# Try an AI Dev Platform Without the Setup Tax: MonkeyCode's Hosted SaaS > Source: > Published: 2026-07-14 11:21:55+00:00 The tax on trying a new AI development tool is rarely the tool itself. It is the setup: Docker, a model backend, keys, a reverse proxy, and an afternoon gone before you write a line. For a solo builder shipping on nights and weekends, that tax kills most experiments. MonkeyCode just removed it. The project is open source ([github.com/chaitin/MonkeyCode](https://github.com/chaitin/MonkeyCode), AGPL-3.0) and still self-hostable, but there is now a hosted platform at [monkeycode-ai.net](https://monkeycode-ai.net/): create an account and start your first AI development task in seconds, no local install. I don't trust a tool because a landing page told me to. I run a short, honest evaluation: Self-hosting is the right call when you need control and have time to own it. Most of us evaluating a platform have neither to spare up front. A hosted option lets you answer "does this actually help me ship?" this evening instead of next sprint, and *then* decide whether the self-hosted route is worth it. If you want to run that one-task test, start at [monkeycode-ai.net](https://monkeycode-ai.net/). It's free to start; before you plan real usage, ask on the [MonkeyCode Discord](https://discord.gg/2pPmuyr4pP) about current free model-credit availability, eligibility, and limits — don't assume unlimited access. Disclosure: I contribute to the MonkeyCode project. The observations above are based on the linked repository and the hosted platform described in this article.