--- title: Licensing - AGPL vs Commercial License Options description: stdapi.ai dual licensing explained. Choose AGPL-3.0 for open-source projects or commercial license via AWS Marketplace for proprietary applications with production support. keywords: AGPL license, commercial AI license, open source AI gateway, AWS Marketplace software, dual licensing, proprietary AI software, enterprise AI license, production AI support --- # :material-scale-balance: Licensing ## :material-scale-balance: Choose the License That Fits Your Business stdapi.ai is available under a dual-license model designed to support both open-source communities and commercial enterprises:
- :material-scale-balance:{ .lg .middle } __AGPL-3.0-or-later (Free & Open Source)__ --- Free forever for those who share their code **Best for:** - Open-source projects - Research and education - Development and testing - Projects that can comply with AGPL **Includes:** Community Docker image, full source code access [:octicons-link-external-16: View License](https://spdx.org/licenses/AGPL-3.0-or-later.html) - :material-briefcase:{ .lg .middle } __Commercial License (AWS Marketplace)__ --- Production-ready for proprietary applications — **14-day free trial included** **Best for:** - Internal company tools - SaaS products - Proprietary applications - Commercial integrations **Includes:** Hardened container, security updates, commercial support [:octicons-arrow-right-24: Start 14-Day Free Trial on AWS Marketplace](https://aws.amazon.com/marketplace/pp/prodview-su2dajk5zawpo)
--- ## :material-briefcase-check: Why Choose the Commercial License? A commercial license through AWS Marketplace provides everything you need for production deployments: ### :fontawesome-solid-lock: **Keep Your Code Private** Build proprietary applications without AGPL's source code disclosure requirements. Your intellectual property and modifications stay private. ### :fontawesome-solid-rocket: **Deploy with Confidence** No copyleft obligations - integrate stdapi.ai into your products and internal tools without AGPL network use restrictions. ### :fontawesome-solid-shield-halved: **Production-Grade Security** Access hardened and optimized container images with regular security updates, vulnerability patches, and AWS security best practices. ### :fontawesome-solid-arrows-turn-to-dots: **Modify & Distribute Freely** Customize stdapi.ai to fit your needs and distribute it as part of your commercial offerings without restrictions. ### :fontawesome-solid-handshake: **Enterprise-Ready Terms** Licensed under the [AWS Marketplace Standard Contract (SCMP)](https://aws.amazon.com/marketplace/management/terms) - straightforward, trusted terms used by thousands of enterprise products. ### :fontawesome-solid-credit-card: **Streamlined AWS Billing** Purchase and pay through AWS Marketplace. Consolidated billing with your existing AWS infrastructure costs. --- ## :material-check-all: Commercial License Benefits
- :material-shield-check:{ .lg .middle } __Full Commercial Rights__ --- Use in closed-source applications, modify freely, and distribute as part of your products - :material-file-code:{ .lg .middle } __No Source Disclosure__ --- AGPL network use requirements don't apply—keep your modifications private - :material-domain:{ .lg .middle } __Internal Network Freedom__ --- Deploy on internal networks without triggering AGPL's source disclosure obligations - :material-aws:{ .lg .middle } __Streamlined Procurement__ --- Purchase through AWS Marketplace with familiar terms and billing - :material-docker:{ .lg .middle } __Hardened Container Images__ --- Optimized and security-hardened containers built for production workloads - :material-security:{ .lg .middle } __Regular Security Updates__ --- Stay protected with timely security patches and vulnerability fixes - :material-cloud-upload:{ .lg .middle } __Easy Deployment Options__ --- Quick deployment workflows optimized for AWS infrastructure - :material-certificate:{ .lg .middle } __AWS Best Practices__ --- Deployment options follow AWS Well-Architected Framework guidelines
--- ## :material-road-variant: Your Path to Production A typical adoption path from evaluation to production: ```mermaid %%{init: {'flowchart': {'htmlLabels': true}} }%% flowchart LR eval["1. Evaluate
Docker Community
(free, AGPL)"] --> trial["2. Trial
AWS Marketplace
(14 days free)"] trial --> prod["3. Production
Terraform deploy
(pay-per-use)"] ``` | Step | What | Cost | License | |------|------|------|---------| | **Evaluate** | Run the community Docker image locally | Free | AGPL-3.0 | | **Trial** | Subscribe on AWS Marketplace and test in your AWS environment | Free for 14 days | Commercial | | **Production** | Deploy with Terraform — same config, swap container image | AWS pay-per-use | Commercial | No migration required between steps. Your Terraform configuration and application code remain the same. ### Quick Start (3 Steps) 1. **Subscribe** — Visit [AWS Marketplace](https://aws.amazon.com/marketplace/pp/prodview-su2dajk5zawpo) and subscribe to stdapi.ai (14-day free trial included) 2. **Accept Contract** — Accept the AWS Marketplace Standard Contract during checkout 3. **Deploy** — Use the [Terraform module](operations_getting_started.md) to deploy immediately with commercial rights activated **Pricing:** The commercial license is billed at **$0.10/container-hour** through AWS Marketplace — no per-request markup and no markup on model usage. You pay AWS Bedrock rates directly for inference. **Typical monthly cost example** (license only, excluding AWS infrastructure and Bedrock model costs): | Scenario | Hours/month | License cost | |---|---|---| | 1 container, 24 × 