Open source, MIT
Self-host Phanera
Run AI usability tests on your own servers with your own Claude API key. You pay Anthropic and your hosts for what you use, and nothing for the app: no plan to pick, and limits you set yourself.
Rather not run a server? phanera.com runs the same code for you, free for your first 5 usability tests. Get started
What a self-hosted Phanera costs
- PhaneraMIT license
- Free
- SupabaseDatabase, sign-in, storage
- Free tier
- VercelThe web app
- Free tier
- RailwayThe test worker
- $5 a month
- Claude APIEvery persona and report
- Pay per use
Trying it on your laptop? You only need a free Supabase project and a Claude API key.
01 · What you need
Services with free tiers, and your Claude key
Plan for about an hour to put it online, most of it waiting for DNS and email.
| Service | For | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Supabase | Accounts, websites, tests, findings and screenshots | Free tier works |
| Anthropic | Claude: website analysis, personas, browsing, review and findings | Pay per use. A faster model for the browsing agent makes tests cheaper |
| Vercelor any Node.js host | The web app | Free tier works |
| Railwayor any Docker host | The worker that runs each persona in headless Chromium | Hobby plan, $5 a month. About 500 MB of RAM per persona running at once |
| ResendOptional | Magic-link sign-in emails, through Supabase | Free plan works |
02 · Self-hosted or phanera.com
The same app, two ways to run it
phanera.com runs this same code, with plans and billing turned on. Every change to the app ships to both.
| What | Self-hosted | phanera.com |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free, plus your Claude API and hosting usage | 5 tests free, then Startup at £25 a month |
| AI | Your Anthropic account and the Claude models you choose | Included |
| Browsers | Chromium on your worker, or on your laptop | Run for you |
| Your data | In your own Supabase project | Hosted by Phanera |
| Who signs in | The people you allow | Anyone who signs up |
| Limits | Yours to set, in one file | Tests a month and personas per test, by plan |
| Setup | About an hour, or 15 minutes on your laptop | A minute |
| Support | None: you keep it up to date yourself | Email us |
03 · Setup
Six steps, in the README
The first four get Phanera running on your laptop. The last two put it online. Each step's details are in the setup guide on GitHub.
- 1InstallClone the repository, install with pnpm and add a local Chromium for the AI personas.Read the step
- 2DatabaseCreate a free Supabase project, run the migrations and copy its keys.Read the step
- 3ClaudeAdd your Anthropic API key, and pick the models for analysis and for browsing.Read the step
- 4Run it locallyStart the dev server, sign in with a magic link and run your first usability test.Read the step
- 5DeployPut the web app on Vercel and the test worker on Railway, and send sign-in emails through Resend.Read the step
- 6Sign-ins and limitsChoose who can sign in, then raise your own limits with one SQL line or edit them in code.Read the step
04 · Features
Everything Phanera does, on your server
Self-hosted, you get the whole app, with no plan to pick.
Website analysis
Reads your pages, sitemap and navigation, and suggests user tasks worth testing.
AI personas
Distinct goals, motivations and patience, including an AI assistant persona.
Real browsers
Each persona clicks, scrolls and reads your live site in headless Chromium.
Session replays
Every step with its screenshot, the action taken and the persona's reasoning.
Usability findings
An independent review of every session, then prioritised findings with suggested fixes.
AI accessibility
Whether ChatGPT and other assistants can find, read and use your pages.
Reports share with a link, so the rest of your team doesn't need an account.
Rather not run a server?
phanera.com runs the same code for you, with browsers, Claude and updates included. Free for your first 5 usability tests, then £25 a month.