Question 1

What is Colign?

Accepted Answer

Colign is an open-source spec-driven development platform. Teams write and review structured specs together before AI writes the code. It bridges the gap between "what to build" and "building it."

Question 2

How is this different from Notion or Confluence?

Accepted Answer

Notion and Confluence are general-purpose docs. Colign enforces a structured spec format — Problem, Scope, Approach, Acceptance Criteria — with a workflow (Draft → Design → Review → Ready) and MCP integration so AI tools can read your specs directly.

Question 3

What is Spec-Driven Development?

Accepted Answer

When AI can generate code in minutes, the bottleneck shifts from "can we build it" to "have we defined it correctly." SDD means writing a precise spec first, getting team alignment, then letting AI implement against that spec.

Question 4

What is Project Memory?

Accepted Answer

Project Memory is persistent context — domain rules, business constraints, technical decisions — stored at the project level. It's automatically injected into every Change, so your team and AI agents always have the full picture.

Question 5

How does the MCP integration work?

Accepted Answer

Add Colign as an MCP server in Claude Code, Cursor, or any compatible tool. Just a URL and a token — no binary install. AI agents can then list projects, read specs, write proposals, manage tasks, and create acceptance criteria through 9 built-in tools.

Question 6

Is it really free?

Accepted Answer

Self-hosted is free forever under AGPL-3.0 with all features included. Cloud Free gives you up to 3 projects and 5 members. Cloud Pro is $10/user/month for unlimited usage.

Question 7

How do I self-host?

Accepted Answer

Run `docker-compose up --build` for the API, database, and Redis. Then `cd web && npm install && npm run dev` for the frontend. That's it.

Question 8

What's the tech stack?

Accepted Answer

Go backend with gRPC and PostgreSQL. Next.js frontend with Tiptap and Y.js for real-time editing. Hocuspocus for WebSocket sync. Docker Compose for self-hosting, Helm charts for Kubernetes.

Question 9

Can I use my own AI API key?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Colign's AI spec generation uses your own API key. Your data stays between you and your AI provider.

Question 10

Is there a Claude Code plugin?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Install the Colign plugin from the marketplace. It provides 6 workflow skills — onboard, explore, propose, plan, implement, complete — that follow your Change lifecycle.

Q&A

Write specs
your team actually follows.

Q&A

Write specsyour team actually follows.

Write specs
your team actually follows.