Use this page to understand the four main ways you can get started: Free Tier, Standard Self-Service, Managed Services, and Enterprise.
The important thing to remember is that these are not all the same kind of choice. Free Tier, Standard Self-Service, and Enterprise describe the deployment path or architecture. Managed Services describes the help layer you can add if your library wants guidance with setup, migration, training, or rollout.
The short version
Free Tier
Best for evaluation, training, and small pilots.
Choose Free Tier if you want to explore Koha before moving to a live deployment.
Standard Self-Service
Best for most live self-service deployments.
Choose Standard Self-Service if you are ready to run Koha live in your own AWS account and prefer the self-service route.
Managed Services
Best for libraries that want hands-on help.
Choose Managed Services if you want help with setup, migration, training, configuration, or go-live planning.
Enterprise
Best for libraries that need stronger resilience and recovery options.
Choose Enterprise if you need a more advanced AWS setup than a simpler single-server deployment can provide.
How these options fit together
Free Tier and Standard Self-Service
These are self-service-first paths. They are designed for libraries that want Koha in their own AWS account and are comfortable following the launch and setup documentation.
Managed Services
Managed Services is separate. It is not a different AWS platform. It is help you can add if you want KohaSupport involved in setup, migration, training, rollout, or support after launch.
Enterprise
Enterprise is an architecture choice. You can explore Enterprise architecture and still decide whether you want to stay self-service or use Managed Services for implementation help.
Which option fits you best?
- Choose Free Tier if you are still evaluating Koha
- Choose Standard Self-Service if you want to run Koha live in your own AWS account
- Choose Managed Services if you want help with setup, migration, training, or go-live support
- Managed Services is usually the best fit if:
- you are new to AWS
- you want migration help
- you want setup, training, or go-live support
- you want guidance without giving up ownership of the AWS account
- you want help after launch as well as before it
- Choose Enterprise if downtime matters more, or if you expect heavier use and need a more resilient setup
What each path does not mean
Free Tier does not mean “ready for everything.” It is for evaluation first.
Standard Self-Service does not mean “managed service included.” Migration, training, and hands-on support are not included by default.
Managed Services does not mean “KohaSupport owns the AWS account.” Koha still runs in your AWS account.
Enterprise does not automatically mean “fully managed.” Enterprise is the more resilient architecture option. Implementation help can be added separately if needed.
If your library is unsure
- Start with Free Tier if you are still evaluating.
- Choose Standard Self-Service if you are ready to launch live and want self-service.
- Talk to KohaSupport if you need help planning or migrating.
- Explore Enterprise if stronger resilience is a real requirement.
Related guides
- New to AWS? How Koha on AWS works for libraries
- Standard Self-Service Launch Checklist
- How to choose the right Koha on AWS setup
- Who handles what? Self-Service, Managed Services, and AWS responsibilities
- Migrating to Koha from another library system
Ready to get started?
Try Free Tier for evaluation, choose Standard for a live self-service launch, or talk to KohaSupport about Managed Services.