An update to screenpipe's license

Today we are changing how the screenpipe source code is licensed. Up front, so there is no confusion: the screenpipe app and its subscription are not changing, and personal use stays free. This is a licensing change for the source code, not a change to the product or its price.

We want to be honest about why, because you trusted us early and you deserve the real reason.

Why we are changing it

Open source is how screenpipe got here. Nearly 20,000 stars on GitHub, hundreds of thousands of installs, and a community that builds in the open with us.

But open source on its own is not a business model. Companies run screenpipe in production to make money without contributing anything back, while a small team funds all of the work that keeps it reliable and improving. That is not sustainable, and an unsustainable project is bad for everyone who depends on it.

The value has to be paid for somehow. If you use screenpipe to run a business or make money, we are now asking you to pay for it. That is what funds the engineering that keeps screenpipe alive and improving.

What this means for you

It helps to separate two things people often mix up: the screenpipe app and the screenpipe source code.

The app is a subscription: the signed, prebuilt screenpipe most people download and run. It is the product, and its price is not changing.
The source code is source-available: you can read it, audit it, build it, and run it yourself for personal use.

This change moves one line: who can use the source commercially without a license.

If you use the app, nothing changes. Same product, same price, still running locally on your machine.
Bought lifetime or have a subscription? You are covered. Your license covers you as a person, on all your own devices, including for your own work. Up to 4 people at one company can use individual licenses. At 5 or more, that is what Team and Enterprise plans are for.
Personal, non-commercial, and evaluation use stays free. You can read, build, and self-host the source for yourself.
Commercial use of the source now needs a paid license. If you build on screenpipe's source to run a business or make money, you need one. This applies regardless of company size, headcount, revenue, or funding.

What changes, concretely

The screenpipe source moves from the MIT license to the Screenpipe Commercial License, a source-available license.

Free use. Personal, non-commercial, educational, and research use is free, plus a 7-day evaluation at any size.
Commercial license. Any commercial or production use beyond the evaluation period needs a paid license. There is no size threshold and no headcount game.
Source stays public. You can still read and audit every line.

Full details are in the LICENSE. The enterprise edition and the paid desktop app are unchanged.

Using screenpipe to run a business? Get a commercial license.Request a license →

Quick answers

I bought lifetime. You keep everything you bought. You personally, on all your own devices, including for your work. Forever.
I pay for a subscription. Same: it covers you as a person, on your own devices, including your own work. One subscription per person, no shared accounts.
A few of us at the same company each have our own license. Up to 4 people at one company is fine. At 5 or more, the company moves to a Team or Enterprise plan.
We run screenpipe on servers or shared machines. That is not covered by personal licenses and needs a commercial agreement.
We build a product or service on screenpipe's source. That is commercial use of the source: you need a license.

Why this is actually good for you

A funded screenpipe is a better screenpipe. It means we can keep the team focused on stability and the features you ask for, and it keeps screenpipe independent, built by a team that answers to its users.

We thought hard about this. We know a source-available license is not the same as open source by the strict definition, and we do not use the word lightly. We believe this is the honest way to keep screenpipe alive, local, and worth trusting for the long run.

If you have questions or concerns, we genuinely want to hear them.

louis,
screenpipe