License (Cariosan License v1.0)

Cariosan is distributed as a closed-source binary under the Cariosan License v1.0. The license is permissive for end users (free worldwide, including commercial) but restricts redistribution and resale-as-a-service.

This page summarizes the license in plain English and reproduces the full text. The license file in the source repository (LICENSE) is authoritative — if anything here disagrees, the file wins.

At a glance

✅ You can:

• Run Cariosan on your own servers or cloud accounts, free.
• Use Cariosan in commercial products and services you sell to your customers.
• Deploy Cariosan inside enterprise environments without per-user, per-MAU, or seat licensing.
• Integrate @cariosan/client, @cariosan/react, and the Go SDK into your applications.
• Reference Cariosan factually ("powered by Cariosan", "built on Cariosan") in marketing.

❌ You cannot:

• Redistribute the Cariosan server binary, container images, or SDK packages — modified or not.
• Reverse engineer the binary to derive its source code (except where local law prohibits this restriction).
• Operate a managed Cariosan service that competes with Cariosan Cloud (the maintainer's own managed offering at dashboard.cariosan.com).
• Remove copyright, trademark, or attribution notices.
• Use the Cariosan name or logo for endorsement-style claims.

What this means in practice

"I run a marketplace and I want chat between buyers and sellers"

✅ Self-host Cariosan, embed the chat in your app, ship to your users. No cost, no per-MAU, no audit. This is the primary intended use case.

"I'm building an internal company tool"

✅ Same as above. Run it on your infrastructure.

"I run an MSP and want to host Cariosan for my customers as part of their stack"

✅ Permitted as long as Cariosan is part of your product for your customers' end users — not a standalone "Cariosan-as-a-service" offering. The line is whether you're reselling Cariosan itself, or selling your product (which happens to include chat).

"I want to sell a 'Cariosan hosting' service to other developers"

❌ Not permitted. That's directly competing with Cariosan Cloud.

"We need to fork the SDK to add features for our use case"

✅ You can modify the SDK in your own codebase. You ❌ cannot redistribute the modified version (publish to npm, share on GitHub, etc).

"Our security team needs to audit the binary"

You may run static analysis, decompile for the purpose of security review or compatibility, etc. — anywhere local law preserves these rights regardless of license terms (most jurisdictions do for security review). Beyond that, source-level review isn't available; reach out to hello@cariosan.com for security disclosure or audit accommodation.

License Compatibility FAQ

Is this open source? No. "Open source" implies an OSI-approved license, which Cariosan License v1.0 is not. The code is closed; the binary is free. We use the framing "free, self-hostable" — not "open source."

Is this BSL or SSPL? No. The Business Source License (BSL) auto-converts to a permissive license after a delay. SSPL forces source release for SaaS hosters. Cariosan License v1.0 does neither — it stays closed-source, but grants free use for any non-resale-as-a-service purpose without a sunset clause.

Can I use Cariosan in a project under MIT/Apache/GPL/etc? Yes. The Cariosan License covers Cariosan's binary and SDK packages; your application code can be under any license you like. The SDK packages are linked at runtime, not statically — they don't impose license obligations on your app.

What happens if Cariosan stops being maintained? The binary keeps working. The license doesn't auto-revoke, doesn't phone home, doesn't require ongoing maintenance access. If the project is abandoned, your existing self-hosted deployments continue functioning. (Future updates would obviously stop, and you wouldn't be able to upgrade — but the running binary is yours to keep operating.)

Will the license change? The license can change in future major versions. A re-licensing to permissive open source is allowed (and would be retroactive for previously released versions you already have). A re-licensing to more restrictive terms would only apply to new versions you choose to install — your existing version stays under v1.0.

My legal team needs the original document. The full text below is verbatim from LICENSE in the source repository. For signed PDFs or counter-signed agreements (enterprise contracts), email hello@cariosan.com.

Full license text

The text below is reproduced verbatim from LICENSE in the source repository.

Cariosan License Agreement v1.0

Copyright (c) 2026 Andrian Prasetya. All rights reserved.

Cariosan is a closed-source binary distribution. By installing, running,
or integrating Cariosan, you agree to this license.

1. Grant of Free Use

   Subject to your compliance with the terms below, the Licensor grants
   you a worldwide, royalty-free, non-exclusive, non-transferable,
   revocable license to:

   (a) Install and run the Cariosan server binary on infrastructure
       you own or control, for any purpose including commercial use,
       at no cost.

   (b) Install and integrate the Cariosan client SDK packages
       (including but not limited to @cariosan/client and
       @cariosan/react) into applications you build, at no cost.

   (c) Operate Cariosan as part of products or services you offer to
       your own end users.

   No payment is required for use under this section.

2. Restrictions

   You may NOT, except as expressly permitted by applicable law:

   (a) Redistribute, sell, sublicense, lease, rent, or transfer the
       Cariosan server binary, container images, or SDK packages,
       whether in original or modified form.

   (b) Reverse engineer, decompile, disassemble, or otherwise attempt
       to derive the source code, except where this restriction is
       prohibited by applicable law.

   (c) Use Cariosan to operate, host, or offer a managed Cariosan
       service that is substantially similar to or competes with
       Cariosan Cloud (a managed offering operated by the Licensor).
       Self-host within your own organization or for your own
       customers' use of YOUR products is permitted; reselling
       Cariosan-as-a-service is not.

   (d) Remove, alter, or obscure any copyright, trademark, license,
       or attribution notices on or within the Software.

   (e) Use the Cariosan name, logo, or other trademarks except for
       factually accurate references (e.g., "powered by Cariosan").

3. Telemetry and Updates

   The Software does not transmit telemetry or phone home by default.
   Future versions may add optional anonymous usage reporting that
   you may disable.

4. Trademarks

   "Cariosan", the Cariosan logo, and related branding are trademarks
   of the Licensor. This license does not grant any rights to use
   these marks beyond factual reference.

5. No Warranty

   THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND,
   EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF
   MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND
   NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE LICENSOR BE LIABLE FOR ANY
   CLAIM, DAMAGES, OR OTHER LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF
   CONTRACT, TORT, OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM, OUT OF, OR IN
   CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE
   SOFTWARE.

6. Termination

   This license terminates automatically if you breach any of its
   terms. Upon termination, you must cease all use of the Software
   and destroy all copies in your possession.

7. Governing Law

   This license is governed by the laws of the Republic of Indonesia,
   without regard to its conflict-of-law principles. Any disputes
   shall be resolved in the courts of Jakarta, Indonesia.

8. Contact

   For licensing inquiries, partnership requests, or trademark use
   permissions, contact: hello@cariosan.com

Contact

Licensing questions, partnership inquiries, or trademark usage requests: hello@cariosan.com