Terms & Conditions

1. Acceptance of Terms

By downloading, installing, or using Exponential CMS, or by accessing the Website (collectively, the "Service"), You agree to be bound by these Terms and Conditions ("Terms"). If You do not agree to these Terms, do not use the Service.

Exponential CMS is currently free and open-source. There is no paid version of Exponential at this time. These Terms apply to all use of the Software and Website.

2. Interpretation and Definitions

2.1 Interpretation

The words of which the initial letter is capitalized have meanings defined under the following conditions. The following definitions shall have the same meaning regardless of whether they appear in singular or in plural.

2.2 Definitions

For the purposes of these Terms and Conditions:

You means the individual accessing or using the Software, Website, or Service, or the company, or other legal entity on behalf of which such individual is accessing or using the Software, Website, or Service, as applicable.
Developer (referred to as either "the Developer", "We", "Us" or "Our" in this Agreement) refers to Exponential 's core developers and project maintainers.
Software or CMS refers to Exponential CMS, a free, open-source web content management system built on the 7x platform (v6.0.14 and later).
Website refers to the Exponential project website, accessible from https://exponential.earth
Service refers to the Software and Website collectively.
Terms or Terms and Conditions refers to these Terms and Conditions as updated from time to time.
Country refers to the jurisdiction in which the Developer operates and maintains the Software.
Hosting Environment means any server, virtual machine, container, or cloud instance on which You deploy and run the Software.
Extensions means software packages that enhance or extend the functionality of the Software, installed under the extension/ directory. Because Extensions integrate with, link against, and are loaded by the Software's GNU GPLv2+ licensed kernel and APIs, they constitute derived works of the Software for the purposes of copyright and open-source licensing law.
Hosting Environment means any server, virtual machine, or cloud infrastructure on which You deploy the Software.
Personal Data is any information that relates to an identified or identifiable individual.
Usage Data refers to data generated by the operation of the Software on Your Hosting Environment, including logs and performance metrics.

3. Description of Service

Exponential CMS is a free, open-source web content management system built on the 7x platform. It provides:

Flexible content modelling and structured content types
Multi-site and multi-language publishing
A powerful template engine for front-end rendering
Role-based access control and workflow management
A modular extension architecture for custom functionality
REST and web service APIs for headless and hybrid delivery
Built-in search and indexing capabilities
Media management and file handling
Community-contributed extensions and design packages

4. License Grant

4.1 Open-Source License

Exponential CMS is released under the GNU General Public License version 2 or later (GPLv2+). Subject to Your compliance with these Terms and the GNU GPLv2+, the Developer grants You a perpetual, worldwide, royalty-free license to download, install, use, modify, and distribute the Software on Your Hosting Environment for personal and commercial purposes.

4.2 Copyleft Obligation

The GNU GPLv2+ is a copyleft license. This means that any software You create or distribute that is a derived work of the Software — including all Extensions — must itself be licensed under the GNU GPLv2+ in its entirety, with no exceptions. This obligation arises from the license itself, not merely from these Terms, and cannot be waived by the Developer or by any third party.

4.3 No Premium Tier

There is currently no paid version of Exponential CMS. All features are available to all users free of charge. The Developer reserves the right to introduce optional commercial offerings in the future, which will be governed by separate terms announced at that time.

5. Distribution and Installation

Exponential CMS is distributed freely through the official project website at exponential.earth and the public source repository at GitHub. No registration, account, or payment is required to download or use the Software.

Note: Always download Exponential CMS from the official website or the official repository to ensure You receive an unmodified, secure release. The Developer cannot guarantee the integrity of copies obtained from third-party sources.

Redistribution of the Software must comply with the terms of the applicable open-source license. Modified versions must be clearly distinguished from official releases and must not misrepresent their origin.

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6. Third-Party Integrations

Exponential CMS may be integrated with third-party services such as search engines, payment gateways, social platforms, or external APIs. When using such integrations:

You are subject to the terms and privacy policies of the respective third-party service providers
The Developer is not responsible for the availability, accuracy, or performance of any third-party service
Third-party services may impose their own usage limits, costs, and restrictions independently of Exponential CMS
You are solely responsible for any API keys, credentials, or accounts You create with third-party providers

The set of supported integrations may grow over time as the Exponential extension ecosystem evolves. Always review third-party documentation before enabling an integration in a production environment.

7. Extensions

7.1 Extension Use

Exponential CMS supports a modular extension architecture. Extensions may be developed by the core team, community contributors, or independent developers and are not always owned or controlled by the Developer. Extensions are installed under the extension/ directory and interact directly with the Software's GNU GPLv2+ licensed kernel, APIs, and template engine, making them derived works of the Software under copyright law.

7.2 No Responsibility for Third-Party Extensions

The Developer takes no responsibility for any harm, loss, damage, or security issues that may occur to Your Hosting Environment, data, or privacy as a result of using any Extension. This includes, but is not limited to:

Data leaks, theft, or unauthorized access to Your information
Server instability, downtime, or data corruption
Software conflicts or compatibility issues
Performance degradation or crashes
Security breaches or malware infections
Any violation of third-party terms of service or privacy policies

Important: Extensions may interact directly with your database, file system, and outbound network connections. Always review an Extension's source code and documentation before deploying it to a production environment.

