Creating an account
Tesseract uses passwordless authentication. No password to remember — you sign in with a verification code sent to your email.
On first launch, a sign-in modal appears. Enter your email address.
A 6-digit verification code is sent to your email. The code is valid for 10 minutes.
Type the code in the modal. Once verified, your account is created and you are signed in automatically.
Your session token is stored securely in your operating system's keychain. You stay signed in across app restarts.
Signing in on another device
The process is the same: enter your email, receive a code, enter it. Your account and subscription tier are linked to your email, so you get the same features on every device.
To sign out, go to Account → Sign Out. A confirmation dialog shows your email before proceeding. You can sign back in from Account → Sign In.
Plans
Tesseract offers three tiers:
Free
The Free plan gives you the full editor with no time limit:
- 3D architecture editor with isometric canvas
- Basic component library
- Claude AI integration via MCP
- Save & load
.tesseract.jsonfiles - Unlimited diagrams
- macOS, Windows & Linux
Pro
Everything in Free, plus:
- Extended component library — detailed 3D models beyond the basic set
- Data flows — record and visualize request paths with colors and labels (see Data Flows)
- Layer editor — customize layers: rename, recolor, reorder, add, delete (see Layer Legend)
- Priority support
Enterprise — coming soon
Everything in Pro, plus:
- Shared diagram workspace
- Team collaboration
- Centralized server hosting
- Dedicated support and custom integrations
Visit the pricing page for up-to-date details.
Feature comparison
| Feature | Free | Pro |
|---|---|---|
| 3D editor & canvas | ✓ | ✓ |
| Basic component library | ✓ | ✓ |
| Claude AI & MCP | ✓ | ✓ |
| Save & load projects | ✓ | ✓ |
| Subgraphs & navigation | ✓ | ✓ |
| Extended component library | — | ✓ |
| Data flows | — | ✓ |
| Layer editor | — | ✓ |
| Priority support | — | ✓ |
Upgrading to Pro
You can upgrade from the Account → Upgrade to Pro menu entry, which opens the pricing page in your browser where you can complete the purchase via Stripe. A prompt also appears when you try to use a Pro feature (e.g. clicking the Flows button or double-clicking the Layer Legend).
After subscribing, go to Help → Check for Updates to refresh your tier immediately. Pro features become available right away without relaunching the app.
Managing your subscription
Go to Account → Manage Subscription (visible for Pro users) to open the Stripe billing portal. You can also visit the pricing page and click Manage Subscription. From there you can:
- View invoices and payment history
- Update your payment method
- Cancel your subscription
If you cancel, Pro features remain active until the end of the current billing period. After that, your account reverts to the Free tier.
Offline use
Tesseract works fully offline. Your license is verified with the server periodically, but the app includes a 7-day grace period: if you go offline, all your features continue working for up to 7 days since the last successful verification.
After 7 days without a connection, you will need to go online and sign in again to re-verify your account.
Opening Pro projects on Free tier
Free-tier users can open .tesseract.json files created by Pro users, but some elements may not render as intended:
- Pro component types appear as default boxes instead of their detailed 3D models
- Custom layers are automatically mapped to the default layer set
- Flows — the toolbar button shows the flow count, but flows cannot be displayed, created, or edited
See Save & Load for more details on sharing projects.