# Croft

> Croft is hosting for the apps a team builds with AI assistants. Your assistant (Claude, ChatGPT, Grok, Microsoft Copilot, or any tool that speaks the open MCP standard) writes the app; Croft runs it on your own private server - with a database, enterprise single sign-on for the people you invite, HTTPS, connectors to your other tools, automations, backups, and one-click rollback all handled. Bring your own AI, own your data, no lock-in.

Croft is a product of Lupchoo Limited, a company registered in New Zealand. It's built for the private apps a team actually runs - a pricing model, a client portal, an internal tracker, a booking sheet, a stocktake tool - built by developers and non-developers alike and shared with the people you invite, not the public. There's a deliberate ceiling: Croft is not for public sign-ups from strangers, native mobile apps in an app store, or consumer-scale traffic. You can publish public pages and forms (a survey, an RSVP) with results kept private, but the login side is for the people you invite.

Key facts:

- **Bring your own AI.** Use Claude (free plan or better), ChatGPT (Plus or better), Grok (free plan or better), Microsoft Copilot, Cursor, or any MCP-capable assistant. With your own AI over MCP, Croft does not resell AI or meter tokens - the AI is your own account, and it's the cheapest way to build.
- **Croft Build (optional).** An AI chat built into Croft that creates and updates apps without connecting an external assistant. It uses Croft's own MCP under the hood, with no special treatment - anything you can do via MCP with your assistant, you can do in Build. Priced with credits (an optional add-on): 200 credits per $1, packs from $10, custom top-ups $5–$500. A typical app build is around 500 credits (about $2.50); the free trial includes 1,000 credits.
- **Your own private server.** Each croft is a dedicated virtual machine, not a shared multi-tenant pool. Apps run in isolated containers, each with its own embedded SQL database.
- **Enterprise-grade security, built in.** Everything starts locked (least privilege): apps and people start with access to nothing. Enterprise single sign-on with passkeys is enforced at a gateway before any request reaches an app - apps never handle passwords or logins. All access, connectors, and approvals are on an audit trail.
- **Roles.** Four roles, one per person: Owner (full control + billing), Admin (manage connectors, approve grants, invite people, build apps), Creator (build/deploy their own apps, request grants), Member (use apps shared with them).
- **Connectors & data governance.** Apps use outside tools (Stripe, HubSpot, any API) through connectors - the key is held by Croft, never in app code. Sensitive data sources can require admin approval before an app or person uses them.
- **Automations.** Give any app a schedule or an event to react to; with your own AI it can read, summarise, and decide (reminders, syncs, reports, briefings). Not autonomous "agents" - small jobs that do one thing well.
- **Backups & rollback.** Continuous encrypted off-site backups plus nightly snapshots; any deploy can be rolled back in one click.
- **You own your data.** Export everything - code, database, and files - as a single bundle that runs anywhere Docker does. No lock-in.
- **Pricing.** Three plans, no usage meter. **Solo** ($29/mo, or $24/mo billed yearly) - one person, share apps with up to 10 people. **Team** ($149/mo, or $99/mo billed yearly) - multiple builders, up to 50 people, all roles, team governance and audit. **Enterprise** (contact sales) --unlimited people, larger servers and more app capacity, your choice of hosting region (data residency), and a full change log & audit export. 7-day free trial, no card to start.
- **Connect via MCP** at https://mcp.oncroft.net (or install the official open-standard agent plugin) · Sign up at https://app.oncroft.net/signup

