# Frequently Asked Questions

> Foundry is free and open-source (MIT). You bring your own keys (BYOK) for providers (Anthropic, Google, etc.). You pay only for the inference you use.

Source: https://bifrost5.com/foundry/docs/faq/

# FAQ

Information

Still unsure which edition fits? Production-Grade comes with a year of updates and support, so ask us before you decide.

[See editions](/foundry/docs/editions)

### Does Foundry cost money?

Foundry is free and open-source (MIT). You **bring your own keys** (BYOK) for providers (Anthropic, Google, etc.). You pay only for the inference you use.

### Does it support local LLMs?

Yes. Configure Ollama (e.g. `phi4-mini`) for the **helper/validation** agent. That reduces cloud cost and latency for verification steps.

### Can I run it without Docker?

DragonflyDB is required for state and queue. Docker (or Docker Compose) is the standard way to run it. You could run DragonflyDB natively if you prefer.

### What providers are supported?

Cursor (CLI), Gemini, GitHub Copilot (CLI), Claude Code, Codex. Provider strategy and priority are configurable via env (e.g. `PROVIDER_STRATEGY`, `CLI_PROVIDER_PRIORITY`).

### Can I use pnpm?

Yes. Use `pnpm run cli --` instead of `npm run cli --` for all commands. The repo recommends pnpm for the workspace.

### Does Foundry have a UI?

Yes. Foundry includes a full React + Express dashboard with project management, task CRUD, log viewer, settings page, and chat visualizer. Launch it via `npm run setup` and visit `http://localhost:5173`.

### Can tasks run in parallel?

Yes. V2 introduces a parallel scheduler with a dual-queue system (ready/waiting). Tasks with `depends_on` wait until dependencies complete, then auto-promote. Up to 3 workers run concurrently, each isolated via git worktree.

### What about environmental impact?

Foundry's hybrid control plane reduces unnecessary inference calls. Local pre-processing handles routine validation, session reuse prevents context re-injection, and AI is only engaged as a last resort.