7 | 720 h | ~$72/month | | 1 container, Fargate Spot (~70% savings) | 720 h | ~$22/month | | Dev/staging with scheduled stop outside business hours | ~165 h | ~$17/month | Pay with AWS credits — consolidated with your existing AWS bill, no separate invoice or procurement. ### After Subscribing Once subscribed, access the hardened container image from AWS Marketplace ECR and deploy using: - **Terraform module** (recommended) — [See Quick Start guide](operations_getting_started.md#quick-start) - **Manual ECS deployment** — [See manual setup](operations_deploy_advanced.md#manual-ecs-deployment) Your commercial license activates automatically upon deployment. --- ## :material-help-circle-outline: Frequently Asked Questions ??? question "Can I try before I buy?" Yes, two ways: 1. **Free AGPL version** - Use the community Docker image (AGPL-3.0) for evaluation, development, and testing. No cost, full features. 2. **14-day free trial** - AWS Marketplace commercial license includes a 14-day trial. Test the hardened production container in your environment risk-free. Both options give you full access to validate stdapi.ai before committing. ??? question "Do I need a commercial license for internal company tools?" **Yes, in most cases.** The AGPL-3.0 license requires source code disclosure even for software accessed over a network (the "network use" clause). **Examples requiring commercial license:** - Internal API gateway for your team - Company-wide AI chatbot - Department-specific automation tools - Private SaaS offering to customers The commercial license removes these obligations and lets you keep your code and deployments private. ??? question "What if I'm okay with open-sourcing my application?" If you're comfortable open-sourcing your entire application under AGPL-3.0 (including making source available to network users), the free community version works perfectly. **AGPL-3.0 is fine for:** - Open-source projects that share all code - Research and academic projects - Personal experiments and learning The commercial license is for organizations that need proprietary code or can't meet AGPL's network disclosure requirements. ??? question "Can I switch from AGPL to commercial later?" **Yes, absolutely.** This is a common path: 1. **Develop & test** with free AGPL community Docker image 2. **Subscribe** to AWS Marketplace when ready for production 3. **Deploy** with commercial container image - automatic license activation No migration required. Just swap container images and deploy. Your Terraform configuration remains the same. ??? question "What's included in the AWS Marketplace Standard Contract?" The [AWS Marketplace Standard Contract (SCMP)](https://aws.amazon.com/marketplace/management/terms) provides: - Clear license grant terms for commercial use - Standard warranty and liability provisions - Straightforward payment and billing terms - Professional indemnification terms It's the same trusted contract used across thousands of enterprise software products on AWS Marketplace. ??? question "I'm building a product for multiple customers. How does licensing work?" One AWS Marketplace subscription per running stdapi.ai deployment. The per-container-hour billing handles this automatically — each instance you run accumulates its own usage. **Common patterns for ISVs and MSPs:** - **One instance per customer** — each customer gets their own stdapi.ai deployment in their AWS account (or a dedicated account you manage). Each instance has its own Marketplace subscription billed to the owning account. - **Shared multi-tenant instance** — one instance serves multiple customers. One subscription covers the shared deployment. Use the `user` or `safety_identifier` field in API requests to tag traffic per customer for audit trails and usage attribution. For questions about volume deployments or enterprise licensing, contact [sales@stdapi.ai](mailto:sales@stdapi.ai). ??? question "How do I update stdapi.ai?" Updates are container image redeployments — no data migration or downtime window required. **Using the Terraform module** (recommended): the Terraform module is versioned in sync with the application. Bumping the module version in your Terraform config and running `terraform apply` updates the ECS task definition to the new container image and performs a rolling replacement of running tasks with zero downtime. **Manual ECS deployment**: update the container image tag in your ECS task definition and trigger a new deployment. Security patches are released as new container image versions. Subscribe to [GitHub releases](https://github.com/stdapi-ai/stdapi.ai/releases) to be notified. --- ## :material-email-outline: Support & Deployment Help ### :material-email: Email Support **Email:** [support@stdapi.ai](mailto:support@stdapi.ai) Response time: **1 business day** for commercial license subscribers. For licensing questions, volume pricing, or custom deployment scenarios, contact [sales@stdapi.ai](mailto:sales@stdapi.ai). ### :material-tools: Managed Deployment Service If you'd prefer not to manage the Terraform deployment yourself, a [managed deployment service](https://aws.amazon.com/marketplace/pp/prodview-xknxzjgl7zi5s) is available on AWS Marketplace. Choose between: - **Guided setup** — step-by-step assistance while you retain full control - **Fully managed** — the deployment is handled entirely on your behalf, within your AWS account Response time is **1 business day** during the engagement. All work is performed inside your own AWS account — no data leaves your environment. [:octicons-arrow-right-24: View Managed Deployment Service on AWS Marketplace](https://aws.amazon.com/marketplace/pp/prodview-xknxzjgl7zi5s)