SpecLayer

Free plan APIWeb

What SpecLayer is

SpecLayer’s SpecDoc manages OpenAPI specifications as code, applies governance in CI/CD pipelines, and publishes developer portals. Each successful pipeline publish creates an immutable, sequentially numbered version; SpecDoc compares it with the preceding version and labels changes as breaking or non-breaking. Teams can choose off, standard, or strict governance, or set custom rules in a repository YAML file. Portals can include versioned documentation, search, an interactive API explorer, OpenAPI export, and generated cURL, JavaScript, Python, and Go snippets. Access can be private, protected, or public, and explorer requests go from a visitor’s browser to the API server. Pipeline examples cover GitHub Actions, Azure DevOps, GitLab CI, Jenkins, CircleCI, and Bitbucket Pipelines. The CLI runs through npx or a global installation; the documentation says major hosted CI runners have Node.js 18+. The free Trial is limited to one API spec and has no portal. Pro costs $29 a month per seat; Enterprise pricing is custom.

Who it suits

SpecLayer suits teams managing OpenAPI specs through CI/CD who need change detection, governance rules, and published API documentation. Its portal access options and pipeline examples support teams with different publishing and access requirements.

What it does well

Sequential, immutable versions for successful publishes
Classifies spec changes as breaking or non-breaking
Custom governance rules can live in repository YAML
Portals include generated client-language snippets
Free plan and 30-day trial available

What to know first

Trial includes only one API spec
Trial has no developer portal
Free plan versions and results last 90 days
Pro costs $29 per seat monthly

Limits

The free Trial is limited to one API spec and has no developer portal, although it includes full governance, unlimited CI/CD repositories, and breaking-change detection. Free-plan spec versions and governance results are retained for 90 days; Pro and Enterprise retention is unlimited.

Plans

Plan	Billed and limits	Price
Trial	30 days · 1 API spec · No developer portal · Full governance engine · Unlimited CI/CD repos · Breaking-change detection · No credit card required	Free
Pro	per seat / month · 50 API specs · 50 developer portals · Full governance engine · Unlimited CI/CD repos · Custom portal domains · OpenAPI export · Breaking-change detection · Priority email support	$29 a month
Enterprise	Custom · Everything in Pro · Unlimited portals · SAML / OIDC SSO · Dedicated infrastructure · SLA guarantee · AI enrichment · Audit logs · Dedicated account manager	On request

As speclayer.net lists them, read 4 Oct 2026. The maker's own page has the final word.

Getting started

Open the SpecLayer website
Choose the free Trial or a paid plan
Install the CLI with npx or globally
Connect the CLI to a CI/CD pipeline
Publish an OpenAPI specification
Configure portal visibility and governance rules

Verdict

SpecLayer brings OpenAPI versioning, governance, and developer portals into a CI/CD workflow. Check the Trial’s one-spec limit and lack of a portal against your needs before choosing a plan.

Questions

Does SpecLayer have a free plan?

Yes. The Trial plan costs 0.00 USD when billed for 30 days, requires no credit card, and includes one API spec.

What does Pro cost?

Pro costs $29 per seat per month and includes 50 API specs and 50 developer portals.

Which platforms does it support?

SpecLayer is available through web and API access.

Which API format is governed?

SpecLayer governs OpenAPI specifications and provides API linting, style-guide enforcement, lifecycle controls, and CI/CD integration.

Does Enterprise have a listed price?

Enterprise uses custom pricing and adds unlimited portals, SAML/OIDC SSO, dedicated infrastructure, SLA guarantees, AI enrichment, audit logs, and a dedicated account manager.

Facts from SpecLayer's own pages

Breaking-change detection: SpecDoc compares each new version with the previous one and classifies changes as breaking or non-breaking. · speclayer.net, 4 Oct 2026
CI/CD integrations: The docs provide pipeline examples for GitHub Actions, Azure DevOps, GitLab CI, Jenkins, CircleCI, and Bitbucket Pipelines. · speclayer.net, 4 Oct 2026
CLI requirements: The CLI can run through npx or be installed globally, and the docs state that Node.js 18+ is available on major hosted CI runners. · speclayer.net, 4 Oct 2026
Developer portals: Portals provide an interactive API explorer, versioned docs, OpenAPI export, generated cURL, JavaScript, Python, and Go snippets, and search. · speclayer.net, 4 Oct 2026
Governance: Built-in governance policies include off, standard, and strict modes, and teams can define custom rules in a repository YAML file. · speclayer.net, 4 Oct 2026
Other product: KlusterAlert is described as a Kubernetes monitoring product with automatic issue detection and alerts through Teams, Slack, or email. · speclayer.net, 4 Oct 2026
Plan limits: The pricing page says viewer and billing roles are free, and exceeding plan limits triggers notice and time to upgrade before access is cut off. · speclayer.net, 4 Oct 2026
Portal access: Portals can be private, protected, or public, and the interactive explorer sends requests directly from the customer’s browser to the API server. · speclayer.net, 4 Oct 2026
Privacy: The privacy policy says SpecLayer does not sell personal data and that spec content sent to Anthropic for AI Enrichment is not used to train AI models. · speclayer.net, 4 Oct 2026
Purpose: SpecDoc manages OpenAPI specs as code, enforces governance policies in CI/CD, and publishes developer portals. · speclayer.net, 4 Oct 2026
Retention: The privacy policy says Free plan spec versions and governance results are retained for 90 days, while Pro and Enterprise retention is unlimited. · speclayer.net, 4 Oct 2026
Security and storage: The privacy policy says data is stored in EU-West by default, encrypted in transit with TLS 1.2+ and at rest with AES-256, and production access is protected by MFA. · speclayer.net, 4 Oct 2026
Version registry: Each successful pipeline publish creates an immutable, sequentially numbered version of an OpenAPI spec. · speclayer.net, 4 Oct 2026

Where SpecLayer stands on Freedom251

API Governance Software#15 of 25