Zoho has launched Catalyst 3.0, an agent-ready full-stack cloud development platform for building and deploying applications. The company said the new version is designed to support AI-assisted development and help developers take applications from prompt to production within a single cloud platform.
Zoho said over 72% of developers rely on AI every day to write code. Coding is only part of the development process, with developers also needing to provision, connect, and operate underlying cloud infrastructure, often across different platforms.
Catalyst 3.0
Catalyst 3.0 is aimed at system integrators and software firms building custom solutions, as well as independent developers moving applications from prototypes to production without managing the underlying infrastructure themselves.
AI-native development capabilities
Catalyst 3.0 adds several capabilities for working with AI coding assistants:
- AI IDE integrations for AI-assisted application development
- Agent Skills that allow AI coding assistants to understand Catalyst and generate production-grade code
- Model Context Protocol (MCP) support for completing Catalyst actions from a coding assistant
- AI-assisted workflows for development tasks
- Non-interactive CLI that can execute tasks from start to finish without requiring manual input during execution
The Agent Skills are available through the Claude Code and Codex marketplaces. Zoho said the Skills also help optimize token consumption.
MCP support allows developers to complete Catalyst actions and requests directly from a coding assistant console instead of using the Catalyst user interface. The platform’s orchestration layer connects Agent Skills, CLI, and MCP, with the Skill deterministically routing requests through either the CLI or MCP based on how the task needs to be executed, rather than leaving the choice to the AI model.
Zoho said this approach lowers the developer’s cognitive load, reduces the risk of incorrect tool selection, and helps produce more reliable, production-ready applications.
Open-source ecosystem
Zoho has made the Catalyst AI Skills repository open source, allowing developers to inspect and extend the Skills. The company has also open-sourced:
- Catalyst SDK
- Catalyst CLI
- Slyte, a lightweight JavaScript framework
Full-stack services and infrastructure
Catalyst provides native services for different layers of a full-stack application, including:
- Frontend hosting
- Serverless functions
- Compute
- Data management
Applications built on Catalyst inherit the security layer of Zoho’s cloud infrastructure. Developers can also host solutions in Zoho’s India data centres for data-sovereignty requirements.
Catalyst is available across data centres in regions including the US and EU for developers building compliance-sensitive applications. The platform also includes integration hooks for Zoho applications.
For applications that need AI capabilities, Catalyst offers a few open-source LLM models hosted on Zoho’s infrastructure.
Pricing and availability
Catalyst uses a pay-as-you-go pricing model, with each feature carrying a per-unit cost. Users can view their usage in the Catalyst Console and set budget alerts and spending ceilings.
The platform includes:
- Monthly free tier for developers
- Rs. 15,000 equivalent in free credits for six months for users who want to explore Catalyst beyond the free tier
- Free access for students for educational and non-commercial use
Speaking on the launch, Anand Nergunam, Global Vice President, Revenue Growth at Zoho, said:
Agentic AI coding assistants have transformed how quickly applications are being created, but getting that code deployed and operating in production remains a major hurdle. For every app being built, developers spend a lot of time stitching together separate cloud services and managing infrastructure.
We built Catalyst 3.0 to eliminate that friction. By delivering an agent-ready, serverless full-stack platform, we are providing developers and AI agents complete freedom from managing cloud infrastructure. They can build, deploy, and scale applications faster safely, with far less operational overhead.
Additionally, to democratise access we are launching a free student tier. By putting Catalyst 3.0 in the hands of student developers, we are freeing them from the burden of traditional development cycles, so they can thrive in a rapidly shifting landscape. Ultimately, our aim is to remove technical friction so they can instantly convert their ideas into tangible outcomes.