The full license, in plain sight

This license lets you use the Software for non-commercial purposes at no cost, with the same product, not a stripped-down build. It is intended for research, education, evaluation, and internal development work that is not part of a money-making operation.

If your use is commercial, you need a commercial license instead. See Section 6 for the line between the two.

By using the Software, you accept these terms. If you do not accept them, you may not use the Software.

• Software means the Expanso software and any accompanying files, documentation, and updates provided under this license.
• Licensor means Expanso, Inc.
• You means the individual or entity exercising rights under this license.
• Non-Commercial Use means use that is not primarily intended for or directed toward commercial advantage or monetary compensation, and that is not operated as part of a commercial enterprise's production activity. See Section 6.
• Commercial Use means any use that is primarily intended for or directed toward commercial advantage or monetary compensation, or that is operated as part of a commercial enterprise's production activity. See Section 6.
• Development and Evaluation Use means use of the Software to build, test, prototype, or evaluate, including by employees of a commercial entity, for a limited evaluation period and not in production. This is carved out as permitted under Section 6.3.

Subject to your compliance with this license, Licensor grants you a worldwide, royalty-free, non-exclusive, non-transferable license to:

• install and run the Software for Non-Commercial Use;
• make copies of the Software as needed for Non-Commercial Use; and
• modify the Software for your own Non-Commercial Use.

This grant covers the full Software, not a limited or feature-gated subset, subject only to the node ceiling and any other scope limits stated on the Expanso non-commercial page or download page (for example, up to ten nodes for non-commercial use).

Subject to your compliance with this license, Licensor grants you a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free patent license to make and use the Software for Non-Commercial Use, limited to patent claims Licensor can license that are necessarily infringed by the Software as provided. This patent license terminates if you bring a patent claim against anyone alleging the Software infringes a patent.

This is the part that matters. Read it carefully.

6.1 What counts as Non-Commercial

Use is non-commercial when no money is being made from it and it is not running inside a commercial enterprise's production operation. Examples:

• A researcher running Expanso for an academic project.
• A student or hobbyist running it to learn.
• A non-profit using it for a non-revenue program.
• An individual experimenting on their own hardware.

6.2 What counts as Commercial

Internal use by a commercial entity is commercial activity, even if you are not selling the output. If a for-profit company runs Expanso to support its operations, that is commercial use and requires a commercial license. Examples:

• A company running Expanso in production to process its own data.
• Any deployment that supports a revenue-generating product, service, or internal operation of a commercial entity.
• Use embedded in a paid product or service you offer to others.

The test is not "are you charging for Expanso specifically." The test is "is this running inside a commercial enterprise's operation." If yes, it is commercial.

6.3 The Development and Evaluation carve-out

Employees of a commercial entity may use the Software for Development and Evaluation Use without a commercial license, for a limited evaluation period, and not in production. This is the "try it before you buy it" path. It exists so engineers at companies can prototype and evaluate without friction.

This carve-out does not extend to production use. Once the Software supports a live commercial operation, a commercial license is required.

• You must keep this license, copyright notices, and attribution intact in all copies and modifications.
• You may not remove or alter notices identifying Licensor or the Software.
• You may not use the Software in a way that violates applicable law.

This license does not grant rights to use Licensor's names, logos, or trademarks, except as needed to describe the origin of the Software in accordance with reasonable usage. "Expanso" and associated marks remain the property of Licensor.

The Software is provided "as is," without warranty of any kind, express or implied, including warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement.

To the maximum extent permitted by law, Licensor will not be liable for any damages arising out of or related to your use of the Software.

This license terminates automatically if you breach it. If your use becomes commercial, your rights under this license end and you must obtain a commercial license or stop using the Software. Sections 8, 9, 10, and this sentence survive termination.

This license is governed by the laws specified in the Expanso commercial license, to keep both instruments consistent.