Binions is free to run on one host for non-commercial use, and paid for any commercial use. That single distinction — how you use Binions, not which features you turn on — decides whether you need a paid licence. This page explains exactly where the line falls, gives concrete examples of each side, and shows how to switch to commercial use when the time comes.
Non-commercial use is use that is not primarily intended for, or directed toward, commercial advantage or monetary compensation. In plain terms: you are not running Binions to make money or to support a money-making operation. Typical examples:
Non-commercial use is free, on one host, with no card required. You sign in to the portal, accept the non-commercial clause in the End-User Licence Agreement (a single checkbox), and download your free set. It never expires.
Free forever, on one host. The first non-commercial host costs nothing and has no time limit. A second host is a separate set and is paid — even for non-commercial use. Only the first non-commercial host is free.
Commercial use is use that supports a business, a paying customer, or revenue in any way. If Binions is doing work for an organisation that earns money — even quietly, in the background, never touching a customer — that is commercial. Typical examples:
Commercial use is paid from the first host — there is no free commercial tier — and requires your company details (name, address, country) when you buy.
| Non-commercial | Commercial | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free | Paid from the first host (£1 per binion (£13 per host, one-time)) |
| Hosts allowed free | One (the first host) | None — every host is paid |
| Company details | Not required | Required (name, address, country) |
| Typical users | Hobbyists, students, homelabs, charities, evaluators | Businesses, agencies, clients, in-house teams |
| EULA clause | Non-commercial clause (accepted at sign-in) | Commercial licence terms |
We don’t. Not technically, anyway. Binions runs entirely on your own host and is built on trust and the EULA, not on surveillance:
Privacy by design. Choosing the honour-system means Binions never spies on your automations to police your licence. The trade is simple: we respect your privacy, and we trust you to choose honestly. The EULA / Terms is the authoritative definition of non-commercial use — see Licensing & Purchase.
Moving to commercial use is easy, because the platform itself is identical — same packages, same daemons, same playbooks. There is nothing to reinstall or re-learn. To go commercial:
For a side-by-side of what each tier includes, see Plan comparison, then head to checkout at Licensing & Purchase.
Not sure which side you’re on? If you can’t tell whether your use is commercial, the safe choice is to treat it as commercial — or just ask us. See the Purchase FAQ for edge cases and how to get in touch.