Is the open core really free?
Yes. The engine and the base version of every feature run free, in production, at any scale — forever. The engine is source-available under BSL 1.1; the repository license defines the terms of use.
What's in Pro?
Managed WAF (auto rules, bot detection, threat intel), distributed / clustered Redis, the team dashboard (RBAC, SSO, audit, analytics, flow debugger), and OpenTelemetry tracing. One self-host license — included in Cloud and Enterprise.
Do I need a license for my apps?
Your applications are yours. The license permits self-hosting for your own sites and applications. Embedding or redistributing the engine in a third-party product has separate commercial terms.
What needs a commercial license?
Only the Pro add-on, managed hosting (Cloud), enterprise support (Enterprise), or embedding the engine in another product (OEM).