## Pages

- [Homepage](https://oncroft.net/): Secure private hosting for vibe-coded apps a business actually runs.
- [How it works](https://oncroft.net/how-it-works/): The building blocks every app gets - its own container, a SQLite database, sign-on, file storage, connectors, schedules, monitoring, secrets, Ask Croft, and a private server you can export - plus building with your own agent over MCP and where to start for common tasks.
- [Croft Build](https://oncroft.net/build/): The AI chat built into Croft - create and update apps without connecting an external assistant. Bring your own AI over MCP for no AI fees, or use Build's optional credits.
- [Artifacts to apps](https://oncroft.net/artifacts/): What an AI artifact is, why it isn't an app (it runs only in your chat, with no server, database, or sharing), and how Croft deploys it into a real app with a live URL, a database, and one login.
- [Security](https://oncroft.net/security/): Enterprise-grade security, none of the enterprise - least privilege, SSO, approval gates, audit trail, private server, backups.
- [Under the hood](https://oncroft.net/under-the-hood/): Technical & security overview - the stack, security model, request flow, automations, and data handling, with diagrams.
- [Automations](https://oncroft.net/automations/): Apps that run on a schedule or when something happens, using your own AI to read and decide.
- [Connectors](https://oncroft.net/connectors/): Let your apps use the tools you already run on, with keys held by Croft and admin approval for sensitive data.
- [Pricing](https://oncroft.net/pricing/): Three plans (Solo, Team, Enterprise), monthly or annual, no meter. 7-day free trial, no card to start.
- [Compare](https://oncroft.net/compare/): Croft vs other platforms - private-by-default, people you invite, bring-your-own-AI, no lock-in.
- [Blog](https://oncroft.net/blog/): Why Croft exists, worked examples, and posts on each feature.
- [Prompt library](https://oncroft.net/prompts/): Copy-paste prompts to build apps with your assistant - everyday operations (rosters, stock, quotes, clients), people & approvals (commissions, reviews, leave), financial, public forms, and automations.
- [Templates](https://oncroft.net/templates/): Install a real internal app onto your croft, then chat with the AI to customize it. CRM, invoicing, roster, helpdesk and more, on one private server, with the prompt that built each.
- [FAQ](https://oncroft.net/faq/): Common questions - do I need to code, which subscriptions, data safety, what Croft can and can't do, leaving and exporting.
- [About](https://oncroft.net/about/): Why Croft exists (let a team build apps with AI at speed, inside guardrails), who builds it, and why your apps don't depend on us - full export, tested backups, a private server per workspace.

## Comparisons

- [Croft vs Vercel + Supabase](https://oncroft.net/compare/vercel-supabase/): One platform vs assembling and maintaining a stack.
- [Croft vs Replit](https://oncroft.net/compare/replit/): Private apps for a team vs a cloud IDE for shipping public products.
- [Croft vs Lovable](https://oncroft.net/compare/lovable/): Private, own-your-server vs a public-product AI app builder.
- [Croft vs Base44](https://oncroft.net/compare/base44/): Bring-your-own-AI on your own server vs an all-in-one no-code builder.
- [Croft vs Cloudflare OS](https://oncroft.net/compare/cloudflare-os/): Simple + owned vs an open-source enterprise "agent OS" you operate on Cloudflare.
- [Croft vs Retool](https://oncroft.net/compare/retool/): A developer/IT internal-tools platform vs chat-to-your-own-AI on a server that's yours.
- [Croft vs Superblocks](https://oncroft.net/compare/superblocks/): Enterprise governed app-building vs the same idea for teams without a platform team.
- [Croft vs Island](https://oncroft.net/compare/island/): The enterprise browser vs a governed home for the apps your team builds.
- [Croft vs ChatGPT Sites](https://oncroft.net/compare/chatgpt-sites/): OpenAI-hosted and ChatGPT-locked vs provider-agnostic apps on your own server, with connectors, schedules, and governance.
- [Croft vs Taskade Genesis](https://oncroft.net/compare/taskade/): One prompt to a live app in their cloud vs an opinionated platform for vibe-coded apps (private, SSO, versioning, backups).

## Docs

- [Getting started](https://oncroft.net/docs/): Connect an assistant, chat to build an app, grab a prompt, invite people.
- [Setting up the MCP](https://oncroft.net/docs/connect-mcp/): Point an assistant at your croft over MCP.
- [Connectors](https://oncroft.net/docs/connectors/): Developer reference - connector fields, auth styles, and the Operations format.
- [Roles & permissions](https://oncroft.net/docs/roles-and-permissions/): Owner, Admin, Creator, Member - who can do what.
- [Your data & export](https://oncroft.net/docs/your-data/): Where data lives, backups, and the Docker export.


