License

Forven is free and open source software. There are no paid tiers, no license keys, no account or device handshake, and no entitlement server. You download it, read the source, run it on your own machine, and modify it — all under one license.

The license: AGPL-3.0-or-later

Forven is distributed under the GNU Affero General Public License, version 3 or (at your option) any later version — AGPL-3.0-or-later. The full text ships in the LICENSE file at the root of the source repository.

In plain terms, the AGPL grants you the four freedoms of free software:

• Run the program for any purpose.
• Study how it works and change it — the complete source is published.
• Redistribute copies.
• Distribute your modified versions to others.

The one obligation in return is reciprocity: if you convey Forven, or a modified version of it, you must make the corresponding source available under the same AGPL-3.0-or-later terms. Derivative works stay open.

§13: the network-use clause

The AGPL differs from the ordinary GPL in one important way, Section 13. Under the plain GPL, running modified software on a server you let others use over a network is not "distribution," so the source-sharing obligation never triggers. The AGPL closes that gap.

AGPL §13 — Remote Network Interaction. If you modify Forven and let users interact with your modified version remotely through a network (for example, by hosting it as a service), you must offer those users access to the Corresponding Source of your modified version, under AGPL-3.0-or-later, at no charge.

Practically:

• Running Forven locally for yourself imposes no source-sharing obligation at all — it is your machine, your strategies, your keys. Nothing leaves.
• Hosting a modified Forven as a network service that other people use does trigger §13: you must give those users the source of your modified version.

This is deliberate. It keeps the project and any hosted derivative honest and open, while leaving ordinary local use entirely unencumbered.

What this means for you

• Use it freely. Run Forven, research strategies, and paper-trade with no cost, no key, and no phone-home.
• Bring your own keys. Any LLM or exchange credentials you supply stay in your local keystore. The license does not change where your secrets live — they never leave your machine.
• Modify and share under the same AGPL terms. Contributions back to the project are welcome on GitHub.
• Host it if you like — just honor §13 and publish your changes to your users.

Forven is a research tool. The license governs the software; it makes no performance claim and is not financial advice.

Related

• Install — clone the repo and run it locally.
• First run & setup — what happens after install, including where your workspace and keys live.
• FAQ — common questions about local-first operation and privacy.