — not yet.
Infrastructure software earns trust through uptime, through contracts that survive schema changes, through deploys nobody notices. Marketing cannot manufacture that. A pricing page cannot either.
So we decided: Minimal runs in our production first. Then alongside 100 Founders teams. Then we talk about cost. Not because we are unsure of what we built. Because we believe money is a side effect of a great product — and we are not done building it yet.
They are our design partners.
The first 100
One hundred teams. Twelve months. Made successful.
Before Minimal is priced, it will be proven. Not in a demo — in production. On real databases. Solving problems that were previously solved by writing and maintaining code nobody wanted to write. The Founders Program is how we do that work.
Each of the 100 teams in the program gets everything Minimal has built — Auto API, Custom API, Insights, Forge — unlimited, for twelve months, at no charge. In return, they use it in production, give us thirty minutes a month, and tell us what production actually looks like. That is the work. When it is done, we will know what Minimal is worth — because 100 teams will have told us, with their usage, their results, and their feedback.
Design partners shape Minimal's pricing model before it is announced. Not as a courtesy — as a commitment. The teams who move first deserve the most informed seat at that table.
What the Founders Program includes
What you get. All of it.
Everything in Minimal
Auto API, Custom API, Insights, Forge — all products, all databases, unlimited usage. No feature gates. No artificial limits.
Twelve months at no charge
From the day of acceptance. No credit card required. No automatic conversion.
50% off announced pricing in year two
When pricing is announced, Founders receive it at half the rate — for the full second year.
Price lock — three years
The rate Founders pay at the start of year two is their rate for three years. Future pricing changes do not affect them during that period.
Pricing input before the public announcement
Founders are consulted on pricing structure before any number is made public. They know before anyone else.
Priority access to Deep Thought
When Deep Thought enters pilot in 2027, Founders are the first cohort. No application required.
Direct line to the founding team
Not a support channel. The engineers who built what you are running, available directly.
What we ask in return
Three things. All of them worth your time.
01
A real project
In production or moving toward it. On a database Minimal supports. It does not have to be large. It has to be real.
02
Thirty minutes a month
A direct call with the founding team. Not a survey. A conversation about what worked, what did not, and what you needed that was not there.
03
One case study at month three
Written or recorded — your choice. What you were doing before. What changed. We will never publish without your approval.
Supported databases
Works with your database.
PostgreSQL wire protocol
MySQL wire protocol
ClickHouse wire protocol
Originals and direct forks are fully supported. β databases are wire-protocol compatible and currently in active stress testing — the β mark is removed once a full cycle is complete.
Apply for the Founders Program.
First cohort — 20 seats, open now
Teams building in these verticals are invited to apply:
— Ecommerce
— Mobile applications
— CRM
— Analytics — especially teams running ClickHouse
Subject: Founders Program — Cohort 1
We respond to every application within 48 hours.