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Stockfish API vs running Stockfish yourself
Running the binary yourself is free and fully under your control. It costs you a server, an engine process manager, a queue when traffic spikes, and your weekends. The API is the same engine with those parts done, priced per request.
| Self-hosting Stockfish | stockfishapi.com | |
|---|---|---|
| Setup time | Hours to days | One curl |
| Scaling | You add servers | Automatic, global edge |
| Idle cost | Server runs 24/7 | Zero |
| Engine upgrades | Rebuild and redeploy | GET /v1/engines, pin or follow latest |
| Cost at 10k evals/day, depth 18 | ~$20/mo VPS + ops time | ~$40/mo on Hobby overage |
| Cost at 1M evals/day | Dedicated boxes | Scale plan, talk to us |