Question About Differences Between Self-Hosted Plans (Community / Premium / Enterprise)

[jijinwoo]

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Hello,

I am a junior developer currently exploring different AI agent platforms.

I understand that Dify provides both Cloud Service and Self-Hosted options. I am specifically referring to the Self-Hosted plans shown on the website (Community, Premium, Enterprise).

However, I am a bit confused about how the plan differences work in the self-hosted model.

Since self-hosted means deploying Dify via Docker on our own server, I have a few questions:

1. Are different Docker images provided for Community, Premium, and Enterprise?

2. Or is it the same Docker image with certain features unlocked via license?

3. How is the licensing enforced in a self-hosted environment?

4. Community and Premium mention "Single Workspace", while Enterprise supports "Multiple Workspaces". How is this technically implemented?

5. If everything is deployed on a user's own server, how does Dify differentiate between the plans?

I may have misunderstood the documentation, so I would appreciate clarification.

Thank you.

[dosubot[bot]]

Hi @jijinwoo! I'm Dosu and I’m helping the dify team.

Great questions! Here's how Dify differentiates self-hosted plans:

1. Same Docker Image for All Plans
Dify uses the same Docker images (langgenius/dify-api and langgenius/dify-web) for all self-hosted deployments. There are no separate Community/Enterprise images.

2. Features Unlocked via License
Yes, plan differentiation happens through runtime licensing and configuration, not different images. Enterprise features are enabled by setting environment variables (ENTERPRISE_ENABLED, ENTERPRISE_API_URL, ENTERPRISE_API_SECRET_KEY) that connect to Dify's Enterprise API.

3. Licensing Enforcement
The system validates licenses at runtime through an external Enterprise API. The enterprise_license_required decorator checks license status (ACTIVE, INACTIVE, EXPIRED, LOST) on each request and forces logout if invalid.

4. Single vs Multiple Workspaces
This is enforced through the LicenseLimitationModel which tracks workspace quotas. When creating a workspace, the system checks if creation is allowed and if quota isn't exceeded. The open-source license explicitly prohibits multi-tenant use without written authorization.

5. Plan Differentiation Summary

• Community Edition: Free, single workspace, no hardcoded limits on apps/members/storage within that workspace (limited only by your infrastructure)
• Enterprise Edition: Requires license from business@dify.ai, enables multi-workspace, SSO, advanced permissions, load balancing

Note: The "Premium" tier you mentioned may refer to Dify Cloud pricing. For self-hosted, it's essentially Community (free) vs Enterprise (licensed).

To reply, just mention @dosu.

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[jijinwoo]

@dosu

Hello,

Thank you for your previous reply.

I understand that the Docker image is the same, and that the plan-specific configuration is applied through environment variables.
I also understand that multiple workspaces are restricted unless using the Enterprise edition.

However, I have an additional question regarding the Self-Hosted plans.

You mentioned that there are two self-hosted editions: Community and Enterprise.
But when I visit the pricing page (https://dify.ai/pricing
) and look under the Self-Hosted section, I see three plans listed: Community, Premium, and Enterprise.

In particular, the Premium plan mentions deployment via AWS.
Does this mean that Premium is actually referring to a Cloud Service offering rather than true self-hosting?

Additionally, for the Enterprise plan, the pricing page directs users to submit a form here:
https://share-na2.hsforms.com/14-09ff5HS92Sh4m3f4yrcw40s9fk

Is this the correct process for obtaining Enterprise licensing for self-hosted deployment?

I apologize if I am misunderstanding the structure, and I would appreciate clarification.

Thank you again.

[dosubot[bot]]

Great follow-up questions!

Regarding Premium:
Dify Premium is an AWS AMI (Amazon Machine Image) that you deploy to your own AWS VPC as an EC2 instance. So it is still true self-hosting — you retain full control over your data and infrastructure. It's not a managed cloud service from Dify; it's just a pre-packaged image that simplifies deployment on AWS.

Premium is designed for:

• Small/medium businesses who care about data residency
• Organizations needing more resources than Dify Cloud plans offer
• Running a proof-of-concept before adopting Enterprise

The main difference from Community is that Premium includes custom branding/WebApp logo customization, while Enterprise adds multi-tenant management, SSO, and load balancing for model providers.

Regarding Enterprise licensing:
Yes, the contact form on the pricing page is the official channel for Enterprise inquiries. The HubSpot form you linked appears to be that contact form. You can also reach out directly to business@dify.ai if you prefer email.

So to summarize the three self-hosted tiers:

• Community: Free, Docker-based, single workspace
• Premium: Paid, AWS AMI deployment, custom branding, single workspace
• Enterprise: Licensed, multi-workspace, SSO, advanced operational features

To reply, just mention @dosu.

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