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Licensing

ModPageSpeed 2.0 is distributed today as a commercial subscription. We're moving to a Business Source License 1.1 model with a four-year change-date to Apache 2.0 — source publication is planned per our public roadmap.

The canonical source-license page is at modpagespeed.com/license/; this page summarizes it for visitors who land on we-amp.com first. Binding commercial terms live in the Terms of Service.

What you get today

A signed binary distribution — Docker images, .deb/.rpm/.msi packages, and a NuGet preview for ASP.NET Core. A paid subscription includes security patches, version upgrades, and email support. You can install and run the product unlicensed to evaluate it — it fully optimizes your pages and simply adds an X-PageSpeed-Warn: unlicensed header. A commercial license is required for production use; purchase is an immediate-charge subscription via FastSpring, billed when you buy. Activate from the admin console at /pagespeed_global_admin after install.

The plan

We intend to publish the ModPageSpeed 2.0 source under the Business Source License 1.1 (BSL 1.1). BSL is a source-available license used by companies including MariaDB, CockroachDB, HashiCorp, and Sentry. Each published release will carry a four-year change-date after which that release converts automatically to Apache 2.0. The change-date is the worst-case ceiling — it applies regardless of We-Amp B.V.'s corporate status.

The optimization libraries inherited from the original mod_pagespeed remain Apache 2.0 today and are not affected by the BSL plan.

When

No date is committed. We'll announce on the ModPageSpeed blog when source publication is scheduled. Enterprise customers who need source access on a defined timeline should email enterprise@modpagespeed.com — we can prioritize this against active deals.

Evaluation and activation

To evaluate ModPageSpeed, install and run it unlicensed — the product is always-functional and fully optimizes your pages, simply adding an X-PageSpeed-Warn: unlicensed header (with a matching admin-console notice and startup-log warning). When you're ready for production, buy a commercial license: it's an immediate-charge subscription via FastSpring, billed when you purchase. Pricing is on modpagespeed.com/pricing/.

When a subscription lapses, the optimization engine keeps running and your pages keep being optimized — your application is never locked out. Unlicensed production use is signalled rather than blocked: responses carry an X-PageSpeed-Warn: unlicensed header, the admin console shows a notice, and a warning is written to the startup log. License activation is handled through the admin console or via a license key in your configuration. Licenses are validated against api.modpagespeed.com; Ed25519-signed tokens are cached locally so brief network outages do not interrupt service.

License-grant continuity

License grants survive corporate changes. If We-Amp B.V. is acquired, merged, reorganized, or wound down, paid licenses remain in force under the same terms. Once we publish source under BSL 1.1, the four-year change-date will apply regardless of We-Amp's corporate status.

NuGet preview

The ASP.NET Core middleware preview package (WeAmp.PageSpeed.AspNetCore) is available for evaluation during the preview period. Production use requires a commercial license. Licensing enforcement activates at General Availability (GA); preview users will receive advance notice before enforcement begins, and commercial pricing will be announced before GA so you can plan ahead.

FAQ

How is ModPageSpeed 2.0 distributed today?

As a commercial subscription — a signed binary distribution covering Docker images, .deb/.rpm/.msi packages, and a NuGet preview for ASP.NET Core. Source publication under BSL 1.1 is on the public roadmap; no date is committed yet.

What will the BSL 1.1 model look like once it ships?

Once we publish under BSL 1.1, each published release will carry a four-year change-date after which that release converts automatically to Apache 2.0. The BSL grant covers reading, modifying, and non-production use such as development, testing, and evaluation; production use requires a commercial license. These terms describe the planned model — they do not apply today.

What happens if my subscription lapses?

The optimization engine keeps running and your pages keep being optimized — your application is never locked out. Unlicensed production use is signalled rather than blocked: responses carry an X-PageSpeed-Warn: unlicensed header, the admin console shows a notice, and a warning is written to the startup log. Ed25519-signed license tokens are cached locally, so brief network outages do not interrupt service.

Does ModPageSpeed require an internet connection at runtime?

Only for initial activation and periodic renewal. License tokens are Ed25519-signed and cached locally; your application runs independently between renewals.

Will I be able to read and modify the source code in the future?

That is the intent of the BSL 1.1 plan: BSL is a source-available license, and once we publish under it you'll be able to read, modify, and build from source. Production use will continue to require a commercial subscription until each release reaches its change-date.

How does the planned BSL 1.1 model compare to AGPL?

BSL 1.1 is structurally simpler than the AGPL. Unlike the AGPL, it does not impose copyleft requirements on your application code — your proprietary code stays proprietary. Each BSL 1.1 release also converts automatically to Apache 2.0 after the change-date, which AGPL does not do. We've outlined a planned path to full Apache 2.0 source publication; the timeline and conditions live on the roadmap, not a contractual commitment.

Pricing

See modpagespeed.com/pricing/ for full details, volume discounts, and what's included. You can install and run the product unlicensed to evaluate it before you buy, as described above.

Questions?

For licensing inquiries, volume pricing, or enterprise agreements, see our contact page or email info@we-amp.com.

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