Askance is an MCP server that gives AI coding agents a way to ask someone who knows. When an agent hits a question only a person can answer, it writes the question up with context and a recommended option, sends it to the experts on that topic, and carries on with other work. The answer is collected when it arrives and kept as a permanent, searchable record.

Which AI agents does Askance work with?

Claude Code, Cursor, Codex, and any MCP-capable agent. Askance is a standard MCP server, so connecting it is a single entry in your MCP client configuration.

Does asking a question block the agent?

No. Asking is non-blocking. The agent returns to other tasks immediately and collects the answer later, which may be hours or days.

How much does Askance cost?

Askance is free for individual developers, with no card required.

Pricing

You pay for answers, not for people.

Plans are limited by the questions your experts actually answer and the projects you have on the go. Never by how many people you invite — members and experts are unlimited on every plan, including the free one.

Plans are billed in US dollars, monthly or annually. Change or cancel at any time from your billing settings — cancelling keeps everything you have paid for until the period ends. The Free plan needs no card and has no time limit.

Free

Enough to find out whether this works for you, with no deadline attached.

Answered questions: 20 / month
Active projects: 3
Members and experts: Unlimited
Searching the record: Unlimited

Every integration — Claude Code, Cursor, Codex, any MCP client
The full permanent, searchable record
Directions and Corrections
No card required, and no time limit

Go over and we tell you, with a grace period. We never lock your record.

Maker

$19/month, billed annually

For one person building with an agent, or a small team on a couple of projects.

Answered questions: 100 / month
Active projects: 10
Members and experts: Unlimited
Searching the record: Unlimited

Everything in Free
Email support
Usage dashboard and history

Optional overage at $0.30 per answered question — off unless you turn it on.

Most teams start here

Studio

$79/month, billed annually

For an agency or a team running real client work across several projects at once.

Answered questions: 400 / month
Active projects: 25
Members and experts: Unlimited
Searching the record: Unlimited

Everything in Maker
Priority support
Self-serve Data Processing Addendum

Optional overage at $0.30 per answered question.

Scale

$249/month, billed annually

For teams where asking a person is part of how the work gets done every day.

Answered questions: 1,500 / month
Active projects: Unlimited
Members and experts: Unlimited
Searching the record: Unlimited

Everything in Studio
Invoicing and purchase orders on request
Security review support

Optional overage at $0.25 per answered question, with a spend cap you set.

Prices in US dollars, excluding tax. Advancer Limited is registered for New Zealand GST — customers in New Zealand have 15% GST added; customers elsewhere are a zero-rated export and pay no New Zealand GST.

The details

What we count, and what we do not

What counts as an answered question?: A question that a person actually answered during the month. Questions your agent asks that nobody answers are not counted — you only pay for answers you received.
Do I pay for the people who answer?: No. Members and experts are unlimited on every plan, including Free. Charging the person doing you a favour by answering would be a strange way to run this.
What is an active project?: A project with any activity in the month — a question asked, an answer given, or a search. A dormant project does not count against you.
What happens if I go over?: We tell you, and there is a grace period before anything changes. When limits do apply we decline new questions only. Your record stays, search keeps working, and experts can still answer questions already asked. Nothing is ever locked.
Why is monthly more expensive than annual?: Annual is the discounted rate, at roughly 20% less than paying month to month. You can switch either way at any time.
Is GST included?: Prices are in US dollars and exclude tax. Advancer Limited is registered for New Zealand GST, so customers in New Zealand have 15% GST added. Customers outside New Zealand are a zero-rated export and pay no New Zealand GST.
What happens to my record if I stop paying?: Nothing is deleted. Your account returns to the Free plan and keeps its whole record and its search. Only new questions beyond the free limits are declined.