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License

Last updated: July 17, 2026

In short: Slingshot is free and open source software licensed under the GNU Affero General Public License v3 (AGPL v3). You can use, modify, distribute, and even charge for it — but if you deploy a modified version as a network service, you must share your source code under the same license. The full license text is the authoritative legal document.

What license is Slingshot under?

Slingshot is licensed under the GNU Affero General Public License v3 (AGPL v3). This is a strong copyleft, open source license approved by the Open Source Initiative (OSI). It grants broad rights to use, modify, and distribute the software, with one key obligation: if you make the software available over a network, you must share your source code.

What you CAN do

  • Use it — Run Slingshot for any purpose, personal or commercial.
  • Study it — Read and understand the source code.
  • Modify it — Change the code to suit your needs.
  • Distribute it — Share the original or modified source code with others, under the same license.
  • Charge for it — You may offer paid support or value-added services around Slingshot, as long as you comply with the license terms (including source disclosure).
  • Use it internally — Deploy a modified version within your organization as an internal tool, even if your organization is a commercial entity. The network interaction clause does not apply to internal use, but the warranty disclaimer and liability limitations still apply.
  • Contribute — Submit pull requests and improvements. See CONTRIBUTING.md for details.

What you MUST do

Copyleft — modified versions stay open source

If you modify Slingshot and distribute the modified version (whether as binaries or source), you must:

  • License your modified version under the AGPL v3.
  • Provide the complete corresponding source code.
  • Include the original copyright notice and license.

Source code availability duration

When you distribute Slingshot, you must keep the corresponding source code available:

  • For as long as you offer the modified version to users, or
  • For at least three years from the date of your last distribution, whichever is longer.

This means you cannot distribute a modified version and then take the source down after a few months. If you stop offering the software entirely, you must continue to offer source for at least three years.

Network interaction clause — the AGPL v3's key provision

If you modify Slingshot and make it available to users over a network, you must provide the complete corresponding source code of your modifications to every user who interacts with it remotely.

Warranty and liability

THERE IS NO WARRANTY FOR THE PROGRAM, TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW. EXCEPT WHEN OTHERWISE STATED IN WRITING THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND/OR OTHER PARTIES PROVIDE THE PROGRAM "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. THE ENTIRE RISK AS TO THE QUALITY AND PERFORMANCE OF THE PROGRAM IS WITH YOU. SHOULD THE PROGRAM PROVE DEFECTIVE, YOU ASSUME THE COST OF ALL NECESSARY SERVICING, REPAIR OR CORRECTION.

IN NO EVENT UNLESS REQUIRED BY APPLICABLE LAW OR AGREED TO IN WRITING WILL ANY COPYRIGHT HOLDER, OR ANY OTHER PARTY WHO MODIFIES AND/OR CONVEYS THE PROGRAM AS PERMITTED ABOVE, BE LIABLE TO YOU FOR DAMAGES, INCLUDING ANY GENERAL, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF THE USE OR INABILITY TO USE THE PROGRAM (INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO LOSS OF DATA OR DATA BEING RENDERED INACCURATE OR LOSSES SUSTAINED BY YOU OR THIRD PARTIES OR A FAILURE OF THE PROGRAM TO OPERATE WITH ANY OTHER PROGRAMS), EVEN IF SUCH HOLDER OR OTHER PARTY HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.

These are the verbatim text of AGPL v3 Sections 15–16. The full warranty disclaimer is in the LICENSE file. See our Terms of Service for additional disclaimers.

What this means for contributors

By submitting a pull request or any contribution to Slingshot, you agree that your contributions are licensed under the AGPL v3. Once your contribution is merged, it becomes part of the project and is governed by the same license as the rest of the codebase. You also confirm that you have the right to make that contribution — either you own the copyright, or you have permission from the copyright holder.

The project follows the Developer Certificate of Origin (DCO) process. Each commit must include a Signed-off-by line certifying that you have the right to submit the work. Pull requests without a Signed-off-by line may be held or rejected.

Third-party licenses

Slingshot includes third-party dependencies, each with their own licenses. Dependency metadata is available in:

  • src-tauri/Cargo.lock — Rust dependency licenses
  • site/package.json — JavaScript dependency licenses

We comply with all applicable open source licenses. If you have questions about a specific dependency's license, please submit a question through our feedback form or email us at slingshot.dev@proton.me.

Reporting license violations

If you believe someone is violating the AGPL v3 terms when using Slingshot, please submit a report through our feedback form or email us at slingshot.dev@proton.me. License violations undermine the freedoms the AGPL v3 is designed to protect.

Questions?

If you are unsure whether your intended use is permitted, check the GNU AGPL v3 FAQ for common edge cases. If your question isn't answered there, submit a question through our feedback form or email us at slingshot.dev@proton.me.