7.3 User Responsibility for Extensions

It is Your sole responsibility to ensure the safe use of Extensions. You should:

Only install Extensions from sources You trust and verify
Review Extension permissions and functionality before installation
Review Extension software source code and functionality before installation or activation (via INI Settings)
Ensure Your Hosting Environment has adequate security measures in place, including firewalls and access controls
Regularly update Your server software, operating system, and dependencies
Monitor Extension behavior and remove any suspicious Extensions immediately
Understand that Extensions may collect, process, or transmit Your data

7.4 Extension Disclaimers

Extensions are provided "as is" and "as available" without warranties of any kind. The Developer does not endorse, validate, or guarantee the security, functionality, or reliability of any Extension. Each Extension developer is solely responsible for their Extension's operation, support, and compliance with applicable laws.

7.5 Extension Limitation of Liability

In no event shall the Developer be liable for any damages arising from Your use of Extensions, including but not limited to data loss, security breaches, system damage, or any consequences resulting from Extension functionality or malfunction.

7.6 Extension Licensing Obligations

Every Extension — whether You wrote it yourself, received it from a third party, or commissioned it — uses Exponential's GNU GPLv2+ licensed APIs and is therefore a derived work of the Software. The GNU GPLv2+ requires that derived works be distributed exclusively under the GNU GPLv2+.

No exceptions. If You share, publish, or distribute an Extension in any form — as source code, a packaged archive, a hosted download, or otherwise — You must license it under the GNU General Public License version 2 or later (GPLv2+). No proprietary, closed-source, or differently-licensed Extensions may be legally distributed. This obligation flows directly from the GNU GPL and cannot be contracted away.

Distributing an Extension without complying with the GNU GPLv2+ constitutes copyright infringement. The Developer strongly encourages all Extension authors to include a LICENSE file and the standard GNU GPL header in every source file to make their Extension's status clear to downstream users.

8. User Responsibilities

You agree to:

Use the Software in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations
Not redistribute the Software in a way that misrepresents its origin or violates the GNU GPLv2+
License any Extension You distribute under the GNU GPLv2+, without exception, as required by the copyleft terms of the GNU GPLv2+ under which the Software's APIs are made available
Not use the Software for any illegal or unauthorized purpose
Not attempt to circumvent security controls or access restrictions built into the Software
Respect the intellectual property rights of others when publishing or managing content
Keep Your server environment and dependencies updated for security and compatibility

9. Privacy and Data

The Developer's collection and use of Your information is governed by the Privacy Policy. By using the Service, You consent to such processing and You warrant that all data provided by You is accurate.

Privacy-First: The Software itself does not phone home or transmit your site's data to the Developer. All content and usage data remains on Your own Hosting Environment under Your control.

10. Updates and Modifications

The Developer may release new versions of Exponential CMS from time to time to add features, fix bugs, or improve security. Updates are published on the official website and repository. You are responsible for applying updates to Your own installation; no update is applied automatically without Your action.

The Developer reserves the right to modify these Terms at any time. Material changes will be communicated through the Website. Your continued use constitutes acceptance of updated Terms.

11. Disclaimers and Warranties

The Software is provided "as is" and "as available" without warranties of any kind, either express or implied. The Developer does not warrant that:

The Software will be error-free or uninterrupted
All features will work perfectly with every server configuration, database version, or hosting environment
Third-party integrations will always be available or return accurate results
Community Extensions will be safe, secure, or compatible with Your specific configuration
The Software will meet all Your specific requirements

12. Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, the Developer shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, or any loss of profits or revenues, whether incurred directly or indirectly, or any loss of data, use, goodwill, or other intangible losses resulting from Your use of the Service or any Extensions.

Because Exponential CMS is provided free of charge, and to the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, the Developer's total aggregate liability for any claim arising from Your use of the Software shall not exceed one hundred US dollars ($100).

13. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold the Developer harmless from any claims, damages, or expenses arising from Your use of the Service, violation of these Terms, infringement of any rights of another, or Your use of any Extensions including any damages, security breaches, or other issues caused by Extensions.

14. Termination

These Terms remain in effect until terminated. You may terminate Your use at any time by removing the Software from Your Hosting Environment. Because the Software is open-source, the Developer cannot revoke Your right to use already-released versions under their respective open-source license; however, the Developer may terminate Your access to hosted services, the Website, or community resources for conduct that violates these Terms.

15. Governing Law

These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the jurisdiction where the Software is developed and maintained, without regard to conflict of law principles.

16. Severability

If any provision of these Terms is held to be invalid or unenforceable, such provision shall be struck and the remaining provisions shall remain in force.

17. Contact Information

If You have any questions about these Terms, please contact the Developer:

Email: [email protected]
Discord: Join our Discord community

By using the Service, You acknowledge that You have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms and Conditions.