Licensing & Terms
Fair code. Fair price. No tricks.
Different Products, Different Rules
Core and VelvetCMS use software licenses. Fleet is a hosted service governed by terms, not a software license.
Core
- Fully open source
- Personal & commercial use
- Modify & redistribute
- No license fees, ever
The framework is free. Build anything on it.
VelvetCMS
- Admin panel & block editor
- Free for non-commercial use
- Commercial license required for business
- Not public yet (pre-release)
Free to learn on. License when it makes you money.
Fleet
- Hosted service (not launched yet)
- Governed by Terms of Service, Privacy Policy
- Cloud usage is not a traditional software license
- Self-hosted option may require commercial license
A service, not a download. Terms apply at launch.
The Dual License
For VelvetCMS and Extended modules, it's straightforward.
Non-Commercial
- Personal blogs & hobby sites
- Learning & experimentation
- Student projects & education
- Registered non-profits
- Open source projects (no revenue)
- No commercial use
- No client work
- No revenue generation
For Business
- Business & company websites
- Client projects (paid or unpaid)
- Freelance & agency work
- E-commerce & SaaS products
- Sites with ads or affiliates
- Priority support
- Redistribution rights
- Legal protection & indemnity
Common Questions
Quick answers to licensing questions.
Is VelvetCMS open source?
Core is fully open source under Apache 2.0. VelvetCMS uses a dual-license model — free for non-commercial, commercial license for business. Fleet is a service governed by terms at launch.
Building a site for a friend?
If the site is for a business or will generate revenue — yes, you need a license. It's based on the site's purpose, not whether you got paid.
Personal blog with affiliate links?
If you're making money from it — ads, affiliates, sponsorships — you need a commercial license. Even a few dollars counts.
Can I try before buying?
For VelvetCMS, yes — a 90-day evaluation period applies for local build/test before purchasing a commercial license for business usage.
Non-profit generating revenue?
Once you're generating revenue, you need a commercial license. We offer discounted rates for transitioning organizations.
Per site or per developer?
VelvetCMS commercial packaging is finalized closer to launch. Fleet will publish service plan terms at launch. Reach out to sales@anvyr.dev for early details.
Modules I create?
Modules you create are yours. License them however you want — GPL, MIT, proprietary, paid. We don't claim rights to your code.
Edge case?
Just ask us. We're reasonable people and happy to clarify any situation.
Why This Model?
Core is Apache 2.0 because a framework should be free. Build startups, client projects, SaaS products — we don't want a cut of your business just for using the foundation.
The add-on products are different. They're polished tools that save you weeks of development. If they're making you money, license fees fund continued development, security patches, and support.