Accounts and plans

Sign in and open your notebook

1. Open the desktop app and follow its setup. When you sign in, choose one of the providers offered on the screen. Desktop sign-in can open your browser and return you to the app when complete.
2. Complete the identity details requested by setup. Your account profile and handle help identify you when using network and sharing features. Review profile visibility before publishing information about yourself.
3. Create or open a notebook in the app. Use the default location or choose your own folder. See Connecting your folder. A local user inside that folder is distinct from your cloud account.

Signing in on the website gives you access to the hosted account and network surfaces. It does not by itself open a notebook folder on your computer. Follow an Open in ResearchOS link when a workflow needs the app.

What the plans cover

The local notebook and its tools are free and open source. Plans cover cloud services rather than limiting the amount of work you can keep on your computer. Availability also depends on the features enabled for your account.

• Free. Local notebook tools, shared folders through your own sync provider, directory presence, and receiving shared work. Sending across folders is part of a paid cloud plan.
• Solo. Cloud features for an individual, including sending work, supported live co-editing, and companion pairing.
• Lab. Team cloud services, including lab collaboration, the lab dashboard, shared resources, and lab websites. Lab billing is managed by the lab head, and members can receive premium access through their lab.
• Department. Services and administration across multiple labs, with a contact-led plan for the organization.

Cloud services are free during beta while billing is off. This is separate from the permanently free local app. When billing is enabled, cloud plans use a base fee plus metered usage, and optional AI has its own billing controls. See Pricing and your account's billing settings for the current offer and usage.

Join or create a lab

If your lab already uses ResearchOS, use the invitation your lab head sends you and sign in with your existing account. Follow the invitation workflow in the app. Directory join requests and invitations can have different approval steps, so check the status shown rather than assuming that opening a link completes membership.

To set up a lab, use the lab creation option offered in account setup or settings. Supply the requested lab details, complete the setup in the app, and invite members from the lab controls. See PI and lab head tools and People, Lab data, and Supplies for team management.

What leaves your computer

Account and profile services store information needed for those services. Sending work and supported collaboration upload encrypted content. Configured backups copy data to their destinations, and your own folder sync provider may upload files independently. Published pages and website uploads are hosted for their intended audience. AI requests can include messages, attachments, and relevant research context.

These are different data flows with different access rules. A Free plan does not mean no server stores anything, and a local notebook does not mean enabled online features never transmit research. Read Read this first and Security when choosing which services to use.