## Glossary

- [Glossary](https://oncroft.net/glossary/): Plain-English definitions for vibe coding, AI-built apps, private hosting, software factory, SSO (company login), RBAC, SQLite (app database), backups, rollback, MVP, staging vs production, and related terms.
- [Vibe coding](https://oncroft.net/glossary/vibe-coding/)
- [Claude artifact](https://oncroft.net/glossary/claude-artifact/)
- [AI-built app](https://oncroft.net/glossary/ai-built-app/)
- [Internal tool](https://oncroft.net/glossary/internal-tool/)
- [Version control](https://oncroft.net/glossary/version-control/)
- [Rollback](https://oncroft.net/glossary/rollback/)
- [App hosting](https://oncroft.net/glossary/app-hosting/)
- [Private app hosting](https://oncroft.net/glossary/private-app-hosting/)
- [Deploy an app](https://oncroft.net/glossary/deploy-an-app/)
- [Backups](https://oncroft.net/glossary/backups/)
- [SSO / company login](https://oncroft.net/glossary/sso/)
- [Access control](https://oncroft.net/glossary/access-control/)
- [SQLite / app database](https://oncroft.net/glossary/sqlite/)
- [MVP](https://oncroft.net/glossary/mvp/)
- [Staging vs production](https://oncroft.net/glossary/staging-vs-production/)
- [RBAC](https://oncroft.net/glossary/rbac/)
- [Prompt-driven development](https://oncroft.net/glossary/prompt-driven-development/)
- [Serverless vs private server](https://oncroft.net/glossary/serverless-vs-private-server/)
- [Software factory](https://oncroft.net/glossary/software-factory/)

## Connect an AI assistant

- [Connect an assistant](https://oncroft.net/connect/): Point Claude, ChatGPT, Grok, or Microsoft Copilot at your croft over the open MCP standard.
- [Official agent plugin](https://oncroft.net/connect/agent-plugin/): One-step, open-standard (Agent Plugin 1.0.0) plugin - the Croft tools plus skills. Repo: https://github.com/On-Croft/agent-plugin
- [Set up Claude](https://oncroft.net/connect/claude/): Connectors → Add → Browse connectors, search "Croft", Connect, then sign in.
- [Set up ChatGPT](https://oncroft.net/connect/chatgpt/): Requires ChatGPT Plus or better - enable Developer mode, add a connector pointed at your link.
- [Set up Grok](https://oncroft.net/connect/grok/): Skills & Connectors → New Connector → add a custom connector.
- [Set up Microsoft Copilot (Teams)](https://oncroft.net/connect/copilot/): Build a Copilot Studio agent, add Croft as an MCP tool, publish it to your whole org in Teams; each user signs in to Croft as themselves.
- [MCP tools](https://mcp.oncroft.net/tools): The tools Croft exposes to assistants over MCP.

## Who it's for

- [Vibe coding hosting](https://oncroft.net/vibe-coding/): You bring the idea, your AI writes the code, Croft hosts it on a private server - you don't have to be a developer.
- [Teams](https://oncroft.net/for/teams/): Your team builds apps with AI - developers and non-developers alike - and Croft ships them privately behind one company login, with access per app.
- [Developers](https://oncroft.net/for/developers/): Vibe-code the internal tool in Cursor or Claude Code; Croft is the private deploy with a database and company login.
- [AI app hosting](https://oncroft.net/ai-app-hosting/): Generic overview - hosting for the apps you generate with AI.
- [Software factory](https://oncroft.net/software-factory/): Croft is a software factory for private internal apps - describe, build, private server, team opens the link.
- [Host a Cursor app](https://oncroft.net/host-cursor-app/): Private hosting for an internal app you built in Cursor, behind company login.

## Optional

- [Privacy](https://oncroft.net/privacy/): How Croft handles your data.
- [Terms](https://oncroft.net/terms/): Terms of use, including the fair-use policy.
- [Sign up](https://app.oncroft.net/signup): Start a free trial.