Plans & Licensing

CH-UI is self-hosted software: an open-source core you run on your own infrastructure, optionally unlocked to Pro with a license file.

Open Source + Pro License

CH-UI comes in two tiers.

Open Source (Apache-2.0) — free

The CH-UI core is open source under the Apache License 2.0. You can use, modify, and distribute it freely, including commercially (retain the copyright and license notice).

Open Source includes the full workspace — SQL editor (with query history, result filtering, and error navigation), explorer, saved queries, dashboards, pipelines, models, telemetry logs, Brain (bring-your-own AI key), admin, and the tunnel connector — running on your own infrastructure. See the Installation and Deployment guides.

CH-UI stores its state in a local SQLite database — no external database to operate.

Pro License — $1,199/year per instance

The Pro License unlocks the full Pro module set on top of the Open Source core:

• Query Insights — system.query_log analytics: latency percentiles, slow and memory-heavy query patterns, failures, users, hot tables
• Cluster Health — per-node replication, merges, mutations, parts pressure, Keeper, and backups monitoring
• Governance — catalog, lineage, query guardrails, incidents, access matrix, audit — plus alert channels and rules
• Schedules — cron-driven model and query runs
• Query parameters — {name:Type} binding in the editor plus the saved-query Run API
• GitHub sync — keep models in version control
• Single Sign-On — OIDC SSO (Okta, Entra ID, Google, Keycloak)
• Audit forwarding — stream audit events to your SIEM

Pricing is flat per instance — no per-seat math, regardless of how many people use the instance. Buy self-serve on the pricing page — checkout is handled by Stripe (annual subscription), and your signed license.json arrives by email right after payment. Or start a 30-day free trial first, no card required.

The Pro modules' source is published under the Business Source License 1.1 (BSL 1.1) — source-available; production use requires a valid Pro license, and each version converts to Apache-2.0 on its Change Date. Every Pro source file carries an SPDX-License-Identifier: BUSL-1.1 header; the open-source core remains Apache-2.0. See LICENSING.md in the repository for the exact scope.

How activation works

You receive a signed license file (JSON) and activate it on your instance's Settings → License page — paste the JSON or upload the file. Verification happens locally against a public key embedded in the binary:

• No call-home — works in air-gapped environments
• No account required — the license is the whole relationship
• One license covers one running instance

What happens at expiry

A license never hard-locks your instance in the middle of an incident. When it expires, Pro features enter a 14-day read-only grace period — monitoring and other reads keep working while writes to Pro features are blocked — giving you time to renew. After the grace window, Pro features return to the community state until a valid license is uploaded.

Open Source vs Pro License

FAQ

Do I need a license file? Only for the Pro modules (Query Insights, Cluster Health, Governance, Schedules, query parameters, GitHub sync). The Open Source tier is fully unlocked otherwise — Apache-2.0, no key, no activation.

Does the license phone home? No. Activation is a signed file verified locally — air-gapped deployments work fine.

What does the $1,199/year buy me? The full Pro module set on your own deployment, plus email support — with your data never leaving your infrastructure.

Can I try before buying? Yes — start a 30-day free trial. You get a time-limited license that unlocks every Pro module; no card required.

Can I use the open-source core in production? Yes — Apache-2.0 permits commercial use.

Questions or Enterprise terms: use the contact form or email me@caioricciuti.com.