Stream
Stream Maker Account
Free Stream Chat, Feeds, Video and Moderation for teams of 5 or fewer with under $100K raised and under $10K monthly revenue.
Ways to get it
Apply directly
Free Maker Account
- Five or fewer team members
- Less than $100K in funding
- Less than $10K per month in revenue
Apply from the Stream dashboard; Stream says availability is limited.
Open program page
Eligibility
Requirements
- Five or fewer team members
- Less than $100K in funding raised
- Less than $10K in monthly revenue
Not eligible
- Teams of more than five people
- Companies with $10K or more in monthly revenue
- Companies that have raised $100K or more
How to apply
- 1
Open getstream.io/maker-account and click 'Apply Now'.
- 2
Sign in to the Stream dashboard, or create a Stream account when prompted.
- 3
Complete the short Maker Account application form.
- 4
Start building on the 30-day free trial (no credit card) that the application activates; it converts to the Maker Account if approved.
Gotchas
- Usage caps are hard limits: once you reach 2,000 Chat MAU, extra users can't connect.
- Stream says Maker Account availability is limited, so approval isn't guaranteed.
- All three limits apply: five or fewer people, under $100K raised and under $10K monthly revenue.
- Stream's own post says 'fewer than five team members' while the Maker Account page says 'five or less'; check with Stream if you have exactly five.
About the Stream program
Stream's Maker Account makes Stream's APIs free for small teams. If your company has five or fewer team members, less than $10,000 in monthly revenue and less than $100,000 in funding, you get the Chat Start plan, the Activity Feeds Start plan, the Video & Audio Build plan, AI Moderation pay-as-you-go with a $100 monthly credit, and the open-source Vision Agents.
The Chat plan is a modified Start plan limited to 2,000 monthly active users and 100 concurrent connections. Stream's Maker Account post lists the other caps as 125,000 Activity Feeds API calls per month and 333,000 video participant minutes per month. Limits are hard caps, so there are no overage bills, but extra users can't connect once you hit them.
You apply from the Stream dashboard. The application starts a 30-day free trial with no credit card, which converts to the Maker Account on approval. Stream says availability is limited, and the account stays free for as long as you meet the criteria.
Frequently asked questions
Is Stream free for startups?
Yes, through the Maker Account, if your company has five or fewer team members, less than $10K in monthly revenue and less than $100K in funding. It includes Chat, Activity Feeds, Video & Audio and AI Moderation with usage caps.
What are the Stream Maker Account limits?
Chat is limited to 2,000 monthly active users and 100 concurrent connections. Stream's post also lists 125,000 Activity Feeds API calls and 333,000 video participant minutes per month, plus $100 in AI Moderation credit.
How long does the Stream Maker Account last?
Stream says the Maker Account is free to use indefinitely while you continue to meet the eligibility criteria.
